THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
(As on 9th November, 2015)
Part-I|Part-II|Part-III|Part-IV|Part-V|Part-VI|Part-VIII|Part-IX|Part-IXA|Part-IXB|Part-X|Part-XI|Part-XII|Part-XIII|Part-XIV|Part-XIV|Part-XVI|Part-XVII|Part-XVIII|Part-XIX|Part-XXI|Part-XXII|First Schedule|Second Schedule|Third Schedule|Fourth Schedule|Fifth Schedule|Sixth Schedule|Seventh Schedule|Eighth Schedule|Ninth Schedule|Tenth Schedule|Eleventh Schedule|Twelfth Schedule|Appendix I |Appendix II|Appendix III|Appendix-IV
PREFACE
Constitution is a living document, an instrument which makes the government system work. Its flexibility lies in its amendments. In this edition, the text of the Constitution of India has been brought up-to-date by incorporating therein all amendments made by Parliament up to and including the Constitution (One Hundredth Amendment) Act, 2015 which contains details of acquired and transferred territories between the Governments of India and Bangladesh and the same has been included in Annexure.
The Constitution applies to the State of Jammu and Kashmir with certain exceptions and modifications as provided in article 370 and the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954. This Order has been included in Appendix I for facility of reference. Appendix II contains a re-statement of the exceptions and modifications.
The text of the constitutional amendments relating to the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978 and the Constitution (Eighty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2003, which have not yet come into force, have been provided in the text at the appropriate places.
NEW DELHI;DR. G. NARAYANA RAJU,
9th November, 2015.Secretary to the Government of India.
PREAMBLE
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a 1[SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC] and
to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the 2[unity and integrity of the Nation];
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-
sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.Preamble.
PART I : THE UNION AND ITS TERRITORY
1. Name and territory of the Union.
1.(1) India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.
3[(2) The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule.]
(3)The territory of India shall comprise—
(a)the territories of the States;
4[(b) the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and]
(c) such other territories as may be acquired.
2. Admission or estab- lishment of new States.
Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.
2A.[Repealed.]
52A. [Sikkim to be associated with the Union.] Rep. by the Constitution (Thirty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1975, s. 5 (w.e.f. 26-4-1975).
3. Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.
Parliament may by law—
(a)form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State;
(b)increase the area of any State;
(c)diminish the area of any State;
(d)alter the boundaries of any State;
(e)alter the name of any State:
6[Provided that no Bill for the purpose shall be introduced in either House of Parliament except on the recommendation of the President and unless, where the proposal contained in the Bill affects the area, boundaries or name of any of the States 1***, the Bill has been referred by the President to the Legislature of that State for expressing its views thereon within such period as may be specified in the reference or within such further period as the President may allow and the period so specified or allowed has expired.]
“7[Explanation I.— In this article, in clauses (a) to (e),
State” includes a Union territory, but in the proviso,
“State” does not include a Union territory.
Explanation II.— The power conferred on Parliament by clause (a) includes the power to form a new State or Union territory by uniting a part of any State or Union territory to any other State or Union territory.]
4. Laws made under articles 2 and 3 to provide for the amendment of the First and the Fourth Schedules and supplemental, inci- dental and conse- quential matters.
(1) Any law referred to in article 2 or article 3 shall contain such provisions for the amendment of the First Schedule and the Fourth Schedule as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the law and may also contain such supplemental, incidental and consequential provisions (including provisions as to representation in Parliament and in the Legislature or Legislatures of the State or States affected by such law) as Parliament may deem necessary.
(2) No such law as aforesaid shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368.
1. Subs. by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, s. 2, for “SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC” (w.e.f. 3-1-1977).
2. Subs. by s. 2, ibid., for “unity of the Nation” (w.e.f. 3-1-1977).
3. Subs. by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 2, for cl. (2).
4. Subs. by s. 2, ibid., for sub-clause (b).
5. Ins. by the Constitution (Thirty-fifth Amendment) Act, 1974, s. 2 (w.e.f. 1-3-1975).
6. Subs. by the Constitution (Fifth Amendment) Act, 1955, s. 2, for the proviso.
1*** The words and letters “specified in Part A or Part B of the First Schedule” omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch.
7. Ins. by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 1966, s. 2.
