Important Amendments of the Constitution -

Important Amendments of the Constitution

1st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951

Fundamental Rights & Land Reforms

Inserted Article 15(4) to enable Special Provisions for the Advancement of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Added Article 31A and Article 31B to protect Land Reform Laws from judicial challenge.
Introduced the Ninth Schedule to safeguard specified laws from Judicial Review, particularly those relating to Agrarian Reforms.

7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956

State Reorganisation

Facilitated the implementation of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
Abolished the classification of States into Part A, Part B, and Part C States.
Reorganised India into States and Union Territories.
Revised the Allocation of Rajya Sabha Seats.
Made changes regarding:
- Appointment of Additional and Acting Judges
- High Courts
- Jurisdiction of High Courts

10th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1961

Integration of Territory

Incorporated Dadra and Nagar Haveli into the Union of India as a Union Territory.

12th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962

Inclusion of Goa

Integrated the territories of:
- Goa
- Daman
- Diu
into the Indian Union.

13th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962

Special Status to Nagaland

Inserted Article 371A.
Granted Special Constitutional Provisions for the State of Nagaland.

14th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962

Union Territory Administration

Included Pondicherry (now Puducherry) in the Constitution as a Union Territory.
Also covered:
- Karaikal
- Mahe
- Yanam
Enabled the Union Territories of:
- Himachal Pradesh
- Manipur
- Tripura
- Goa, Daman & Diu
- Pondicherry
to establish Legislatures and Councils of Ministers.

15th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1963

Judiciary

Increased the Retirement Age of High Court Judges from 60 years to 62 years.
Expanded the powers of High Courts to issue Writs even against authorities located outside their territorial jurisdiction, provided the Cause of Action arose within their jurisdiction.

16th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1963

National Integrity

Amended Article 19 to permit Reasonable Restrictions on Freedom of Speech and Expression in the interests of:
- Sovereignty
- Integrity of India
Modified the Third Schedule to emphasise allegiance to the Sovereignty and Integrity of India.

19th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1966

Election Disputes

Amended Article 324.
Clarified the functions of the Election Commission of India.
Abolished Election Tribunals, transferring the adjudication of Election Disputes to the High Courts.

21st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1967

Official Language

Included Sindhi in the Eighth Schedule as the 15th Scheduled Language.

24th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971

Parliament’s Power to Amend

Enacted in response to the Golak Nath Case (1967).
Affirmed that Parliament has the power to amend any part of the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights.
Made it Mandatory for the President to give assent to a Constitution Amendment Bill.

25th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971

Right to Property & DPSPs

Curtailed the power of the Courts to review Property Acquisition Laws.
Replaced the word “Compensation” with “Amount” in Article 31.
Protected laws enacted to implement Article 39(b) and Article 39(c) from being invalidated merely on the ground of violating Articles 14, 19, and 31.

26th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971

Abolition of Privy Purses

Withdrawn the Official Recognition of Former Rulers of Princely States.
Abolished Privy Purses permanently.

30th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1972

Supreme Court Appeals

Removed the Monetary Limit of ₹20,000 for filing Civil Appeals before the Supreme Court.
Allowed appeals involving a Substantial Question of Law.

31st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1973

Lok Sabha Strength

Increased the strength of the Lok Sabha from 525 to 545 Members.
Reduced the representation of Union Territories from 25 to 20 Seats.

35th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1974

Sikkim as Associate State

Conferred the status of Associate State upon Sikkim.
Ended Sikkim’s earlier Protectorate Status under the Constitution.

36th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1975

Full Statehood to Sikkim

Granted Full Statehood to Sikkim, making it the 22nd State of India.

38th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1975

Emergency Powers

Declared that the Proclamation of Emergency by the President could not be challenged in any Court.
Extended similar protection to the Promulgation of Ordinances by the President and Governors.

39th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1975

Election Disputes

Excluded Judicial Review over disputes relating to the election of:
- President
- Vice-President
- Prime Minister
- Speaker of the Lok Sabha

42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 (Mini Constitution)

Preamble

Added the words:
- Socialist
- Secular
- Integrity

Fundamental Duties

Inserted Part IVA introducing Fundamental Duties.

Directive Principles

Strengthened the position of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) over Fundamental Rights in certain situations.

Parliament’s Amending Power

Declared Parliament’s Amending Power to be beyond judicial challenge.

Judiciary

Curtailed the powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts in several matters.
Empowered the Supreme Court to transfer cases from one High Court to another.
Established Administrative Tribunals for speedy disposal of service-related disputes.

Centre–State Relations

Empowered the Central Government to deploy Armed Forces in any State to maintain Law and Order.

Emergency Provisions

Enabled the President to proclaim Emergency in the Whole or Any Part of India.

Executive

Made it Mandatory for the President to act on the Advice of the Council of Ministers.

Legislature

Increased the Term of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies from 5 Years to 6 Years.

43rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1977

Restoration of Judicial Powers

Repealed several provisions introduced by the 42nd Amendment.
Restored the Jurisdiction and Powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978

Restoration of Democratic Safeguards

Enacted by the Janata Party Government to reverse several provisions of the 42nd Amendment.

Right to Property

Removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights.
Introduced Article 300A, making it a Constitutional/Legal Right.

Emergency Provisions

Restored Judicial Review over the Proclamation of Emergency.
Replaced the expression “Internal Disturbance” with “Armed Rebellion” as the ground for National Emergency under Article 352.
Required Written Advice of the Cabinet before the President could proclaim an Emergency.
Allowed Revocation of Emergency by the Lok Sabha.

Executive Powers

Empowered the President to return the advice of the Council of Ministers once for reconsideration.
After reconsideration, the President is constitutionally bound to accept the advice.

Election Disputes

Restored the Jurisdiction of Courts over disputes concerning the elections of the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Parliamentary Proceedings

Granted Constitutional Protection to the Publication of Proceedings of Parliament and State Legislatures.

52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985

Anti-Defection Law

Enacted to curb Political Defection among elected representatives.
Inserted the Tenth Schedule into the Constitution.
Prescribed Disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures on grounds of Defection.

55th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1986 (Effective: 20 February 1987)

Arunachal Pradesh

Conferred Statehood on Arunachal Pradesh with Special Powers to the Governor.
Provided for a 30-Member State Legislative Assembly.

56th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1987

Goa Statehood

Granted Full Statehood to Goa.
Daman and Diu continued as a Union Territory.

57th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1987

Reservation for Scheduled Tribes

Provided Reservation of Seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in:
- Nagaland
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Arunachal Pradesh
Also provided reservation for STs in the Legislative Assemblies of Nagaland and Meghalaya.

58th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1987

Authoritative Hindi Text

Empowered the President to publish the Authoritative Hindi Text of the Constitution of India.

59th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988

Emergency Provisions

Amended Article 356 to permit the continuation of President’s Rule for up to three years in certain situations.
Amended Article 352 to authorise the declaration of National Emergency in Punjab on the ground of Internal Disturbance.
These emergency provisions were applicable only to the State of Punjab.

61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1989 (Effective: 28 March 1989)

Voting Age

Reduced the Minimum Voting Age from 21 years to 18 years.
Amended Article 326.

62nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1989

Extension of Reservation

Extended the reservation of seats for:
- Scheduled Castes (SCs)
- Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Extended the provision for Nomination of Anglo-Indians (where applicable at that time).
The extension was granted for another 10 years (up to 2000 AD).

65th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1990 (Effective: 12 March 1992)

National Commission for SCs & STs

Established the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Empowered the Commission to safeguard the Rights and Interests of SCs and STs.

66th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1990

Ninth Schedule

Inserted 55 State Land Reform Acts into the Ninth Schedule, protecting them from judicial challenge.

69th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1991 (Effective: 1 February 1992)

National Capital Territory of Delhi

Inserted Articles 239AA and 239AB.
Redesignated the Union Territory of Delhi as the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
Provided for:
- A Legislative Assembly
- A Council of Ministers for Delhi.

70th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

Presidential Election

Amended Articles 54 and 368.
Included the Elected Members of the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry in the Electoral College for the Election of the President.

71st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

Eighth Schedule

Added the following languages to the Eighth Schedule:
- Konkani
- Manipuri
- Nepali

73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 (Effective: 24 April 1993)

Panchayati Raj

Granted Constitutional Status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Inserted:
- Part IX
- Articles 243–243O
- Eleventh Schedule.

74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 (Effective: 1 June 1993)

Municipalities

Granted Constitutional Status to Urban Local Bodies (Municipalities).
Inserted:
- Part IXA
- Articles 243P–243ZG
- Twelfth Schedule.

77th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1995

Reservation in Promotion

Inserted Article 16(4A).
Enabled the State to provide Reservation in Promotion for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Government Services.

78th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1995

Ninth Schedule

Added 27 State Land Reform Acts to the Ninth Schedule.
Increased the total number of Acts protected under the Ninth Schedule to 284.

79th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1999

Extension of Reservation

Extended the reservation of seats for:
- Scheduled Castes (SCs)
- Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Continued the Nomination of Anglo-Indians (as applicable then) in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for another 10 years (up to 2010).

80th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2000

Distribution of Central Taxes

Amended Article 269.
Inserted a New Article 270.
Omitted Article 272.
Implemented the recommendations of the Tenth Finance Commission.
Expanded the Shareable Pool of Central Taxes and Duties to be distributed between the Union and the States.
Deemed to have come into force from 1 April 1996.

81st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2000

Backlog Vacancies

Amended Article 16(4).
Inserted Article 16(4B).
Permitted Reserved Backlog Vacancies for SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to be filled without counting them within the 50% Reservation Ceiling.

82nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2000

Relaxation in Qualifying Marks

Restored the power of the State to provide Relaxation in Qualifying Marks and Standards of Evaluation for SCs and STs in matters relating to Promotion in Government Services.
Neutralised the effect of the Supreme Court Judgment (1996) on this issue.

84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001 (Effective: 21 February 2002)

Delimitation and Census

Extended the Freeze on Delimitation of Parliamentary and State Assembly Constituencies until the First Census after 2026.
Continued the use of the 1971 Census for:
- Election of the President (Article 55)
- Allocation of Seats in the Lok Sabha
Continued the use of the 1991 Census for:
- Territorial Delimitation of Lok Sabha Constituencies
- Composition of State Legislative Assemblies
- Reservation of Seats for SCs and STs.

85th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001

Reservation in Promotion

Amended Article 16(4A).
Replaced the words “in matters of promotion to any class” with “in matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, to any class”.
Extended the benefit of Consequential Seniority to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Government Services.

86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002

Right to Education

Inserted Article 21A, making Free and Compulsory Education a Fundamental Right for children between 6 and 14 years of age.

Directive Principles

Substituted Article 45, directing the State to provide Early Childhood Care and Education for all children below six years of age.

Fundamental Duties

Added a new Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(k).
Made it the duty of Parents and Guardians to provide Educational Opportunities to children between 6 and 14 years.

87th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 (Effective: 19 February 2004)

Delimitation

Revised the basis for Allocation of Lok Sabha Seats and Territorial Delimitation of Constituencies.
Replaced the 1991 Census with the 2001 Census for delimitation purposes, while retaining the overall freeze on the number of seats.

88th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 (Effective: 15 January 2004)

Service Tax

Inserted Article 268A after Article 268.
Empowered the Union Government to Levy Service Tax.
Provided that the proceeds of Service Tax would be Collected and Appropriated by the Union and the States in the manner prescribed by Parliament.

89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

Bifurcated the existing National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Established a separate National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
The Commission consists of:
- Chairperson
- Vice-Chairperson
- Three Other Members
All members are Appointed by the President of India.

90th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003

Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD)

Inserted special constitutional provisions following the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) in Assam.
Ensured that the Representation of Scheduled Tribes and Non-Scheduled Tribes in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District remained the same as it existed before its creation.

91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 (Effective: 1 January 2004)

Size of the Council of Ministers

Limited the Size of the Council of Ministers at both the Union and State levels.
The Total Number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister or Chief Minister, cannot exceed 15% of the total strength of:
- Lok Sabha (at the Centre)
- Legislative Assembly (in a State)

Minimum Strength

The Council of Ministers in a State shall consist of not less than 12 Ministers.

Anti-Defection

Provided that a Member disqualified under the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) shall also be Disqualified from becoming a Minister until re-elected.

92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 (Effective: 7 January 2004)

Eighth Schedule

Added Four New Languages to the Eighth Schedule:
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Maithili
- Santhali
Increased the total number of Scheduled Languages from 18 to 22.

93rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2005 (Effective: 20 January 2006)

Reservation in Educational Institutions

Inserted Article 15(5).
Empowered the State to provide Reservation in Admissions for:
- Scheduled Castes (SCs)
- Scheduled Tribes (STs)
- Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs/OBCs)
Applicable to Educational Institutions, including Private Unaided Educational Institutions, except Minority Educational Institutions.

94th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2006

Tribal Welfare Minister

Excluded Bihar from the requirement of appointing a Minister for Tribal Welfare under Article 164(1).
Extended this requirement to the newly formed States of:
- Chhattisgarh
- Jharkhand
Continued its applicability to:
- Madhya Pradesh
- Odisha (formerly Orissa)

95th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2009

Extension of Reservation

Extended the reservation of seats for:
- Scheduled Castes (SCs)
- Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Continued the Nomination of Anglo-Indians (as applicable then) in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for another 10 years (up to 2020).
In Article 334, substituted the words “Sixty Years” with “Seventy Years”.

96th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011 (Date of Assent: 23 September 2011)

Change of Language Name

Replaced the word “Oriya” with “Odia” in the Eighth Schedule.

97th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011 (Date of Assent: 12 January 2012)

Co-operative Societies

Fundamental Right

Amended Article 19(1)(c) by inserting the words “Co-operative Societies”, thereby recognising the Right to Form Co-operative Societies.

Directive Principles

Inserted Article 43B under the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs).
Directed the State to promote:
- Voluntary Formation
- Autonomous Functioning
- Democratic Control
- Professional Management of Co-operative Societies.

Constitutional Status

Inserted Part IXB dealing with the Incorporation, Regulation, and Management of Co-operative Societies.

98th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2012 (Date of Assent: 1 January 2013)

Special Provision for Karnataka

Inserted Article 371J.
Granted Special Constitutional Provisions for the Hyderabad-Karnataka Region (now Kalyana Karnataka Region) of the State of Karnataka.