Important Articles of Indian Constitution: Complete List (Part I to XXII), Schedules & Key Amendments for UPSC

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of the land and the longest written constitution in the world. Originally adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and brought into force on 26 January 1950, it initially comprised 395 Articles organized into 22 Parts and 8 Schedules.

Through more than 106 constitutional amendments, numerous provisions have been inserted (such as Articles 21A, 51A, 243A–243ZT, 300A, and 330A–334A) while others have been repealed (such as Part VII and Article 329A). Today, the text is structured into 25 Parts and 12 Schedules.

For the UPSC Civil Services Examination (Prelims & Mains GS Paper II), mastering the thematic architecture, complete Part I–XXII framework, landmark judicial doctrines, and latest constitutional amendments provides the highest scoring advantage.

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1. Complete Overview of All Parts of the Indian Constitution (Part I to XXII)

Below is the complete, unbroken classification of all Parts of the Constitution of India, covering all original and amended segments:

Part	Subject Matter	Articles Covered	Key Focus for UPSC
Part I	The Union and its Territory	Articles 1 – 4	Reorganization of States, Admission/Establishment of new States (Art 2 & 3).
Part II	Citizenship	Articles 5 – 11	Citizenship at commencement, Parliamentary power to regulate citizenship (Art 11 - CAA).
Part III	Fundamental Rights	Articles 12 – 35	Justiciable rights; Right to Equality, Freedoms, Life & Liberty, Religion, and Writs (Art 32).
Part IV	Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)	Articles 36 – 51	Non-justiciable ideals; Social, Gandhian, and Liberal-intellectual principles (Art 39A, 40, 44, 50).
Part IVA	Fundamental Duties	Article 51A	Added by 42nd CAA 1976 (Swaran Singh Committee); 11 citizen duties.
Part V	The Union Government	Articles 52 – 151	President, PM & Cabinet, Attorney General, Parliament, Supreme Court, and CAG.
Part VI	The State Governments	Articles 152 – 237	Governor, Chief Minister, State Legislature, High Courts, and Subordinate Courts.
Part VII	States in Part B of First Schedule	Article 238	Repealed by the Constitution (7th Amendment) Act, 1956.
Part VIII	The Union Territories	Articles 239 – 242	Administration of UTs, Special provisions for Delhi (Art 239AA - 69th CAA 1991).
Part IX	The Panchayats	Articles 243 – 243O	Rural local governance; 3-tier structure, State Election/Finance Commissions (73rd CAA 1992).
Part IXA	The Municipalities	Articles 243P – 243ZG	Urban local governance; Wards Committees, Metropolitan Planning (74th CAA 1992).
Part IXB	The Co-operative Societies	Articles 243ZH – 243ZT	Multi-state cooperative governance (97th CAA 2011; subject to Supreme Court 2021 judgment).
Part X	The Scheduled and Tribal Areas	Articles 244 – 244A	Administration of 5th and 6th Schedule areas; Autonomous District Councils.
Part XI	Relations between Union and States	Articles 245 – 263	Legislative & Administrative relations, Inter-State River Disputes (Art 262), Inter-State Council (Art 263).
Part XII	Finance, Property, Contracts & Suits	Articles 264 – 300A	Consolidated/Contingency Funds, Finance Commission (Art 280), GST Council (Art 279A), Right to Property (Art 300A).
Part XIII	Trade, Commerce & Intercourse	Articles 301 – 307	Freedom of trade throughout Indian territory and constitutional restrictions (Art 301–304).
Part XIV	Services under Union and States	Articles 308 – 323	All-India Services (Art 312), Public Service Commissions (UPSC/SPSC - Art 315–323).
Part XIVA	Tribunals	Articles 323A – 323B	Administrative Tribunals (CAT) and tribunals for other matters (42nd CAA 1976).
Part XV	Elections	Articles 324 – 329	Election Commission of India (Art 324), Universal Adult Suffrage (Art 326). (Note: Art 329A was repealed).
Part XVI	Special Provisions Relating to Classes	Articles 330 – 342A	Reservations for SCs, STs, and Women in Lok Sabha & Assemblies (Art 330, 330A, 332, 332A, 338, 338A, 338B).
Part XVII	Official Language	Articles 343 – 351	Official language of Union (Hindi in Devanagari script), High Courts/SC languages, Linguistic safeguards.
Part XVIII	Emergency Provisions	Articles 352 – 360	National Emergency (Art 352), President's Rule (Art 356), Financial Emergency (Art 360).
Part XIX	Miscellaneous	Articles 361 – 367	Protection of President & Governors (Art 361), Definition & Interpretation clauses.
Part XX	Amendment of the Constitution	Article 368	Constituent power and procedure of Parliament to amend the Constitution.
Part XXI	Temporary, Transitional & Special	Articles 369 – 392	Special provisions for States (Art 371 to 371J for Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, etc.).
Part XXII	Short Title, Commencement & Repeals	Articles 393 – 395	Short Title ("The Constitution of India"), Commencement (26 Jan 1950), Authoritative Hindi text (Art 394A).

