Amendments of the Constitution of India

The Amendments of the Constitution of India are essential tools for adapting the nation’s governing principles to social, economic, and political deve

Amendments 

The Amendments of the Constitution of India are essential tools for adapting the nation’s governing principles to social, economic, and political developments. Since the Constitution’s enactment in 1950, a total of 106 amendments have been made, addressing areas like fundamental rights, federal powers, social justice, and economic reforms. 

The amendment process, outlined in Article 368, involves Parliament and, in some cases, ratification by half of the state legislatures. This adaptability ensures the Constitution remains relevant in a rapidly changing society, allowing India to evolve while preserving its democratic foundation and addressing the diverse needs of its population.

Amendments of the Constitution of India

Here's a list of all the amendments to the Indian Constitution, with each amendment addressing a range of issues from political restructuring, rights, economic policy, to judiciary reforms. This is a full list up to the most recent amendment:

1. 1st Amendment (1951) - Empowered the state to make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes.
2. 2nd Amendment (1952) - Changed representation of states in the Rajya Sabha.
3. 3rd Amendment (1954) - Adjusted the distribution of powers in the Concurrent List between the Union and States.
4. 4th Amendment (1955) - Limited property rights and added more Acts to the Ninth Schedule.
5. 5th Amendment (1955) - Authorized Parliament to adjust boundaries in state reorganization.
6. 6th Amendment (1956) - Clarified the legislative powers of the Union and the states regarding taxes on inter-state trade.
7. 7th Amendment (1956) - Reorganized states on a linguistic basis.
8. 8th Amendment (1960) - Extended reservation of seats for SCs and STs in Parliament.
9. 9th Amendment (1960) - Transferred certain territories to Pakistan following the Nehru-Noon Agreement.
10. 10th Amendment (1961) - Incorporated Dadra and Nagar Haveli as a Union Territory.
11. 11th Amendment (1961) - Changed the process of electing the President and Vice President.
12. 12th Amendment (1962) - Incorporated Goa, Daman, and Diu as Union Territories.
13. 13th Amendment (1962) - Granted special status to Nagaland.
14. 14th Amendment (1962) - Included Pondicherry as a Union Territory.
15. 15th Amendment (1963) - Raised the retirement age of High Court judges and addressed appellate jurisdiction.
16. 16th Amendment (1963) - Strengthened laws on sovereignty and integrity of India.
17. 17th Amendment (1964) - Added land reform laws to the Ninth Schedule.
18. 18th Amendment (1966) - Reworded provisions of the Constitution without changing its meaning.
19. 19th Amendment (1966) - Abolished the right to property as a fundamental right.
20. 20th Amendment (1966) - Validated the appointment of District Judges in Uttar Pradesh.
21. 21st Amendment (1967) - Added Sindhi as a language in the Eighth Schedule.
22. 22nd Amendment (1969) - Created an autonomous state of Meghalaya within Assam.
23. 23rd Amendment (1969) - Extended reservation of seats for SCs and STs in Parliament.
24. 24th Amendment (1971) - Gave Parliament power to amend any part of the Constitution.
25. 25th Amendment (1971) - Restricted property rights and compensation for acquired property.
26. 26th Amendment (1971) - Abolished privy purses of former rulers.
27. 27th Amendment (1971) - Reorganized North-Eastern States.
28. 28th Amendment (1972) - Abolished special privileges of former princely states' rulers.
29. 29th Amendment (1972) - Added Kerala Land Reforms Act to the Ninth Schedule.
30. 30th Amendment (1972) - Changed jurisdiction limits of Supreme Court appeals.
31. 31st Amendment (1973) - Increased Lok Sabha seats.
32. 32nd Amendment (1974) - Protected reservation laws in Tamil Nadu.
33. 33rd Amendment (1974) - Restricted the right to resign for MPs and MLAs.
34. 34th Amendment (1974) - Added more land reform acts to the Ninth Schedule.
35. 35th Amendment (1974) - Granted Sikkim the status of an associate state.
36. 36th Amendment (1975) - Made Sikkim a full state of India.
37. 37th Amendment (1975) - Created a Legislative Assembly for Arunachal Pradesh.
38. 38th Amendment (1975) - Increased Presidential powers during an emergency.
39. 39th Amendment (1975) - Placed the election of President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Speaker beyond judicial scrutiny.
40. 40th Amendment (1976) - Placed more land reform laws in the Ninth Schedule.
41. 41st Amendment (1976) - Raised retirement age of state High Court judges.
42. 42nd Amendment (1976) - Known as the "Mini-Constitution," it made extensive changes to various parts.
43. 43rd Amendment (1977) - Reversed some of the 42nd Amendment changes.
44. 44th Amendment (1978) - Restored civil liberties by reversing some 42nd Amendment changes.
45. 45th Amendment (1980) - Extended reservation of seats for SCs and STs.
46. 46th Amendment (1982) - Empowered states to levy taxes on sale or purchase of goods.
47. 47th Amendment (1984) - Added more laws to the Ninth Schedule.
48. 48th Amendment (1984) - Extended President's rule in Punjab.
49. 49th Amendment (1984) - Gave Tripura special administrative status.
50. 50th Amendment (1984) - Enabled reservation in services for backward classes.
51. 51st Amendment (1984) - Reserved seats for STs in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
52. 52nd Amendment (1985) - Introduced the Anti-Defection Law.
53. 53rd Amendment (1986) - Provided Mizoram statehood.
54. 54th Amendment (1986) - Revised salaries of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
55. 55th Amendment (1986) - Granted Arunachal Pradesh statehood.
56. 56th Amendment (1987) - Gave Goa statehood.
57. 57th Amendment (1987) - Reserved seats for STs in Arunachal Pradesh.
58. 58th Amendment (1987) - Authorized an authoritative Hindi translation of the Constitution.
59. 59th Amendment (1988) - Increased emergency powers in Punjab.
60. 60th Amendment (1988) - Increased taxes on services.
61. 61st Amendment (1989) - Reduced voting age from 21 to 18.
62. 62nd Amendment (1989) - Extended reservation for SCs and STs.
63. 63rd Amendment (1989) - Repealed the 59th Amendment.
64. 64th Amendment (1990) - Extended President's rule in Punjab.
65. 65th Amendment (1990) - Strengthened the National Commission for SCs and STs.
66. 66th Amendment (1990) - Added more land reforms to the Ninth Schedule.
67. 67th Amendment (1990) - Extended President's rule in Punjab.
68. 68th Amendment (1991) - Extended President's rule in Punjab.
69. 69th Amendment (1991) - Granted Delhi National Capital Territory status.
70. 70th Amendment (1992) - Included UTs in Presidential electoral college.
71. 71st Amendment (1992) - Added Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali languages.
72. 72nd Amendment (1992) - Addressed tribal areas in Tripura.
73. 73rd Amendment (1992) - Instituted Panchayati Raj.
74. 74th Amendment (1992) - Empowered urban local bodies.
75. 75th Amendment (1994) - Addressed tenancy and rent matters.
76. 76th Amendment (1994) - Allowed Tamil Nadu’s reservation policy.
77. 77th Amendment (1995) - Reserved promotion posts for SCs and STs.
78. 78th Amendment (1995) - Added more land reform laws to Ninth Schedule.
79. 79th Amendment (1999) - Extended reservation of seats for SCs and STs.
80. 80th Amendment (2000) - Revised tax distribution between the center and states.
81. 81st Amendment (2000) - Allowed backlog vacancies for SCs and STs.
82. 82nd Amendment (2000) - Restored reservation benefits for SCs and STs.
83. 83rd Amendment (2000) - Exempted Nagaland from reservations.
84. 84th Amendment (2001) - Redefined constituencies.
85. 85th Amendment (2001) - Permitted promotion reservation for SCs and STs.
86. 86th Amendment (2002) - Made education a fundamental right.
87. 87th Amendment (2003) - Redefined constituencies again.
88. 88th Amendment (2003) - Provided for service taxes.
89. 89th Amendment (2003) - Divided the SC/ST Commission into two.
90. 90th Amendment (2003) - Reserved seats in Assam.
91. 91st Amendment (2004) - Capped ministerial positions.
92. 92nd Amendment (2004) - Added Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithili languages.
93. 93rd Amendment (2005) - Allowed reservation for OBCs in higher education.
94. 94th Amendment (2006) - Modified reservation for SCs and STs.
95. 95th Amendment (2010) - Extended reservation for SCs and STs.
96. 96th Amendment (2011) - Changed the name of the Oriya language to Odia.
97. 97th Amendment (2011) - Added cooperative societies.
98. 98th Amendment (2013) - Established the Council of Telangana.
99. 99th Amendment (2014) - Introduced National Judicial Appointments Commission (later invalidated).
100. 100th Amendment (2015) - Exchanged land enclaves with Bangladesh.
101. 101st Amendment (2016) - Introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST).
102. 102nd Amendment (2018) - Gave constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.
103. 103rd Amendment (2019) - Provided for 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
104. 104th Amendment (2020) - Extended SC/ST reservation and ended Anglo-Indian reservation.
105. 105th Amendment (2021) - Restored state power to identify OBCs.
106. 106th Amendment (2023) - Reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies and Delhi Legislative Assembly for women for a period for 15 years after coming effect.

