With reference to 'Scheduled Areas' in India, consider the following statements: 1. Within a State, the notification of an area as Scheduled Area takes place through an Order of the President. 2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Block. 3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry on the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States. How many of the above statements are correct?

Answer: B. Only TWO of the three statements are correct (1 and 2). (1) Scheduled Area notification by Presidential Order: CORRECT. Under the FIFTH SCHEDULE of the Constitution, the President can declare any area as a Scheduled Area, alter boundaries, or rescind notification. This is done by Presidential Order after consultation with the State Governor. (2) Largest unit District, smallest cluster of villages: CORRECT. As per Ministry of Tribal Affairs guidelines, Scheduled Areas are typically declared at District level (largest) and can extend down to Block-level Tehsils or even clusters of villages (smallest). Examples include entire districts in Jharkhand, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. (3) Chief Ministers submit annual reports to Union Home Ministry: WRONG. Under Para 3 of the Fifth Schedule, it is the GOVERNOR (not the Chief Minister) who submits annual reports to the PRESIDENT (not the Home Ministry) on the administration of Scheduled Areas. This is a constitutional duty of the Governor. Source: Fifth Schedule of the Constitution / Ministry of Tribal Affairs documents.