All Articles in the Indian Constitution (1–395)

The Indian Constitution originally contained 395 Articles arranged in 22 Parts and 8 Schedules when the Constituent Assembly adopted it on November 26, 1949.¹ Decades of amendment have grown that count to roughly 448 Articles across 25 Parts and 12 Schedules, and the articles in the Indian Constitution now range in label from Article 1 through Article 395 with many alphanumeric insertions between them (Article 21A, Article 243ZG, Article 371J, and others). New provisions are added with alphanumeric labels so the original numbering stays intact and older statutes and judgments still refer to the right text. What follows is a Part-by-Part guide to every major grouping of articles, the Schedules that fill in the operational detail, and the judicial doctrine that limits how any of it can be amended.

Part I — The Union and Its Territory (Articles 1–4)

Article 1 declares that India, also called Bharat, is a Union of States, with the states and their territories listed in the First Schedule.² Article 2 lets Parliament admit new states or establish them on whatever terms it considers appropriate. Article 3 gives Parliament the power to redraw state boundaries, merge states, or rename them. Article 4 allows consequential changes to the First and Fourth Schedules without treating those changes as constitutional amendments under Article 368.³ These provisions have been used repeatedly since 1950, most recently to reorganize Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in 2019.

Part II — Citizenship (Articles 5–11)

Articles 5 through 11 set out who qualified as a citizen when the Constitution took effect and leave future citizenship law to Parliament. Article 5 granted citizenship to every person domiciled in India who was born there, whose parents were born there, or who had been ordinarily resident for at least five years before January 26, 1950. Articles 6 and 7 addressed migration between India and Pakistan at Partition. Article 8 covered people of Indian origin living abroad. Article 9 stripped citizenship from anyone who voluntarily acquired foreign nationality.⁴ Article 11 authorizes Parliament to make law on all citizenship matters, which it did through the Citizenship Act of 1955 and its later amendments.

Part III — Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35)

Part III is where the Constitution protects individual liberty against government action. These rights are enforceable in court, which sets them apart from the advisory Directive Principles in Part IV.

Article 14 prohibits the state from denying any person equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within Indian territory.⁵ Article 15 bars discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, while permitting special provisions for women, children, and socially disadvantaged groups. Article 16 extends the equality principle to public employment. Articles 17 and 18 abolish untouchability and titles of nobility.

Article 19 guarantees six freedoms to every citizen: speech and expression, peaceful assembly, forming associations, moving freely throughout India, residing anywhere in the country, and practicing any profession or trade. Each of these freedoms is subject to reasonable restrictions the state can impose for reasons such as public order or national security. A seventh freedom, the right to acquire property, was removed by the 44th Amendment in 1978.

Article 21 states: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”⁶ Courts have read this provision expansively to include the right to privacy, a clean environment, and livelihood. Article 21A, added by the 86th Amendment in 2002, makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right for children between 6 and 14 years of age.

Article 32 gives every person the right to approach the Supreme Court directly when a fundamental right has been violated. Under Article 32, the Supreme Court can issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, and certiorari.⁷ Dr. Ambedkar called it the “heart and soul” of the Constitution. High Courts have a similar but broader writ power under Article 226, which extends to ordinary legal rights as well as fundamental rights. Articles 33 through 35 let Parliament modify these rights for the armed forces and provide the legislative mechanism to give effect to the chapter.

Part IV and Part IVA — Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties (Articles 36–51A)

Part IV contains the Directive Principles of State Policy, Articles 36 through 51. Article 37 says plainly that these principles cannot be enforced by any court, but they are “fundamental in the governance of the country” and the state has a duty to apply them when making law.⁸ They cover adequate livelihoods, reducing inequality, free legal aid, protection of the environment, and promotion of international peace.

Article 44 directs the state to work toward a Uniform Civil Code that would replace the separate personal laws governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance across religious communities. As of 2026, no nationwide Uniform Civil Code has been enacted.

Part IVA was added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 and contains a single article, Article 51A, listing eleven Fundamental Duties: respecting the Constitution and its ideals, protecting India’s sovereignty and unity, promoting harmony across religious and linguistic lines, preserving the natural environment, developing a scientific temper, safeguarding public property, and others.⁹ A duty for parents to provide education to children between 6 and 14 was added later by the 86th Amendment. None of these duties carry direct legal penalties, though courts have referenced them when interpreting other provisions.

Part V — The Union Government (Articles 52–151)

Part V is the longest single Part of the Constitution and covers the Executive, Parliament, the President’s legislative powers, the Union Judiciary, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General.

The Executive (Articles 52–78)

Article 52 establishes the office of the President of India. Article 53 vests executive power in the President, including supreme command of the armed forces.¹⁰ In practice the President acts almost entirely on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Article 74 requires a Council of Ministers to “aid and advise” the President, and Article 75 makes the Council collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. Articles 102 and 103 set out disqualification grounds for members of Parliament, including holding an “office of profit” under the government.

