MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Amendments Description

1st CAA, 1951

. Empowered the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and 

economically backward classes.

.Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc.

.The first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, added the Ninth Schedule to protect the land 

reforms and other laws included in it from judicial review. Afterwards, Art.31, 31A 

and 31B were inserted. [UPSC 2023]

. Three more grounds for restrictions on Article 19 (1) were added: Public order, 

Friendly relations with foreign states, and Incitement to an offence.

. The validity of the state’s move to nationalize any business or trade and the same to 

not be invalid on the grounds of violation of the right to trade and business.

7th CAA, 1952

. Extended the jurisdiction of high courts to union territories.

.Provided for the appointment of additional and acting judges of the high court.

. The provision of having a common High Court for two or more states was introduced.

. Abolition of Class A, B, C and D states and reorganized them into 14 States and 6 UTs.

9th CAA, 1960

. Adjustments to Indian Territory as a result of Indo-Pak Agreement 1958 with Pakistan.

.Cession of Indian territory of Berubari Union (West Bengal) to Pakistan.

14th CAA, 1962

. Incorporated Puducherry in the Indian Union.

.Provided for the creation of legislatures and council of ministers for the Union 

Territories of Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Goa, Daman and Diu, and 

Puducherry.

24th CAA, 1971

. Affirmed the power of Parliament to amend any part of the Constitution, including 

Fundamental rights.

. Made it compulsory for the President to give his assent to a Constitutional Amendment 

Bill.

26th CAA, 1971 z Abolished the privy purses and privileges of the former rulers of princely states.

35th CAA, 1974

. Terminated the protectorate status of Sikkim and conferred the status of an 

associate state of the Indian Union.

. The Tenth Schedule was added, laying down the terms and conditions of the 

association of Sikkim with the Indian Union.

36th CAA, 1975 z Made Sikkim a full-fledged State of the Indian Union and omitted the Tenth 

Schedule.

39th CAA, 1975

. Election of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and the Speaker of the 

Lok Sabha beyond the scrutiny of the Indian courts. Introduced during the time of 

Emergency 1975–1977.

42nd CAA, 1976 

(Mini Constitution)

. Added three new words - Socialist, Secular and Integrity - in the Preamble.

.Added Fundamental Duties by the citizens (new Part IV A).

.Added four new Directive Principles viz., healthy development of children (Article 

39); equal justice and free legal aid (Article 39A); the participation of workers in the 

management of industries (Article 43A) and protection of the environment, forests, 

and wildlife (Article 48A).44th CAA, 1978

. Replaced the term ‘internal disturbance’ by ‘armed rebellion’ in respect of 

national emergency.

. Made the President declare a national emergency only on the written 

recommendation of the cabinet.

. Deleted the right to property from the list of Fundamental Rights and made it 

only a legal right.

. Provided that the fundamental rights guaranteed by Art.20 and 21 cannot be 

suspended during a national emergency.

52nd CAA, 1985

Provided for disqualification of members of Parliament and state legislatures on 

the ground of defection and added a new Tenth Schedule containing the details in 

this regard.

61st CAA, 1989 Reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for the Lok Sabha and state 

legislative assembly elections.

69th CAA, 1991

Accorded a special status to the Union Territory of Delhi by designating it as the 

National Capital Territory of Delhi. The amendment also provided for the creation 

of a 70-member legislative assembly and 7-member council of ministers for Delhi.

73rd CAA, 1992

Granted constitutional status and protection to the Panchayati Raj institutions 

also added a new Part-IX entitled as ‘the panchayats’ and a new ‘Eleventh Schedule’ 

containing 29 functional items of the panchayats.

74th CAA, 1992

Granted constitutional status and protection to the urban local bodies and facilitated 

the addition of a new Part IX-A entitled as ‘the municipalities’ and a new ‘Twelfth 

Schedule’ containing 18 functional items of the municipalities.

84th CAA, 2001

Extended the ban on the readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha and the state 

legislative assemblies for another 25 years (i.e., up to 2026) with the same objective of 

encouraging population-limiting measures.

86th CAA, 2002

. Made elementary education a fundamental right under Article 21A.

. Changed the subject matter of Article 45 in Directive Principles

. Added a new fundamental duty under Article 51A.

89th CAA, 2003

Bifurcated the erstwhile combined National Commission for Scheduled Castes and 

Scheduled Tribes into two separate bodies, namely, National Commission for Scheduled 

Castes (Art.338) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Art.338A).

97th CAA, 2011

. Constitutional status and protection to cooperative societies. It made the 

following three changes in the constitution:

 It made the right to form co-operative societies a fundamental right (Article 

19).

 It included a new Directive Principle of State Policy on the promotion of 

co-operative societies.

 It added a new Part IX-B in the constitution which is entitled “The Co-operative 

Societies”.

99th CAA, 2014

. Formation of a National Judicial Appointments Commission.

. Note: In 2015, a five judge Constitution Bench of SC by 4:1 majority upheld the 

collegium system and struck down the NJAC as unconstitutional.

. Justice Kehar opined: The expectation from the judiciary is to safeguard the rights of 

the citizens of this country, can only be ensured, by keeping it absolutely insulated and 

independent, from the other organs of government and the proposed NJAC violated 

the Independence of the Judiciary.100th CAA, 2015 Related to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.

101st CAA, 2017 Introduced the Goods and Services Tax in the country from 1st July 2017.

102nd CAA, 2018 Constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

103rd CAA, 2019 Provided a maximum of 10% Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

104th CAA, 2020 Extended the reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and states assemblies.

105th CAA, 2021

Exempted the state governments from consulting the National Commission for Backward 

Classes with regard to the preparation and maintenance of the list of socially and 

educationally backward classes (SEBCs) for their own purposes.

106th CAA, 2023

It reserves one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies, 

and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including those 

reserved for SCs and ST