Articles 393, 394 and 395 of the Constitution of India: Short Title, Commencement and Repeals
Articles 393, 394 and 395 form part of Part XXII of the Constitution of India. They deal respectively with the Constitution's short title, its commencement, and the repeal of specified pre-Constitution enactments. Part XXII also contains Article 394A, concerning the authoritative text of the Constitution in the Hindi language.
Article 393 - Short title
Article 393: This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India.
Meaning: Article 393 gives the constitutional document its formal short title: the Constitution of India. It is a naming provision and does not itself create a separate substantive right, power or obligation.
Article 394 - Commencement
Article 394: This article and Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60, 324, 366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392 and 393 came into force at once. The remaining provisions came into force on 26 January 1950, the date described in the Constitution as its commencement.
Meaning: The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, but Article 394 created a two-stage commencement. The specifically listed provisions took effect immediately, while the remaining provisions took effect on 26 January 1950. Some provisions named in Article 394, including Articles 379, 380, 388 and 391, were transitional provisions and have subsequently been omitted from the current constitutional text.
Article 394A - Authoritative text in the Hindi language
Article 394A was inserted by the Constitution (Fifty-eighth Amendment) Act, 1987. In substance, it provides for publication under the President's authority of the Hindi translation of the Constitution and of constitutional amendments, and gives the published Hindi text authoritative status as provided by the Article.
This provision is included here because the current heading of Part XXII covers the short title, commencement, authoritative text in Hindi and repeals.
Article 395 - Repeals
Article 395: The Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act, were repealed, except for the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949.
Meaning: Article 395 formally repealed the principal British-era constitutional enactments identified in the Article as the Constitution of India came into operation. The express exception for the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949 is part of Article 395 itself.
Article 395 should also be read with Article 372. Article 372 addresses the continuance of existing laws, subject to the Constitution, notwithstanding the repeal of the enactments referred to in Article 395. Accordingly, Article 395 did not by itself erase every pre-Constitution law then operating in India.
Articles 393, 394 and 395 - Quick summary
| Article | Subject | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 393 | Short title | Names the document the Constitution of India. |
| 394 | Commencement | Specified provisions took effect immediately; the remaining provisions commenced on 26 January 1950. |
| 394A | Authoritative Hindi text | Provides for an authoritative Hindi text of the Constitution and constitutional amendments. |
| 395 | Repeals | Repeals the specified earlier constitutional enactments, subject to the express exception in the Article. |
Official constitutional sources
For the latest official text, readers should verify the Constitution on the websites of the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice and India Code.
Updated: 19 September 2026. This article is intended for general legal information. For an authoritative citation, consult the latest official constitutional text and applicable amendments.