Parliament (Articles 79–122)

Article 79 creates Parliament, consisting of the President and two Houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).¹¹ Articles 80 and 81 define the composition of each House. Legislative procedure for ordinary bills runs from Articles 107 through 117, with money bills required to originate in the Lok Sabha and no tax levied or public money spent without Parliament’s approval.

The Supreme Court (Articles 124–147)

Articles 124 through 147 establish the Supreme Court as the highest court of appeal and the final interpreter of the Constitution. Article 124 covers the appointment and removal of judges. Although the text gives the President the appointment power “after consultation with” the Chief Justice, Supreme Court rulings between 1981 and 1998 effectively transferred control to a collegium of senior judges. Parliament attempted to replace this system with a National Judicial Appointments Commission in 2014, but the Supreme Court struck down that reform in 2015 as a violation of judicial independence under the basic structure doctrine. Article 131 grants the Court original jurisdiction in disputes between the Union and any state. Article 136 gives it broad discretionary power to hear appeals from any court or tribunal in India.

The Comptroller and Auditor-General (Articles 148–151)

Articles 148 through 151 create the office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, who audits all government spending at the Union and state levels. CAG reports go to the President and are laid before Parliament.

Part VI — The States (Articles 152–237)

Part VI mirrors Part V at the state level. Article 153 provides that each state shall have a Governor appointed by the President.¹² Real executive power lies with the Chief Minister and the state Council of Ministers, accountable to the state legislature. Articles 168 through 212 detail the structure and legislative powers of state assemblies. Some states have bicameral legislatures (both a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council), while most have only a single house.

Articles 214 through 232 establish the High Courts. Each state has at least one High Court with the power to issue writs under Article 226 covering any legal right, not just fundamental rights. Articles 233 through 237 cover the appointment of district judges and the subordinate judiciary.

Part VII (Repealed) and Part VIII — Union Territories (Articles 239–242)

Part VII originally dealt with states in the old Part B of the First Schedule and was repealed by the 7th Amendment in 1956 after the reorganization of states along linguistic lines.

Part VIII, Articles 239 through 242, governs Union Territories. These are administered directly by the Union government through a Lieutenant Governor or Administrator appointed by the President. Article 239A allows Parliament to create legislatures for certain Union Territories, and Article 239AA (added by the 69th Amendment) provides special provisions for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including an elected Legislative Assembly.¹³

Part IX, IXA, and IXB — Local Government and Co-operative Societies (Articles 243–243ZT)

Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) was inserted by the 73rd Amendment in 1992 to create a constitutional framework for Panchayats, the elected local bodies in rural areas.¹⁴ It mandates a three-tier structure (village, intermediate, and district), requires elections every five years, and reserves seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women.

Part IXA (Articles 243P to 243ZG) was added by the 74th Amendment in the same year, extending similar protections to Municipalities in urban areas. The Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules list the subjects on which Panchayats and Municipalities have authority.

Part IXB (Articles 243ZH to 243ZT) was inserted by the 97th Amendment in 2011 and deals with co-operative societies. It sets rules on board composition (no more than 21 directors), requires five-year terms for elected board members, mandates regular audits, and reserves seats for women and members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on co-operative boards.

Part X and Part XI — Scheduled Areas and Union–State Relations (Articles 244–263)

Part X contains two articles. Article 244 provides for the administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, granting autonomy to regions with significant tribal populations. Article 244A allows Parliament to create autonomous states within existing states for certain tribal areas in Assam.

Part XI (Articles 245 to 263) divides legislative and administrative power between the Union and the states. Article 245 lets Parliament make laws for the whole or any part of India, while a state legislature can make laws for its own territory. Article 246 ties this power to the three lists in the Seventh Schedule: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List. Article 246A, added by the 101st Amendment in 2016, gave both Parliament and state legislatures the power to make laws on the Goods and Services Tax, with Parliament retaining exclusive control over inter-state GST.¹⁵ Article 248 gives Parliament residuary legislative power over anything not listed. Articles 256 through 263 cover Centre–state administrative coordination, with Article 263 allowing the President to establish an Inter-State Council to investigate and advise on disputes between states.

Part XII and Part XIII — Finance, Property, and Trade (Articles 264–307)

Finance and Property (Articles 264–300A)

Articles 264 through 279A cover the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the states. Article 279A established the GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister with representation from every state. Decisions require a three-fourths majority of weighted votes, with the Centre holding one-third and the states collectively holding two-thirds.¹⁶

Article 280 requires the President to constitute a Finance Commission every five years (or sooner) to recommend how tax proceeds should be divided between the Union and the states and what grants-in-aid states should receive. Articles 292 and 293 regulate government borrowing. Article 300A, placed in Part XII by the 44th Amendment in 1978, states: “No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law.”¹⁷ The right to property was originally a fundamental right and is now a constitutional right: the government can acquire property for public purposes as long as it follows a valid legal procedure, but citizens cannot petition the Supreme Court under Article 32 to enforce it.