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2. High-Yield Articles Grouped by Theme

A. Fundamental Rights (Part III: Articles 12–35)

Guaranteed by Part III; described by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the Magna Carta of India.

• Article 12: Definition of 'State' for Fundamental Rights enforcement.
• Article 13: Laws inconsistent with or in derogation of Fundamental Rights are void (The foundation of Judicial Review).
• Article 14: Equality before law and equal protection of the laws.
• Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
  • Article 15(4) & 15(5): Special affirmative action for SCs/STs/OBCs in educational institutions.
  • Article 15(6): Up to 10% EWS reservation in educational admissions (103rd Amendment Act, 2019).
• Article 16: Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.
  • Article 16(4): Reservation in appointments for backward classes not adequately represented.
  • Article 16(6): Up to 10% EWS reservation in civil posts and services (103rd Amendment Act, 2019).
• Article 17: Abolition of Untouchability and prohibition of its practice in any form.
• Article 18: Abolition of titles (except military and academic distinctions).
• Article 19: Protection of 6 fundamental freedoms:
  1. 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression (includes freedom of the press and Right to Information).
  2. 19(1)(b): Freedom to assemble peaceably and without arms.
  3. 19(1)(c): Freedom to form associations, unions, or co-operative societies.
  4. 19(1)(d): Freedom to move freely throughout the territory of India.
  5. 19(1)(e): Freedom to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.
  6. 19(1)(g): Freedom to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.
• Article 20: Protection in respect of conviction for offences (Prohibits Ex-post facto criminal laws, Double Jeopardy, and Self-incrimination).
• Article 21: Protection of life and personal liberty (Interpreted broadly post-Maneka Gandhi case to include privacy, clean environment, livelihood, and healthcare).
• Article 21A: Right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years (86th Amendment Act, 2002).
• Article 22: Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases (Safeguards under punitive and preventive detention).
• Article 23: Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour (Begar).
• Article 24: Prohibition of employment of children below 14 years in factories, mines, and hazardous occupations.
• Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion.
• Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.
• Article 29: Protection of interests of minorities (language, script, or culture).
• Article 30: Right of minorities (religious & linguistic) to establish and administer educational institutions.
• Article 32: Right to Constitutional Remedies (Empowers Supreme Court to issue 5 types of Writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Quo-Warranto). Called the "Heart and Soul of the Constitution" by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

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B. Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV: Articles 36–51)

Non-justiciable governance principles borrowed from the Irish Constitution.

• Article 38: State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people (minimizing income and opportunity inequalities).
• Article 39: Policy goals to be followed by State (Livelihood, distribution of material resources, prevention of concentration of wealth, equal pay for equal work).
• Article 39A: Equal justice and free legal aid to the poor (42nd Amendment Act, 1976 - basis of NALSA).
• Article 40: Organization of village panchayats (Gandhian principle).
• Article 41: Right to work, education, and public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, or sickness.
• Article 42: Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
• Article 43A: Participation of workers in management of industries (42nd Amendment Act, 1976).
• Article 43B: Promotion of autonomous functioning of co-operative societies (97th Amendment Act, 2011).
• Article 44: Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all citizens throughout the territory of India.
• Article 45: Provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of 6 years (Amended by 86th CAA 2002).
• Article 48A: Protection and improvement of environment, forests, and wildlife (42nd Amendment Act, 1976).
• Article 50: Separation of judiciary from executive in the public services of the State.
• Article 51: Promotion of international peace and security and respect for international law.

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C. Fundamental Duties (Part IVA: Article 51A)

Recommended by the Swaran Singh Committee and added via the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 (10 original duties; 11th duty added by 86th Amendment Act, 2002).

