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Important Amendments Of Indian Constitution

General Awareness is a crucial section in many competitive exams like SSC and Railways. To help you ace this section, we’re offering notes on Important Amendments to the Indian Constitution. This is a frequently asked topic in the Polity part of General Awareness. By studying these constitutional amendments, you’ll gain deeper insights into the evolution of India’s legal framework. This knowledge will not only boost your exam performance but also broaden your understanding of the country’s governance.

Indian Constitution

Indian Constitution is considered the lengthiest constitution in the world. It was adopted on 26th November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950. Although carefully drafted by the Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the vast extent and diversity of India required changes within the Indian Constitution. Over the years, independent India with its rising aspirations and goals, the citizens and Indian society have been evolving. Owing to this, many changes and additions have been made to the Indian Constitution making it more comprehensive and relevant to our country. Let’s discuss some of the important amendments made to the Indian Constitution in this article.

Important Amendments Of The Indian Constitution

The important amendments of the Indian Constitution are tabulated below.

Amendment Year Description
First Amendment 1951 Made changes to the Fundamental Rights provisions, including restrictions on freedom of speech and expression and validation of zamindari abolition laws.
Second Amendment 1952 Removed the prescribed population limit for one member to be elected to the Lok Sabha.
Third Amendment 1954 Amended the Legislative Lists in the Seventh Schedule.
Fourth Amendment 1955 Amended Articles 31 and 31A, impacting the compensation for compulsory acquisition of property and the Ninth Schedule.
Fifth Amendment 1955 Added a time limit for states to express their views on certain matters referred to by the central government.
Sixth Amendment 1956 Amended the Seventh Schedule and made changes to taxation-related articles.
Seventh Amendment 1956 Brought comprehensive changes to implement the State Reorganisation Act.
Eighth Amendment 1959 Extended the reservation of seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures for certain communities.
Ninth Amendment 1960 Transferred certain territories to Pakistan under an agreement between India and Pakistan.
Tenth Amendment 1961 Integrated Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli with the Union of India.
Eleventh Amendment 1962 Introduced the election of the Vice President by an Electoral College instead of a Joint Sitting of Parliament.
Twelfth Amendment 1962 Incorporated the territories of Goa, Daman, and Diu into the Indian Union.
Thirteenth Amendment 1962 Created the state of Nagaland.
Fourteenth Amendment 1963 Incorporated the former French territory of Puducherry into the Union.
Fifteenth Amendment 1963 Raised the retirement age of High Court judges from 60 to 62 and made minor amendments for rationalizing the interpretation of rules regarding judges.
Eighteenth Amendment 1966 Facilitated the reorganization of Punjab on a linguistic basis into Punjab and Haryana and created the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Twenty-first Amendment 1967 Included Sindhi as the 15th regional language in the Eighth Schedule.
Twenty-second Amendment 1969 Created a sub-state of Meghalaya within Assam.
Twenty-third Amendment 1969 Extended the reservation of seats for SC/STs and nomination of Anglo-Indians for a further period of 10 years (up to 1980).
Twenty-sixth Amendment 1971 Abolished titles and special privileges of former rulers of princely states.
Twenty-seventh Amendment 1971 Established the states of Manipur and Tripura and formed the Union Territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
Thirty-first Amendment 1973 Increased the elective strength of the Lok Sabha from 525 to 545 and the upper limit of representatives of a state from 500 to 525.
Thirty-sixth Amendment 1975 Made Sikkim a state of the Indian Union.
Thirty-eighth Amendment 1975 Provided for the President to make a declaration of emergency, and the promulgation of ordinances by the President, Governors, and UT heads became final and could not be challenged in any court.
Thirty-ninth Amendment 1975 Decreed that the election of the Prime Minister, Speaker, President, and Vice-President cannot be challenged in any court.
Forty-second Amendment 1976 Gave supremacy to Parliament and primacy to Directive Principles over Fundamental Rights. Added 10 Fundamental Duties and altered the Preamble of the Constitution.
Forty-fourth Amendment 1978 Restored the normal duration of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies to 5 years, deleted the right to property from Part III, and limited the power to proclaim the internal emergency.
Forty-fifth Amendment 1980 Extended reservation for SC/ST by an additional 10 years (up to 1990).
Fifty-second Amendment 1985 Inserted the Tenth Schedule in the Constitution regarding provisions for disqualification on the grounds of defection.
Fifty-fifth Amendment 1986 Conferred statehood on Arunachal Pradesh.
Fifty-sixth Amendment 1987 Accepted the Hindi version of the Constitution for all purposes and conferred statehood on the Union Territory of Goa.
Sixty-first Amendment 1989 Reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
Seventy-third Amendment 1992 Provided for Panchayati Raj institutions, Gram Sabha in villages, direct elections to all seats in Panchayats, and reservation of seats for SC and ST. Fixed the tenure of Panchayats at 5 years.
Seventy-fourth Amendment 1993 Provided for three types of municipalities, reservation of seats for SC/ST, women, and OBCs in municipalities.
Seventy-seventh Amendment 1995 Continued the policy of reservation in promotions for SC/STs and inserted a new Clause (4A) in Article 16 mandating changes in the reservation.
Seventy-ninth Amendment 1999 Extended reservations for SC/STs and Anglo-Indians in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for an additional 10 years.
Eighty-sixth Amendment 2002 Inserted Article 21A, providing the Right to Education for children aged 6 to 14 years.
Eighty-ninth Amendment 2003 Amended Article 338 to establish the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Ninetieth Amendment 2003 Inserted Article 170A to provide for the number of seats in the Legislative Assemblies of certain states.
Ninety-first Amendment 2003 Amended Article 75 to limit the number of ministers in the Council of Ministers.
Ninety-second Amendment 2003 Included Bodo, Dogri, Santali, and Maithali as official languages.
Ninety-third Amendment 2006 Provided for 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government and private educational institutions.
Ninety-ninth Amendment 2014 Provided for the formation of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (struck down by the Supreme Court).
One Hundredth Amendment 2015 Related to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.
One Hundred and First Amendment 2016 Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
One Hundred and Third Amendment 2019 Provided 10% reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and employment in Central Government jobs.
One Hundred and Forth Amendment 2020 It extended the reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

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FAQs

What is 101st Amendment, 2017?

The 101st Amendment, 2017, Introduced the Goods and Services Tax.

Who is known as the Father Of Indian Constitution?

BR Ambedkar is known as the Father Of Indian Constitution.

What is Ninety First Amendment?

The 91st Amendment limited the number of ministers in the Council of Ministers by amending Article 75.