Parts and Schedules of the Indian Constitution: Full List for TNPSC

Two traps: the Third Schedule has the oaths of ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges and the CAG, but not those of the President (Article 60), Vice-President (69) or Governor (159). The Sixth Schedule covers only the four north-eastern states above; the Fifth covers Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in the other states.

Part III: Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35)

Six groups: equality (14–18), freedom (19–22, with 21A on education), against exploitation (23–24), freedom of religion (25–28), cultural and educational rights (29–30) and constitutional remedies (32). The right to property (Article 31) was removed in 1978; it survives as Article 300A in Part XII, a legal right only.

Part IV and IVA: Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties

Part IV (36–51) sets the State's goals: village panchayats (40), a uniform civil code (44), the environment (48A), separating the judiciary from the executive (50). Courts cannot enforce them (Article 37). Part IVA is a single article, 51A, with 11 duties: ten from the 42nd Amendment (1976), the eleventh (parents to give children aged 6 to 14 a chance to study) from the 86th (2002).

Part IX, IXA and IXB: Panchayats, Municipalities, co-operatives

Part IX (73rd Amendment) took effect on 24 April 1993 and Part IXA (74th) on 1 June 1993: five-year terms, one-third of seats for women, State Election and Finance Commissions. Part IXB (97th Amendment, 2011) covers co-operatives, but in Union of India v. Rajendra N. Shah (20 July 2021) the Supreme Court held it valid only for multi-state co-operatives, because it had not been ratified by at least half the state legislatures, as Article 368(2) requires.

Part XI: Centre–state relations (Articles 245–263)

Chapter I, legislative relations (245–255): Article 246 creates the three lists, 248 gives Parliament residuary powers, and 249, 250, 252 and 253 let it legislate on State List subjects (Rajya Sabha resolution, emergency, request of two or more states, treaties). Union law prevails in a Concurrent List conflict (254). Chapter II (256–263) covers administrative relations.

Part XVIII: Emergency (Articles 352–360)

Three kinds: national emergency (352: war, external aggression or armed rebellion), President's Rule in a state (356), and financial emergency (360), never yet proclaimed. Since the 44th Amendment (1978), the rights in Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended.

Part XX: Amendment (Article 368)

An amendment needs a majority of each House's total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting. Federal provisions, such as the Seventh Schedule lists or states' representation in Parliament, also need ratification by half the state legislatures. Since Kesavananda Bharati (1973) Parliament cannot change the basic structure (see our Preamble post).

We counted the entries in force in the official text (as on 1 May 2024). The numbering still ends at 97, 66 and 47 because inserted entries take letters (2A, 11A, 17B) and omitted ones leave gaps. Exam questions usually ask the original numbers, so look for "originally".

The 42nd Amendment (1976) moved five subjects from the State to the Concurrent List: education, forests, protection of wild animals and birds, weights and measures, and administration of justice. The GST amendment (101st, 2016) deleted a few tax entries. Subjects in no list (residuary powers) belong to Parliament (Article 248, Union List entry 97).

Eighth Schedule: 22 languages

Tamil was among the original 14 and is entry 20 today. Added: Sindhi (21st Amendment, 1967); Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (71st, 1992); Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (92nd, 2003). The 96th (2011) renamed Oriya as Odia.

Ninth Schedule and judicial review

The First Amendment (1951) created the Ninth Schedule with Article 31B, so that land reform laws listed in it could not be struck down for violating Fundamental Rights. Its entries are now numbered up to 284. Entry 257A (76th Amendment, 1994) is Tamil Nadu's 1993 reservation Act, the law behind the state's 69% reservation.

In I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (11 January 2007), a nine-judge bench held that laws added to the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 (the Kesavananda Bharati judgment) can be struck down if they damage the basic structure, including Articles 14, 19 and 21.

Tenth Schedule: anti-defection law

Added by the 52nd Amendment (1985). An MP or MLA loses the seat for voluntarily giving up party membership or voting against the party's direction without permission. A merger is protected only if two-thirds of the legislature party agree; the one-third "split" exception was deleted by the 91st Amendment (2003). The Speaker or Chairman decides, and Kihoto Hollohan (1992) made that decision open to judicial review.