• Article 51A(a): Abide by the Constitution and respect National Flag and National Anthem.
• Article 51A(e): Promote harmony, common brotherhood, and renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
• Article 51A(g): Protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
• Article 51A(h): Develop the scientific temper, humanism, and spirit of inquiry and reform.
• Article 51A(k): Duty of parent/guardian to provide education opportunities to child between 6 and 14 years.

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D. The Union & State Executive, Legislature & Judiciary

Institution	Key Articles	Crucial Provisions for UPSC
President of India	Articles 52 – 72, 123	• Art 53: Executive power vested in President.<br>• Art 54 & 55: Electoral College & PR voting.<br>• Art 61: Procedure for impeachment.<br>• Art 72: Pardoning powers (Pardon, Reprieve, Respite, Remit, Commute).<br>• Art 123: Power to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Parliament.
Prime Minister & Cabinet	Articles 74 – 75	• Art 74: Council of Ministers with PM at head to aid & advise President.<br>• Art 75: Collective responsibility of Council of Ministers to Lok Sabha.
Attorney General of India	Article 76	• Highest law officer; appointed by President; right of audience in all courts and right to speak in Parliament without right to vote (Art 88).
Parliament Procedures	Articles 108, 110, 112	• Art 108: Joint sitting of both Houses (presided over by Lok Sabha Speaker).<br>• Art 110: Definition of Money Bill (Speaker has exclusive final certification).<br>• Art 112: Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget).
Supreme Court of India	Articles 124 – 147	• Art 124: Establishment and constitution of Supreme Court; appointment of judges. (Note: The Collegium system governing judicial appointments evolved through Supreme Court judgments in the Three Judges Cases, not explicitly enumerated in the original text of Article 124).<br>• Art 129: Court of Record (Power to punish for contempt).<br>• Art 131: Original Jurisdiction (Federal disputes between Centre & States).<br>• Art 136: Special Leave Petition (SLP).<br>• Art 141: Law declared by Supreme Court binding on all courts in India.<br>• Art 142: Inherent power to pass decrees for 'Complete Justice'.<br>• Art 143: Advisory Jurisdiction of President to consult Supreme Court.
Governor of a State	Articles 153 – 161, 213	• Art 153: Governor for each State.<br>• Art 161: Pardoning power of Governor.<br>• Art 163: Council of Ministers to aid & advise Governor (discretionary powers).<br>• Art 200: Assent to Bills / Reservation of Bills for President's consideration.<br>• Art 213: Power of Governor to promulgate Ordinances.
High Courts	Articles 214 – 231	• Art 214: High Courts for States.<br>• Art 215: High Court to be a Court of Record.<br>• Art 226: Power of High Courts to issue Writs (Broader in scope than Article 32 as it covers both Fundamental Rights and ordinary legal rights).
Comptroller & Auditor General	Articles 148 – 151	• Art 148: Independent office of CAG; Guardian of the public purse.<br>• Art 151: Audit reports of CAG submitted to President/Governor to be laid before Legislatures.

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E. Emergency Provisions (Part XVIII: Articles 352–360)

Type of Emergency	Article	Grounds & Key Conditions	Key Effects
National Emergency	Article 352	War, External Aggression, or Armed Rebellion (Replaced 'Internal Disturbance' via 44th CAA 1978). Written advice of Cabinet mandatory.	• Centre assumes control over state executive & legislative powers.<br>• Fundamental Rights under Art 19 suspended automatically only on external grounds (Art 358).<br>• Articles 20 and 21 can NEVER be suspended (Art 359 post-44th CAA).
President's Rule (State Emergency)	Article 356 & Article 365	• Art 356: Failure of constitutional machinery in State.<br>• Art 365: Failure of State to comply with Union directions.	• State Legislative Assembly dissolved or suspended.<br>• Executive power exercised by Governor on behalf of President.<br>• Subject to Judicial Review (S.R. Bommai case, 1994).
Financial Emergency	Article 360	Threat to financial stability or credit of India.	• Reduction of salaries of public servants including SC/HC judges.<br>• Never invoked in India so far.

