The most important articles of the Indian Constitution (Indian Polity)

The most important articles of the Indian Constitution

Here is the list of some important articles which you should read and get a fair overview of the Indian Constitution this will help you a lot in each competitive examination.

S. No.	Elements	Article
1.	Fundamental Rights	12-35
2.	Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)	36 – 51
3.	Fundamental Duties for citizens of India	51 A
4.	Official Language of Central Government of India – Hindi (Until it was changed to English)	343
5.	Imposition of President’s Rule	356
6.	Autonomous Status to the state of Jammu & Kashmir	370
7.	Repeals 'India Independence Act', 1947 and 'Government of India Act', 1935	395

 

Other Important articles you must read and get an overview

 

Part of the Indian Constitution	Elements	Article
I	India as a Union of States and the territories of the states	1
	Admission and Establishment of New States	2
	Formation of new States and changes of areas, boundaries and names of existing States	3
II	Citizenship at the commencement of the Indian Constitution	5
	Rights of citizenship of a certain person who has migrated to India from Pakistan	6
	Continuance of the rights of citizenship	10
	Parliament can regulate the right of citizenship by law.	11
III	Definition of the "State"	12
	Laws inconsistent with the fundamental rights	13
	Fundamental Rights of the Citizens of India (FR)	14-35
	1.       Right to Equality	14 -18
	a)       Right to Equality – Equality before the law	14
	b)       Right to Equality – Prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex. Or place of birth	15
	c)       Right to Equality – Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment	16
	d)       Right to Equality – Abolition of the untouchability	17
	e)       Right to Equality – Abolition of titles	18
	2.       Right to Freedom	19-22
	a)       Guarantees to all the citizens of India Right to freedom of speech and expression Right to assemble peacefully and without arms Right to form associations or unions Right to move freely throughout the territory of India Right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India Right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade, and business	19
	b)      Protection in respect of conviction for offences	20
	c)       Protection of life & personal liberty	21
	d)       Protection against arrest and detention in some certain cases	22
	a)    Right to Information
		19 (1)
	b)    Right to privacy	21
	c)   Right to education	21(A)
	3.       Right Against Exploitation	23-24
	a)       Prohibition of trade in human beings and forced labour	23
	b)       Prohibition of employment of children in factories and mines of under the age of 14	24
	4.       Right to Freedom of Religion	25 – 28
	a)       Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion	25
	b)       Freedom to manage religious affairs	26
	c)       Freedom as to pay taxes for promotion of any particular religion	27
	d)       Freedom from attending religious instruction	28
	5.       Cultural & Educational Rights	29 – 30
	a)       Protection of interest of minorities	29
	b)       The right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions	30
	6.       Right to Constitutional Remedies	31 – 35
	a)       Right to property (Repealed/Abolished)	31
	b)       Remedies for enforcement of Fundamental Rights	32
	c)       Power of Parliament to modify the rights in their application to Forces, etc.	33
	d)       Restriction on rights while martial law is in force in any area	34
	e)       Legislation to give effect to the provisions of this Part Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, Parliament shall have, and the Legislature of a State shall not have, the power to make laws Any law in force immediately before the commencement of this Constitution in the territory of India continue in force until altered or repealed or amended by Parliament Explanation	35
IV	Directive Principles of State Policy	36-51
	1.       Definition	36
	2.       Application of the Principles	37
	3.       State to Secure a social order to promote the welfare of people	38
	4.       Certain principles of policy to be followed by the state	39
	5.       Equal Justice & free legal aid	39 (A)
	6.       The organisation of Village panchayats	40
	7.       Right to work, to education, and to public assistance in certain cases	41
	8.       Provision for just and humane conditions of work & maternity relief	42
	9.       Living Wages, etc. for Workers	43
	10.    Participation of workers in management of industries	43 (A)
	11.    Uniform Civil Code for the citizens	44
	12.    Provisions for free and compulsory elementary education for children (stands substituted until date further announced)	45
	13.    Promotion of educational and economic interest of scheduled castes, ST, and OBC	46
	14.    The duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health	47
	15.    The organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry	48
	16.    Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife	48 (A)
	17.    Protection of monuments and places and objects of natural importance	49
	18.    Separation of judiciary from the executive	50
	19.    Promotion of international peace and security	51
	20.    Fundamental Duties (originally 10 & now 11 duties by the 86th amendment act 2002) a)       to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem b)       to keep in mind and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom c)       to uphold and protect the unity, integrity  and sovereignty of India d)       to defend the country and render national service when it's needed orcalled upon to do so e)       to promote unity and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women f)        to provide value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite Indian culture g)       to protect and improve the natural environment including forests,rivers, lakes, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures h)       to develop the scientific temper, the spirit of inquiry and reform and humanism i)         to safeguard the public property and to abjure violence j)         to strive towards excellence in all sectors of individual and collective activity so that the nation can constantly rise to higher levels of endeavour and achievement k)       who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities to his child for education  or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six to fourteen years (Stands not-in-force until the date is notified)	51 (A)