From Thervu's question bank, written by our subject teachers. Choose before you read the answer. In Group 4 a blank costs 0.5 mark but a wrong answer costs nothing (shade [E] only if you must), so practise picking between the last two options.

1. The Indian Constitution originally had how many Parts when it was adopted in 1949?

(A) 20 · (B) 25 · (C) 24 · (D) 22

Answer: (D) 22. Today 25: four inserted, Part VII repealed.

2. Which Part of the Indian Constitution deals with Fundamental Rights?

(A) Part IVA · (B) Part II · (C) Part III · (D) Part IV

Answer: (C) Part III, Articles 12 to 35. Part IV is the Directive Principles; IVA the Fundamental Duties.

3. Which Part of the Indian Constitution contains provisions related to the Panchayati Raj system?

(A) Part VIII · (B) Part IX · (C) Part XI · (D) Part X

Answer: (B) Part IX, from the 73rd Amendment (1992). Part VIII is Union territories.

4. In which Part of the Indian Constitution are the legislative relations between the Centre and the States described?

(A) Part XIII · (B) Part XII · (C) Part XI · (D) Part X

Answer: (C) Part XI, Articles 245 to 255. Financial relations are in Part XII.

5. Which Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the distribution of powers between the Union and the States through three lists?

(A) Sixth Schedule · (B) Seventh Schedule · (C) Fifth Schedule · (D) Eighth Schedule

Answer: (B) Seventh Schedule, read with Article 246.

6. How many subjects did the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule contain originally?

(A) 47 · (B) 52 · (C) 61 · (D) 66

Answer: (A) 47. The trap is (B): 52 are in force now, after the 42nd Amendment added five entries.

7. Which Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains the forms of oaths and affirmations?

(A) Third Schedule · (B) Fifth Schedule · (C) Fourth Schedule · (D) Second Schedule

Answer: (A) Third Schedule. The President's oath is in Article 60, not here.

8. Which Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains the list of recognised languages?

(A) Fifth Schedule · (B) Seventh Schedule · (C) Ninth Schedule · (D) Eighth Schedule

Answer: (D) Eighth Schedule: 22 languages, Tamil among them.

9. The 1st Constitutional Amendment Act (1951) added which Schedule to protect land reform and zamindari abolition laws from judicial review?

(A) Eighth Schedule · (B) Eleventh Schedule · (C) Ninth Schedule · (D) Tenth Schedule

Answer: (C) Ninth Schedule, with Article 31B. After I.R. Coelho (2007), laws added after 24 April 1973 can be tested against the basic structure.

10. Which Constitutional Amendment inserted the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) into the Indian Constitution?

(A) 52nd Amendment · (B) 50th Amendment · (C) 54th Amendment · (D) 56th Amendment

Answer: (A) 52nd Amendment, 1985. The 91st (2003) removed the one-third split exception.

Below 7? Reread the two tables and retry in two days; count lucky guesses as wrong.

• Learn the parts in blocks: I–IVA the citizen (territory, citizenship, rights, principles, duties); V–VIII Union, states, UTs; IX–X local bodies, tribal areas; XI–XIII Centre–state, money, trade; XIV–XVII services, elections, special classes, language; XVIII–XXII emergency to the closing part.

• Tie each added part or schedule to its amendment: 1st (Ninth Schedule), 42nd (IVA, XIVA), 52nd (Tenth), 73rd (IX, Eleventh), 74th (IXA, Twelfth), 97th (IXB).

• Read the textbook: the Civics lessons of the Samacheer Kalvi Social Science books (which books).

Week 1 of our 90-day study plan covers the Constitution: the Preamble first, then this page. On Thervu, Polity questions come in Tamil and English, tests are marked when you submit, and wrong answers return for revision; topic-wise tests and explanations are on Pro. For other units, try our 30 GK questions; for exam dates, the Group 4 guide.