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3. The 12 Schedules of the Indian Constitution

Aspirants frequently use the popular mnemonic: "TEARS OF OLD PM"

Schedule	Mnemonic Letter	Subject Covered	Key Exam Fact
1st Schedule	T	Territories & States	Lists 28 States and 8 Union Territories and their territorial boundaries.
2nd Schedule	E	Emoluments & Privileges	Salaries/Allowances of President, Governors, Judges of SC/HC, CAG, and Speakers.
3rd Schedule	A	Affirmations & Oaths	Forms of Oaths for Union/State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and SC/HC Judges. (Note: President & Governor oaths are under Art 60 & 159).
4th Schedule	R	Rajya Sabha Seat Allocation	Allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to States and Union Territories based on population.
5th Schedule	S	Scheduled Areas	Provisions as to administration and control of Scheduled Areas and STs in 10 states.
6th Schedule	O	Other Tribal Areas	Administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram (AMTM) via Autonomous District Councils.
7th Schedule	F	Federal Lists	Union List (100 items), State List (61 items), and Concurrent List (52 items).
8th Schedule	O	Official Languages	22 recognized languages (Originally 14; 21st CAA added Sindhi; 71st CAA added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali; 92nd CAA added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali).
9th Schedule	L	Land Reforms & Acts	Added by 1st Amendment Act, 1951. Laws placed here post-24 April 1973 are subject to judicial review (I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu, 2007).
10th Schedule	D	Defection	Anti-Defection Law added by 52nd Amendment Act, 1985; amended by 91st Amendment Act, 2003 (Disqualification on grounds of defection decided by Speaker/Chairman).
11th Schedule	P	Panchayati Raj Institutions	Added by 73rd Amendment Act, 1992; contains 29 functional matters devolved to Panchayats.
12th Schedule	M	Municipalities	Added by 74th Amendment Act, 1992; contains 18 functional matters devolved to Urban Local Bodies.

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4. Key Landmark Constitutional Amendments (Must Know for UPSC)

1. 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 (Known as 'Mini-Constitution'):

   • Added words "Socialist, Secular, and Integrity" to the Preamble.
   • Inserted Part IVA (Fundamental Duties - Art 51A) and Part XIVA (Tribunals - Art 323A/323B).
   • Added Articles 39A, 43A, and 48A to DPSPs.
   • Transferred 5 subjects (Education, Forests, Weights & Measures, Protection of wild animals/birds, Administration of justice) from State List to Concurrent List.

2. 44th Amendment Act, 1978 (Restoring Democratic Safeguards):

   • Replaced "internal disturbance" with "armed rebellion" in Article 352.
   • Mandated written advice of the Cabinet to declare National Emergency.
   • Ensured that Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended during any Emergency.
   • Removed Right to Property from Part III (Art 31) and made it a constitutional/legal right under Article 300A.
   • Repealed Article 329A (Special provision as to elections to Parliament in the case of Prime Minister and Speaker).

3. 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts, 1992 (Local Self-Government):

   • 73rd CAA: Inserted Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) and 11th Schedule (29 items) for Panchayati Raj.
   • 74th CAA: Inserted Part IXA (Articles 243P to 243ZG) and 12th Schedule (18 items) for Urban Local Bodies.

4. 86th Amendment Act, 2002 (Right to Education):

   • Inserted Article 21A (Fundamental Right to education for children aged 6–14).
   • Modified Article 45 (Early childhood care below 6 years).
   • Added 11th Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(k).

5. 101st Amendment Act, 2016 (Goods and Services Tax - GST):

   • Inserted Article 246A (Special power to legislate on GST), Article 269A (Inter-state supply levy), and Article 279A (Constitutional body: GST Council).

6. 103rd Amendment Act, 2019 (10% EWS Reservation):

   • Inserted Article 15(6) and Article 16(6) to provide up to 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections in educational admissions and civil posts.

7. 104th Amendment Act, 2019:

   • Extended reservation for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for another 10 years (up to 2030).
   • Discontinued the nomination of 2 Anglo-Indian members to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies under Articles 331 and 333.

8. 106th Amendment Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam):

   • Mandates 33% (one-third) reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi.
   • Inserted Article 330A (Lok Sabha quota for women), Article 332A (State Assemblies quota), and Article 334A.
   • Under Article 334A, the reservation comes into effect after the first census conducted post-enactment is published and the subsequent delimitation exercise is completed, with an initial operational validity of 15 years.

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5. Analytical Dimensions for UPSC GS Paper II (Mains Focus)

1. Constitutionalism and Separation of Powers:

   • While the Constitution provides for a functional separation of powers (Article 50 for Judiciary vs Executive), India follows a system of checks and balances rather than rigid separation.
   • The Executive is drawn from and collectively responsible to the Legislature (Articles 75(3) and 164(2)).
   • The Judiciary exercises Judicial Review (Articles 13, 32, 226) to test the constitutionality of legislative and executive acts.

