Important Articles and Schedules of the Constitution of India
The Constitution of India contains provisions governing the Union and States, citizenship, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy, Fundamental Duties, Parliament, the judiciary, Centre-State relations, emergency powers and many other constitutional institutions. Certain Articles and Schedules are referred to more frequently in legal proceedings, constitutional law, competitive examinations and general legal research.
Frequently Used Articles of the Constitution of India
The following table gives a concise explanation of selected constitutional provisions. The descriptions are intended as a quick reference and should be read together with the complete constitutional text and applicable judicial decisions.
| Article | Subject and brief meaning |
|---|---|
| Article 1 | Deals with the name and territory of India. India, that is Bharat, is described as a Union of States. |
| Article 2 | Empowers Parliament to admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as Parliament considers appropriate. |
| Article 5 | Deals with citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution. |
| Article 14 | Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. |
| Article 15 | Prohibits specified forms of discrimination by the State while also permitting constitutionally authorised special provisions in the circumstances specified in the Article. |
| Article 17 | Abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form. |
| Article 19 | Protects specified freedoms of citizens, including freedom of speech and expression, subject to the constitutionally permitted restrictions. |
| Article 21 | Provides that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. |
| Article 21A | Provides for free and compulsory education for children between six and fourteen years of age in the manner determined by law. |
| Article 32 | Guarantees the right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of the Fundamental Rights conferred by Part III and empowers the Court to issue appropriate directions, orders and writs. |
| Article 39 | Contains important Directive Principles concerning matters such as adequate means of livelihood, distribution of material resources, prevention of concentration of wealth and protection of workers and children. |
| Article 39A | Directs the State to secure equal justice and provide free legal aid so that opportunities for securing justice are not denied because of economic or other disabilities. |
| Article 41 | Directs the State, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, to make effective provision for the right to work, education and public assistance in specified circumstances. |
| Article 44 | Provides that the State shall endeavour to secure for citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India. |
| Article 45 | Directs the State to endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years. |
| Article 48A | Directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. |
| Article 51A | Sets out the Fundamental Duties of citizens of India. |
| Article 75(1A) | Limits the total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Union Council of Ministers to fifteen per cent of the total number of members of the House of the People. |
| Article 123 | Confers power on the President to promulgate Ordinances when both Houses of Parliament are not in session and the constitutional conditions for exercise of that power are satisfied. |
| Article 124 | Provides for the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court of India. |
| Article 141 | Provides that the law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all courts within the territory of India. |
| Article 164(1A) | Regulates the maximum size of a State Council of Ministers. Subject to the constitutional minimum, the total number of Ministers including the Chief Minister cannot exceed fifteen per cent of the total number of members of the State Legislative Assembly. |
| Article 215 | Declares every High Court to be a court of record and gives it the power to punish for contempt of itself. |
| Article 300A | Provides that no person shall be deprived of property except by authority of law. The right to property is a constitutional right under Article 300A and is no longer a Fundamental Right. |
| Articles 341 and 342 | Deal respectively with specification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for constitutional purposes. |
| Article 352 | Deals with proclamation of Emergency where the security of India or a part of its territory is threatened by war, external aggression or armed rebellion, subject to the constitutional requirements contained in the Article. |
| Article 370 | Article 370 originally contained temporary provisions concerning the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the constitutional measures taken in August 2019, the President declared that all clauses of Article 370 would cease to operate except in its modified form applying all provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir. The constitutional validity of the 2019 measures was considered by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in its judgment dated 11 December 2023. |
Important Schedules to the Constitution of India
The Schedules form part of the Constitution and contain detailed provisions referred to by different Articles. Some frequently consulted Schedules are set out below.
| Schedule | Subject |
|---|---|
| First Schedule | Contains provisions relating to the States and Union territories and their territories. |
| Seventh Schedule | Contains the Union List, State List and Concurrent List and is central to the constitutional distribution of legislative subjects between Parliament and State Legislatures. |
| Eighth Schedule | Contains the languages recognised in the Schedule to the Constitution. |
| Tenth Schedule | Contains provisions relating to disqualification of members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of defection. |
Fundamental Rights and Frequently Referred Articles
Part III of the Constitution contains Fundamental Rights. Among the provisions most frequently invoked in constitutional litigation are Articles 14, 19, 21 and 32. Article 14 protects equality before law and equal protection of the laws. Article 19 protects specified freedoms of citizens, while Article 21 protects life and personal liberty. Article 32 provides the constitutional remedy for enforcement of Fundamental Rights before the Supreme Court.
For a detailed provision-wise discussion, see Fundamental Rights under the Constitution of India.
Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties
Part IV contains the Directive Principles of State Policy. These principles are not enforceable by a court in the same manner as Fundamental Rights, but the Constitution declares them fundamental in the governance of the country and requires the State to apply them in making laws.
Article 51A, contained in Part IVA, specifies the Fundamental Duties of citizens. These include duties concerning the Constitution, national unity, harmony, the environment, scientific temper and protection of public property, among others.
Constitutional Courts
Article 124 provides for the Supreme Court of India. Article 141 gives the law declared by the Supreme Court binding force over all courts within India. Article 215 declares every High Court to be a court of record and recognises its power to punish for contempt of itself.
Article 300A and the Right to Property
Article 300A states that no person may be deprived of property except by authority of law. The right to property therefore continues as a constitutional right even though it is no longer included among the Fundamental Rights in Part III.
Current Position of Article 370
Meaning of "Important" Articles and Schedules
The Constitution must be read as a whole. The Articles and Schedules listed on this page have been selected because they are frequently referred to in legal practice, constitutional litigation, legal education and general research. Their inclusion does not give them a higher constitutional status than provisions omitted from this summary.
For the complete constitutional framework, readers should consult the full text of the Constitution of India 1949.