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Constitutional Articles at a Glance

High-yield Articles of the Constitution of India organised by Part, for fast CAPF Paper I recall, with a security and rights emphasis

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At a glance
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One screen per Part. Cover the right column and recall the subject of each Article. The Constitution originally had 395 Articles in 22 Parts and 8 Schedules; it now runs to about 448 Articles, 25 Parts and 12 Schedules after amendment. These are the Articles most worth fixing for the objective paper. For deeper treatment see Index.

Parts of the Constitution (map)

Part Subject Articles
I Union and its territory 1 to 4
II Citizenship 5 to 11
III Fundamental Rights 12 to 35
IV Directive Principles 36 to 51
IV-A Fundamental Duties 51A
V The Union 52 to 151
VI The States 152 to 237
IX Panchayats 243 to 243-O
IX-A Municipalities 243-P to 243-ZG
XI Centre-State relations 245 to 263
XIV Services, UPSC 308 to 323
XVIII Emergency provisions 352 to 360
XX Amendment 368

Union and citizenship (Parts I and II)

Article Subject
1 India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States
2 Admission or establishment of new States
3 Formation of new States, alteration of areas, names
5 to 11 Citizenship at commencement and its regulation by Parliament

Fundamental Rights (Part III)

Article Right
14 Equality before law, equal protection of laws
15 No discrimination on religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth
16 Equality of opportunity in public employment
17 Abolition of untouchability
18 Abolition of titles
19 Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession)
20 Protection in respect of conviction (no ex post facto, double jeopardy, self-incrimination)
21 Protection of life and personal liberty
21A Right to education (6 to 14 years), inserted by 86th Amendment
22 Protection against arrest and detention; safeguards in preventive detention
23 Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour
24 Prohibition of child labour below 14 in hazardous work
25 to 28 Freedom of religion
29, 30 Cultural and educational rights of minorities
32 Right to constitutional remedies (writs); Ambedkar's "heart and soul"

See fundamental rights. Article 22 and the rights of the arrested matter for the security lens; cross-read human rights and internal security.

Directive Principles and Duties (Part IV, IV-A)

Article Subject
39A Equal justice and free legal aid
40 Organisation of village panchayats
44 Uniform Civil Code
45 Early childhood care and education
48A Protection of environment, forests and wildlife
50 Separation of judiciary from executive
51 Promotion of international peace
51A Fundamental Duties (ten originally, eleventh added by 86th Amendment)

See directive principles and fundamental duties.

The Union executive and legislature (Part V)

Article Subject
52, 53 President of India; executive power of the Union
54, 55 Election of the President (electoral college, single transferable vote)
61 Impeachment of the President
63, 64 Vice-President; ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
72 Pardoning power of the President
74, 75 Council of Ministers to aid and advise; Prime Minister
76 Attorney-General for India
79 Constitution of Parliament
80, 81 Composition of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
110 Money Bill defined
112 Annual Financial Statement (Budget)
123 Ordinance-making power of the President
124 Establishment of the Supreme Court
143 Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
148 Comptroller and Auditor-General

See union executive and parliament.

The States, panchayats, services and emergencies

Article Subject
153, 154 Governor of a State
161 Pardoning power of the Governor
163, 164 State Council of Ministers; Chief Minister
213 Ordinance-making power of the Governor
214, 226 High Courts; writ jurisdiction of High Courts
243 onwards Panchayats and Municipalities (73rd and 74th Amendments)
280 Finance Commission
300A Right to property (legal, not fundamental, after 44th Amendment)
312 All India Services
315 to 323 Union and State Public Service Commissions
324 Election Commission of India
352 National Emergency
356 President's Rule (failure of constitutional machinery in a State)
360 Financial Emergency
368 Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution

See citizenship and emergency provisions and state government.

Special and miscellaneous Articles

Article Subject
343 Official language of the Union (Hindi in Devanagari)
370 Temporary provisions for Jammu and Kashmir (effectively abrogated 2019; verify the latest)
371, 371A to 371J Special provisions for certain States (north-east, Maharashtra, Gujarat, others)
338, 338A, 338B National Commissions for SCs, STs and Backward Classes
350B Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities

See special provisions articles 370 and 371 and official language and the eighth schedule.

Cross-references

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