2. Basic Structure Doctrine (The Keystone of Constitutional Supremacy):

   • Established in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): Parliament's amending power under Article 368 is plenary but not unlimited.
   • Core elements that cannot be altered: Supremacy of the Constitution, Republican and Democratic form of government, Secular character, Separation of powers, Federal character, Judicial review, and Rule of Law (Minerva Mills v. Union of India, 1980).

3. Asymmetric and Cooperative Federalism:

   • Articles 245–263 govern Union-State relations.
   • Financial federalism is anchored by the Finance Commission (Article 280) and the GST Council (Article 279A).
   • Administrative coordination mechanisms include the Inter-State Council (Article 263) and Zonal Councils.

4. Evolution of Fundamental Rights (Judicial Expansion of Article 21):

   • From procedural due process (A.K. Gopalan, 1950) to substantive due process (Maneka Gandhi, 1978).
   • Incorporation of implicit rights: Right to Privacy (K.S. Puttaswamy, 2017), Right to Clean Environment (M.C. Mehta), Right to Decent Livelihood (Olga Tellis), and Decriminalization of consensual relationships (Navtej Singh Johar, 2018).

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6. Summary Check-Table for Quick Revision

Article 14  -> Equality before Law & Equal Protection of the Laws
Article 19  -> Protection of 6 Basic Freedoms of Speech & Assembly
Article 21  -> Protection of Life and Personal Liberty (Expanded Scope)
Article 21A -> Free and Compulsory Education (Ages 6-14)
Article 32  -> Constitutional Remedies (5 Types of Supreme Court Writs)
Article 44  -> Uniform Civil Code (DPSP)
Article 50  -> Separation of Judiciary from Executive (DPSP)
Article 51A -> Fundamental Duties (11 Total)
Article 72  -> Presidential Pardon Powers
Article 110 -> Definition & Certification of Money Bill
Article 123 -> Ordinance Power of the President
Article 124 -> Supreme Court Constitution & Collegium (Judicially evolved)
Article 142 -> Supreme Court Power for Complete Justice
Article 226 -> High Court Writ Jurisdiction
Article 280 -> Finance Commission of India
Article 300A-> Right to Property (Constitutional Right)
Article 324 -> Election Commission of India
Article 352 -> National Emergency (Armed Rebellion / External Aggression)
Article 356 -> President's Rule (Failure of State Constitutional Machinery)
Article 368 -> Power and Procedure of Parliament to Amend Constitution

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7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for UPSC CSE

How many articles were originally in the Indian Constitution compared to today?

The Indian Constitution originally had 395 Articles in 22 Parts and 8 Schedules when adopted on 26 November 1949. Through more than 106 constitutional amendments, various inserted articles (such as 21A, 243A onward, 300A, 330A–334A) have expanded its provisions, structuring the contemporary text into 25 Parts and 12 Schedules.

Which article is called the 'Heart and Soul of the Constitution'?

Article 32 (Right to Constitutional Remedies) was described by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the "very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it". It guarantees citizens the direct right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights through writs like Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo-Warranto.

Which Fundamental Rights cannot be suspended even during a National Emergency?

Following the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978, Article 20 (Protection in respect of conviction for offences) and Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) can never be suspended, even during a National Emergency proclaimed under Article 352.

What is the difference between Article 32 and Article 226 writ jurisdiction?

Under Article 32, the Supreme Court can issue writs only for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights (Part III). Under Article 226, High Courts have broader jurisdiction to issue writs for both Fundamental Rights and any other legal rights. Furthermore, Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right, whereas Article 226 is a constitutional discretion.

What is the significance of the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act?

The 106th Amendment Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023) mandates a 33% (one-third) reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi Assembly. It introduced Articles 330A, 332A, and 334A, with implementation linked to the publication of the relevant post-enactment census and subsequent delimitation exercise.

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8. Official References and Primary Sources

• Constitution of India (Official Updated Text): Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India (https://legislative.gov.in/constitution-of-india/).
• Constituent Assembly Debates (CAD): Official Lok Sabha Secretariat Archives.
• Landmark Judgments of Supreme Court of India: Supreme Court Reports (SCR) & Judgments Portal.