Trade and Commerce (Articles 301–307)

Article 301 establishes that trade and commerce across Indian territory shall be free. Article 302 lets Parliament impose restrictions in the public interest. Article 304 allows states to tax imported goods at the same rate as locally produced goods but bars them from discriminating against goods from other states.¹⁸

Part XIV and Part XIVA — Public Services and Tribunals (Articles 308–323B)

Part XIV (Articles 308 to 323) covers civil services under the Union and the states. Article 311 protects government employees from being dismissed or removed without a reasonable inquiry. Article 312 allows Parliament to create All-India Services, such as the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, but only after the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting declaring the new service necessary in the national interest. Articles 315 through 323 establish Public Service Commissions at the Union and state levels.

Part XIVA (Articles 323A and 323B), added by the 42nd Amendment, provides the constitutional basis for tribunals. Article 323A authorizes Parliament to set up Administrative Tribunals for disputes on public service recruitment and conditions. Article 323B covers tribunals for a wider range of matters, including tax disputes, labor issues, land reform, and election disputes.

Part XV, XVI, and XVII — Elections, Reservations, and Official Language (Articles 324–351)

Elections (Articles 324–329)

Article 324 vests the superintendence and conduct of all elections (Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President) in the Election Commission of India. Article 326 guarantees adult suffrage: every citizen 18 or older who is not otherwise disqualified has the right to vote. Article 329 bars courts from interfering in electoral matters except through an election petition filed after results are declared.

Special Provisions for Certain Classes (Articles 330–342A)

Part XVI reserves seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha (Article 330) and in state Legislative Assemblies (Article 332). Article 335 addresses claims of these communities to posts in government services. The 106th Amendment Act of 2023, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, inserted Articles 330A and 332A to reserve roughly one-third of directly elected seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. This reservation takes effect only after a fresh delimitation exercise based on the first census conducted after the amendment’s commencement.¹⁹

Official Language (Articles 343–351)

Article 343 declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union. English was originally permitted for official purposes for 15 years after 1950, but the Official Languages Act of 1963 extended its use indefinitely alongside Hindi. Articles 345 through 347 let states adopt their own official languages. Articles 348 and 349 prescribe English for use in the Supreme Court, High Courts, and authoritative legislative texts unless Parliament provides otherwise. Article 351 directs the Union to promote the spread of Hindi.²⁰

Part XVIII, XIX, and XX — Emergencies, Miscellaneous Provisions, and Amendment (Articles 352–368)

Emergency Provisions (Articles 352–360)

Article 352 allows the President to proclaim a National Emergency if the security of India or any part of it is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion. During such an emergency, Articles 358 and 359 permit the suspension of fundamental rights under Article 19 and other specified provisions.²¹ Article 356 allows the President to impose President’s Rule in a state if the state government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. Article 360 covers Financial Emergencies and has never been invoked.

Miscellaneous Provisions (Articles 361–367)

Article 361 grants the President and Governors immunity from criminal proceedings during their term of office and shields them from being answerable to any court for actions taken in their official capacity. Article 365 states that if a state fails to comply with Union directives, the President may hold that the state government can no longer be carried on in accordance with the Constitution, creating a pathway to President’s Rule under Article 356.

Amendment of the Constitution (Article 368)

Part XX contains only Article 368, which lays out the amendment process. An amendment begins as a bill in either House of Parliament and must pass each House by a majority of the total membership and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. For amendments touching the federal structure, such as changes to the Seventh Schedule lists, the representation of states in Parliament, or Article 368 itself, ratification by at least half of the state legislatures is also required.²²

Part XXI and Part XXII — Temporary Provisions and Short Title (Articles 369–395)

Part XXI handles transitional situations and special provisions for specific states. Article 370 originally gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status with its own constitution and limits on Parliament’s legislative authority over the region. In August 2019, the President exercised the power under Article 370(3) to render this article inoperative, and Parliament simultaneously passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. The Supreme Court upheld this action in December 2023. Articles 371 through 371J contain special provisions for Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, typically addressing tribal rights, regional administrative arrangements, or development boards.

Part XXII (Articles 393 to 395) is the shortest Part. It provides the short title (“The Constitution of India”), the commencement date (January 26, 1950), and the authoritative text in both Hindi and English.

The Twelve Schedules

The Schedules are supplementary lists that give operational detail to the main Articles. The Constitution started with 8 Schedules and now has 12.