V	The Union	52 – 151
	The President of India	52
	Executive Power of the union	53
	Election of President	54
	The manner of election of President	55
	Procedure for Impeachment of the President	61
	The Vice President of India	63
	Election of Vice-president	66
	Pardoning powers of President	72
	Council of Ministers to aid and advise President	74
	Constitution of Parliament	79
	The speakers and Deputy speakers of the house of the people	93
	Powers, Privileges, etc of the House of Parliament	105
	Special procedure in respect of money bills	109
	Definition of “Money Bills”.	110
	Annual Financial Budget	112
	Appropriation Bills	114
	Powers of the President to promulgate Ordinances during recess of parliament	123
	Establishment of Supreme Court	124
	Appointment of acting Chief justice	126
	Supreme court to be a court of Record	129
	The seat of the Supreme court	130
	Special leaves for appeal to the Supreme Court	136
	Review of judgement or orders by the Supreme court	137
	The decision of the Supreme Court binding on all the courts	141
	Comptroller and Auditor- General of India	148
	Duties & Powers of CAG	149
VI	The States	152 – 237
	Definition	152
	Governors of the State	153
	The executive power of the State	154
	Appointment of Governor	155
	The term of office of Governor	156
	Discharge of the functions of the Governor in certain contingencies	160
	Pardoning powers of the Governor	161
	Advocate-General of the State	165
	Language to be used in the Legislature	210
	Power of Governor to promulgate ordinances	213
	High Courts for states	214
	High Courts to be a court of record	215
	Power of High Courts to issue certain writs	226
	Appointment of District judges	233
	Control over Sub-Ordinate Courts	235
VII	The States (Part B) – Repealed in the 7th Amendment Act, 1956	238
VIII	The Union Territories	239 – 242
	Administration of Union Territories (UTs)	239
	Special provisions with respect to Delhi	239 (AA)
	Power of President to make regulations for certain Union territories	240
	High Courts for Union territories	241
IX	The Panchayats	243 A-O
	a)       Definitions	243
	b)       Gram Sabha	243 (A)
	c)       Constitution of Panchayats	243 (B)
	d)       Powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats	243 (G)
	e)       Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters	243 (O)
IX (A)	The Municipalities	243 P – ZG
X	The Scheduled & Tribal Areas	244
XI	Relations between the Union & the states	245 – 263
XII	Finances, Properties, Contracts and Suits	264 – 300
	Interpretation	264
	Combined Funds and public accounts of India and of the States.	266
	Contingency Fund	267
	Taxes levied by the Union but collected and appropriated by the States	268
	Duties levied and collected by the Union but assigned to the States	269
	Duties levied and distributed between the Union and the States	270
	Surcharges on certain duties and taxes for purposes of the Union	271
	Finance Commission	280
	Borrowing by the Government of India	292
	Borrowing by States	293
	Suits and proceedings	300
XIII	Trade, Commerce and Intercourse inside the Territory of India	301 – 307
	Freedom of trading, commerce and intercourse	301
	Power of the Parliament to impose restrictions on trade, commerce and intercourse	302
	Appointment of authority for carrying out the purposes of articles 301 to 304	307
XIV	Services Under the Union and the States	308 – 323
	Interpretation	308
	Recruitment and conditions of service of persons serving under the Union or a State	309
	All-India services	312
	Public service commissions for the union and for the states	315
	Functions of Public Service Commissions	320
XIV (A)	Tribunals	323 (A) – 323 (B)
	Administrative Tribunals	323 (A)
	Tribunals for other matters	323 (B)
XV	Elections	324 – 329
	Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be included in an Election Commission	324
	No person to be ineligible on the basis of, or to claim to be included in a special, electoral roll on grounds of caste, religion, sex, or race	325
	Elections for the House of the People and for the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult vote	326
XVI	Special Provisions for Certain Classes	330 – 342
	National Commission for the SCs, & STs	338
	Appointment of a commission to investigate analyse the conditions of backward classes	340
	Scheduled Castes (SCs)	341
	Scheduled Tribes (STs)	342
XVII	Official Language	343 – 351
	The official language of the Union	343
	Official languages and languages of states	345
	Languages to be used in the Apex Court and in the High Courts	348
	Directive for development of the Hindi language	351
XVIII	Emergency Provisions	352 – 360
	Proclamation of Emergencies	352
	The duty of the Union to protect States against external aggressions and internal disturbances	355
	Provisions as to failure of constitutional machinery in States	356
	Provisions in case of financial emergency	360
XIX	Miscellaneous	361 – 367
	Protection of the President and Governors and Rajpramukhas	361
	Effect of failure to comply with, or to give effect to, directions given by the Union	365
	Definitions	366
	Interpretation	367
XX	Amendment of the Constitution	368
XXI	Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions	369 – 392
	Temporary power to Parliament to make laws on certain matters in the State List as if they  matter in the Concurrent List	369
	Temporary provisions for State of Jammu and Kashmir	370
XXII	Short title – This Constitution may be called as the Constitution of India	393 – 395
	Short title	393
	Commencement	394
	Authoritative text in the Hindi language	394 (A)
	Repeals	395