This comprehensive list covers the significant legislative reforms and changes made to India’s Constitution through these amendments.

How Amendments Are Made in India

The Constitution of India is a living document, meaning it can be changed or updated when necessary. These changes are called amendments. The power to amend the Constitution is given to the Parliament of India under Article 368. This allows the Constitution to adapt to new social, political, and economic needs while maintaining its core values.

There are three types of constitutional amendments in India:

1. Simple Majority Amendment – Some provisions can be changed by a simple majority of the members present and voting in Parliament. Examples include changes to the number of seats in Parliament or citizenship laws.

2. Special Majority Amendment – Most important provisions require a special majority, meaning two-thirds of the members present and voting, and more than half of the total membership of each House must support the amendment.

3. Special Majority with State Ratification – Some provisions that affect the federal structure (like the powers of states, the judiciary, or the election of the President) need approval from at least half of the State Legislatures after passing in Parliament.

Once both Houses of Parliament pass the bill (and states, if required, ratify it), it is sent to the President of India for approval. After the President signs it, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution.

This process ensures that while the Constitution can change with time, it remains stable, democratic, and balanced between Parliament and the States.

How many Articles and Amendments are there in Indian Constitution?

As of the most recent update in 2024, the Indian Constitution contains:

• 448 Articles organized into 25 Parts
• 12 Schedules
• 106 Amendments

Key Points:

• Articles: Initially, the Constitution had 395 Articles in 22 Parts. Through amendments, new articles have been added to address evolving legal, social, and political needs.
• Amendments: The 106 Amendments reflect changes since the Constitution was adopted in 1950. These amendments are crucial for incorporating new policies, social justice measures, and economic reforms.

The Indian Constitution is designed to be flexible, allowing amendments while maintaining its core structure. This enables it to adapt to the nation's changing needs while upholding democratic principles.