First Schedule lists every state and Union Territory along with their territorial boundaries.²³
Second Schedule sets the salaries and emoluments for the President, Governors, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General.
Third Schedule contains the forms of oaths and affirmations for public officials before they assume office.
Fourth Schedule allocates Rajya Sabha seats to each state and Union Territory, roughly proportional to population.
Fifth Schedule provides for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and the establishment of Tribes Advisory Councils.
Sixth Schedule creates autonomous district councils and regional councils for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, granting them legislative and judicial powers over local matters.
Seventh Schedule contains the three lists dividing legislative subjects between the Union and the states. The Union List covers national matters like defense, foreign affairs, atomic energy, railways, banking, and currency. The State List covers regional matters like police, public health, agriculture, and land. The Concurrent List covers subjects where both levels can legislate, including criminal law, marriage and divorce, education, and forests.²⁴
Eighth Schedule recognizes 22 official languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.²⁵
Ninth Schedule was created by the 1st Amendment in 1951 to shield land reform laws from judicial review. Laws placed here after April 24, 1973, can still be struck down if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution, per the Supreme Court’s ruling in I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007).
Tenth Schedule contains the Anti-Defection Law, added by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. A legislator who voluntarily leaves their party or votes against party direction without permission faces disqualification. An independent member who joins any party after election is also disqualified. The one exception is a party merger where at least two-thirds of the legislative party members agree to it.²⁶
Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects (including agriculture, land improvement, rural housing, drinking water, and primary education) over which Panchayats have authority under Part IX.
Twelfth Schedule lists 18 subjects (including urban planning, regulation of land use, public health, water supply, and fire services) within the jurisdiction of Municipalities under Part IXA.

The Basic Structure Doctrine

Article 368 gives Parliament broad power to amend the Constitution, but that power is not unlimited. In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), the Supreme Court held, in a 7–6 majority decision, that certain fundamental features of the Constitution cannot be amended or abolished by Parliament.²⁷ These features include the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, democracy, secularism, and federalism. The power of judicial review is itself part of this basic structure, so Parliament cannot pass an amendment stripping the courts of that authority.

The doctrine has been applied repeatedly. In 2007, the Supreme Court confirmed that laws added to the Ninth Schedule after April 24, 1973, remain subject to judicial review if they violate basic structure principles like equality (Article 14), fundamental freedoms (Article 19), or the right to life (Article 21). In 2015, the Court used the doctrine to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission, ruling it undermined judicial independence. The basic structure doctrine does not appear anywhere in the Constitution’s text; it is judge-made law, and it is now the single most important limit on Parliament’s amending power.

Recent Amendments That Added or Changed Articles

The Constitution has been amended over 100 times since 1950. A few recent amendments changed significant Articles a reader is likely looking up:

The 101st Amendment (2016) introduced the Goods and Services Tax regime by inserting Article 246A (giving both Parliament and state legislatures the power to legislate on GST) and Article 279A (establishing the GST Council). It was the most significant overhaul of India’s indirect tax system since independence.
The 103rd Amendment (2019) inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6), providing up to 10 percent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs for economically weaker sections of society not already covered by existing reservations.
The 104th Amendment (2020) extended the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for another ten years (until 2030), while removing the reserved seats that Anglo-Indian community members previously held through nomination.
The 106th Amendment (2023) inserted Articles 330A and 332A to reserve one-third of directly elected seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies. The reservation becomes effective only after a delimitation exercise based on the first post-amendment census.

1
Lok Sabha. Introduction
2
India Code. The Constitution of India
3
Ministry of External Affairs. Constitution of India – Part I
4
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part II
5
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part III
6
Indian Kanoon. Article 21 in Constitution of India
7
Indian Kanoon. Article 32 in Constitution of India
8
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy
9
Constitution of India. Article 51A – Fundamental Duties
10
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part V The Union
11
Constitution of India. Article 79 – Constitution of Parliament
12
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part VI
13
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India – Part VIII
14
Constitution of India. Part IX – The Panchayats
15
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. Constitution (One Hundred And First Amendment) Act, 2016
16
GST Council. GST Council
17
Indian Kanoon. Article 300A in Constitution of India
18
Ministry of External Affairs. Part XIII – Trade, Commerce and Intercourse Within the Territory of India
19
eGazette. The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023
20
Constitution of India. Part XVII – Official Language
21
Constitution of India. Part XVIII – Emergency Provisions
22
Ministry of External Affairs. Constitution of India – Part XX Amendment of the Constitution
23
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India (First Schedule)
24
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India Seventh Schedule
25
Ministry of External Affairs. Eighth Schedule
26
Ministry of External Affairs. The Constitution of India (Tenth Schedule)
27
Supreme Court of India. The Basic Structure Judgment