The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26th January 1950 and it is a comprehensive document that governs the country and its citizens. Among its many features, the Constitution includes various schedules that provide essential details, clarifications, and special provisions for specific matters. There were eight schedules mentioned in the Indian Constitution originally. Four more schedules were added by different amendmentsnow making a total tally of twelve. The Schedules of the Indian Constitution make up a very important topic from the exam point of view, hence students preparing for government exams such as UPSC, State PCS, etc, must go through this topic thoroughly to get good grades. In this article, we have mentioned all the features of the 12 schedules given in the Indian Constitution.
Introduction to Schedules of the Indian Constitution
The schedules mentioned in the Indian Constitution consist of many important information regarding the territories, allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha, the administration and control of scheduled areas and tribes, distribution of powers between the Central government and state governments along with the emoluments and privileges of high-ranking officials. These schedules are maintained as separate documentation and are not included in the Indian Constitution but they are a huge part of it.
At the time of enactment in November 1949, only 8 schedules were there in the Indian Constitution. The 9th schedule was later added by the First Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951. The 10th schedule, dealing with the anti-defection law was added in 1985 with the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act. And finally, after seven years, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments Acts were passed under which the 11th and 12th schedules were added.
Schedules of the Indian Constitution
The Indian Constitution consists of 12 Schedules and 25 Parts at present. The first mention of Schedules was made in the Government of India Act, 1935 and it consisted of 10 Schedules. Later, in 1949, the Indian Constitution was adopted which consisted of 8 Schedules. With the amendment of the Indian Constitution, currently, we have a total of 12 Schedules. Scroll through this page to know all the features of the Schedules of the Indian Constitution.
| Schedules | Features |
| 1st Schedule | The list of states and union territories. |
| 2nd Schedule | Provisions of the President, Governors of States, Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the People and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council of a State and the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India the list of states and union territories and their territories. |
| 3rd Schedule | The Forms of Oaths or Affirmations. |
| 4th Schedule | Provisions as to the allocation of seats in the Council of States. |
| 5th Schedule | Provisions as to the Administration and Control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes. |
| 6th Schedule | Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. |
| 7th Schedule | The Union list, State list and the concurrent list. |
| 8th Schedule | The list of recognized languages. |
| 9th Schedule | Provisions as to validation of certain Acts and Regulations. |
| 10th Schedule | Provisions as to disqualification on grounds of defection. |
| 11th Schedule | The powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats. |
| 12th Schedule | The powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities. |
Indian Constitution Schedules (1st to12th)
There are 12 schedules in Indian Constitution as we already summarised above. The detailed discussion on schedules of the Indian Constitution is as follows.
1. 1st Schedules of the Indian Constitution
The 1st Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the names of the states and union territories of India, along with their respective territories and jurisdictions. The 1st schedule is related to Article 1 and Article 4.
2. 2nd Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 2nd Schedule deals with the Provisions of the President, Governors of States, Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the People and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council of a State, the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India the list of states and union territories and their territories.
3. 3rd Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 3rd schedule prescribes the forms of oaths and affirmations for public officials and members of the legislatures. The 3rd schedule of the Indian Constitution relates to Articles 75, 84, 99, 124, 146, 173, 188 and 219.
4. 4th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The Fourth Schedule deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) for each state and union territory. The 4th schedule of the Indian Constitution is related to Article 4 and Article 80.
5. 5th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The Fifth Schedule addresses the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in various states, providing them with special protection and safeguards. The 5th schedule of the Indian Constitution schedule is related to Article 244.
6. 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution pertains to the autonomous districts and regions in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. It grants them certain administrative and legislative powers. This schedule is related to Article 244 and Article 275.
7. 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 7th schedule is perhaps the most critical schedule, as it distributes the subjects of legislation between the central government and the state governments under three lists: Union List, State List, and Concurrent List. The 7th schedule of the Indian Constitution schedule is related to Article 246.
8. 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the official languages recognized by the Indian Constitution and it comes under Article 344 and Article 351. As of now, there are 22 languages included in this schedule. The 22 official languages are as follows:
- Assamese
- Bengali
- They will
- Dogri (Dongri)
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Mathili (Maithili)
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Oriya
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
9. 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 9th Schedule was added through the First Amendment Act of 1951 to protect certain laws from judicial scrutiny. The 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the state acts and regulations of that deal with land reforms and the abolition of the zamindari system. It also deals with the acts and regulations of the Parliament dealing with other matters. The 9th schedule is related to Article 31-B.
10. 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, often referred to as the “Anti-Defection Law,” was inserted through the 52nd Amendment Act in 1985. It addresses the issue of political defection and contains provisions relating to the disqualification of the members of Parliament and State Legislatures. The 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution is related to Article 102 and Article 191.
The schedules of the Indian Constitution are one of the most important topics of Indian Polity. Some questions are asked about this topic in UPSC, SSC, NDA, CDS and other government jobs examinations. The schedules add depth and clarity to its provisions, making it one of the most comprehensive and adaptable constitutions globally.
