Amendments to the Constitution of India
Introduction
The Constitution of India, adopted on November 26, 1949, and effective from January 26, 1950, has been amended 106 times as of October 7, 2025. These amendments reflect changes in political, social, and economic contexts, ensuring the Constitution remains a living document. This list provides a concise overview of significant amendments, their enactment dates, and key changes.
List of Amendments
- 1st Amendment (1951) - Added Ninth Schedule to protect land reforms and other laws from judicial review. Restricted freedom of speech under Article 19.
- 2nd Amendment (1952) - Adjusted the scale of representation in the Lok Sabha to balance population and constituency size.
- 7th Amendment (1956) - Reorganized states on linguistic basis, abolished Part B states, and introduced Union Territories.
- 10th Amendment (1961) - Integrated Dadra and Nagar Haveli into India as a Union Territory after liberation from Portuguese rule.
- 14th Amendment (1962) - Included Pondicherry (now Puducherry) as a Union Territory and allowed legislatures in certain UTs.
- 21st Amendment (1967) - Included Sindhi as an official language in the Eighth Schedule.
- 24th Amendment (1971) - Empowered Parliament to amend any part of the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights, overturning Golaknath case (1967).
- 25th Amendment (1971) - Curtailed judicial review of laws under Directive Principles, prioritizing them over Fundamental Rights in certain cases.
- 26th Amendment (1971) - Abolished privy purses and privileges of former Indian princely states.
- 31st Amendment (1973) - Increased Lok Sabha seats from 525 to 545 to reflect population growth.
- 36th Amendment (1975) - Made Sikkim the 22nd state of India, ending its protectorate status.
- 39th Amendment (1975) - Placed elections of the President, Vice President, and Speaker beyond judicial review during the Emergency.
- 42nd Amendment (1976) - Major overhaul during Emergency; added "Socialist," "Secular," and "Integrity" to the Preamble, expanded Fundamental Duties, and curtailed judicial powers.
- 44th Amendment (1978) - Repealed Emergency provisions of the 42nd Amendment, restored judicial review, and replaced "internal disturbance" with "armed rebellion" for Emergency.
- 52nd Amendment (1985) - Introduced anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule to prevent legislators from switching parties.
- 61st Amendment (1989) - Lowered voting age from 21 to 18, enhancing youth participation.
69th Amendment (1991) - Granted special status to Delhi as National Capital Territory with an Assembly and Council of Ministers.- 73rd Amendment (1992) - Established Panchayati Raj institutions, empowering local self-governance at the village level.
- 74th Amendment (1992) - Strengthened urban local bodies (Municipalities) with constitutional status.
- 86th Amendment (2002) - Made education a Fundamental Right for children aged 6-14 under Article 21A.
- 91st Amendment (2003) - Limited the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of Lok Sabha members to curb political horse-trading.
- 93rd Amendment (2005) - Enabled reservation in educational institutions, including private ones, for socially and educationally backward classes.
- 97th Amendment (2011) - Gave constitutional status to cooperative societies, adding Part IXB.
- 99th Amendment (2014) - Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to replace the collegium system (later struck down by SC in 2015).
- 101st Amendment (2016) - Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), amending Article 246A and creating a unified tax structure.
- 102nd Amendment (2018) - Granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
- 103rd Amendment (2019)** - Provided 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in education and government jobs, amending Articles 15 and 16.
- 104th Amendment (2020) - Extended reservation for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies until 2030.
- 105th Amendment (2021) - Restored states' power to identify backward classes, reversing parts of the 102nd Amendment.
- 106th Amendment (2023)** - Reserved 33% seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, effective after the 2029 elections.
Notes
This list covers major amendments up to the 106th as of October 7, 2025. Some amendments (e.g., 99th) were struck down or partially implemented. For full texts, refer to the official India Government Portal or the Constitution of India.
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