Amendments to the Indian Constitution: Major and Minor Amendments in 60 Minutes
Quick Answer: What Are the Major and Minor Constitutional Amendments?
The amendments to the Indian Constitution are changes made under Article 368, which allows amendment by three routes: simple majority, special majority, and special majority plus ratification by half the states. Landmark (major) amendments include the 1st (1951), 42nd (1976), 44th (1978), 73rd (1992), and 101st (2016). Minor amendments cover routine matters such as salaries, quotas, and boundary changes. Since 1950, the Constitution has been amended more than 100 times, making it one of the most amended written constitutions in the world.
- Quick Answer: What Are the Major and Minor Constitutional Amendments?
- How the Constitution Is Amended: Article 368 Explained
- Classification Trick: Grouping Amendments the Memory-Friendly Way
- The 1st Amendment (1951): Reasonable Restrictions and the Ninth Schedule
- The 42nd Amendment (1976): The ‘Mini Constitution’
- The 44th Amendment (1978): Undoing the Excesses
- The 73rd Amendment (1992): Panchayati Raj
- The 101st Amendment (2016): GST and the One Nation, One Tax Idea
- Other Frequently Asked Amendments: 24th, 52nd, 61st, 86th, 102nd, 103rd, 104th, 106th
- Major vs Minor Amendments: How Exams Frame the Difference
- Exam-Style Practice: Previous Year Question Patterns
- 60-Minute Revision Plan and Quick Recall Table
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Which amendment is known as the Mini Constitution of India?
- Q: Which amendment introduced Panchayati Raj in India?
- Q: Which amendment introduced GST in India?
- Q: What is the difference between the 42nd and 44th Amendments?
- Q: What was the first amendment to the Indian Constitution?
- Exam Checklist
- FAQ
- How much of this page is exam-relevant?
- When should I revisit?
- The Thirty-Second Recap
- Explain It Simply
- Abbreviations That Recur Here
- Key Takeaways
- The Framework Line to Memorise
- The Exam Angle in Two Lines
- Related reading
How the Constitution Is Amended: Article 368 Explained
Article 368 empowers Parliament to amend the Constitution. The procedure was itself amended by the 24th Amendment (1971), which affirmed Parliament’s power to amend any part of the Constitution, and shaped by the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), which introduced the Basic Structure doctrine. There are three procedures:
- Simple Majority: Outside Article 368; covers matters like creation of new states, citizenship provisions, and salaries of officials.
- Special Majority: A majority of total membership plus two-thirds of members present and voting; used for Fundamental Rights and most provisions.
- Special Majority + Ratification by Half the States: For federal provisions — election of the President, extent of executive/legislative power, Seventh Schedule, representation of states, and Article 368 itself.
For the official text, see the Constitution of India (india.gov.in) and amendment details on the Ministry of Law’s Legislative Department portal.
Classification Trick: Grouping Amendments the Memory-Friendly Way
Instead of memorising amendments chronologically, group them by theme. Use the mnemonic “R-FELT”:
- R — Rights-focused: 1st, 44th, 86th, 103rd, 105th
- F — Federal: 101st (GST), 5th/6th Schedule related, state reorganisation acts
- E — Emergency-related: 38th, 42nd, 44th
- L — Local governance: 73rd and 74th
- T — Tax/economic: 101st (GST), 80th (devolution), 104th (SC/ST reservation in legislatures — often confused, so re-check grouping while revising)
This bucketing helps in statement-based UPSC Prelims questions, where options mix amendments from different themes.
The 1st Amendment (1951): Reasonable Restrictions and the Ninth Schedule
Passed in 1951 under Prime Minister Nehru, the First Amendment:
- Added Article 31A (saving of land reform laws) and Article 31B, which created the Ninth Schedule to shield laws from judicial review.
- Added “public order”, “friendly relations with foreign States” and “incitement to an offence” as reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech under Article 19(2).
- Added Ninth Schedule laws initially covered land reform legislation.
Exam pointer: In I.R. Coelho (2007), the Supreme Court held that laws in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 are open to basic structure review.
The 42nd Amendment (1976): The ‘Mini Constitution’
Enacted during the Emergency, the 42nd Amendment made sweeping changes, earning the name ‘Mini Constitution’:
- Added “Socialist”, “Secular”, and “Integrity” to the Preamble.
- Added Fundamental Duties (Part IVA, Article 51A) on the Swaran Singh Committee’s recommendation.
- Curtailed judicial review and made the Declaration of Emergency non-justiciable.
- Extended the Lok Sabha term from 5 to 6 years.
- In addition, transferred five subjects (education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wildlife, administration of justice) to the Concurrent List.
- Added “internal disturbance” as a ground for Emergency in place of “armed rebellion”.
The 44th Amendment (1978): Undoing the Excesses
The Janata government’s 44th Amendment reversed the 42nd’s excesses:
- “Internal disturbance” replaced by “armed rebellion” as the ground for National Emergency — a favourite SSC/UPSC one-liner.
- Right to Property deleted from Fundamental Rights and made a legal right under Article 300A.
- Restored safeguards of Articles 20 and 22 during Emergency.
- Lok Sabha term restored to 5 years; President’s Rule and Emergency proclamations made subject to judicial review.
- Therefore, written advice of the Cabinet required to proclaim Emergency.
The 73rd Amendment (1992): Panchayati Raj
Effective from 24 April 1993, the 73rd Amendment gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj:
- Three-tier system: village, intermediate, and district levels (Part IX, Articles 243–243O).
- Added the 11th Schedule with 29 subjects.
- Mandatory reservation of seats for SCs, STs and women (at least one-third).
- State Election Commissions and Finance Commissions for local bodies.
- 24 April is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day. See PIB releases for annual coverage.
The 101st Amendment (2016): GST and the One Nation, One Tax Idea
The 101st Amendment paved the way for Goods and Services Tax:
- Created the GST Council under Article 279A — Union Finance Minister as Chairperson, Union Minister of State for Finance, and state finance ministers as members.
- Gave Parliament and states concurrent power to legislate on GST.
- In addition, provided for compensation to states for revenue loss (initially five years, up to 2022).
- GST launched on 1 July 2017. See the official portal at gstcouncil.gov.in.
Other Frequently Asked Amendments: 24th, 52nd, 61st, 86th, 102nd, 103rd, 104th, 106th
| Amendment | Year | Key Change |
|---|---|---|
| 24th | 1971 | Affirmed Parliament’s power to amend any part of the Constitution; made President bound to assent to Amendment Bills. |
| 52nd | 1985 | Anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule). |
| 61st | 1988 | Voting age reduced from 21 to 18. |
| 86th | 2002 | Right to Education as Article 21A; free and compulsory education for children 6–14 years. |
| 102nd | 2018 | Constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes. |
| 103rd | 2019 | 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). |
| 104th | 2020 | Extended SC/ST reservation in legislatures; ended reserved seats for Anglo-Indians. |
| 106th | 2023 | 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam). |
Major vs Minor Amendments: How Exams Frame the Difference
Exams expect you to distinguish:
- Major (landmark) amendments change the structure or philosophy of the Constitution — e.g., 42nd (Preamble, Fundamental Duties), 73rd/74th (local government), 101st (GST), 86th (education right).
- Minor amendments are routine or administrative — e.g., the 2nd Amendment (1952) (quantum of representation in Council of States), salary revisions, and boundary adjustments under simple majority.
- PYQ-style framing: “Which of the following amendments did NOT require ratification by half the states?” — GST (101st) required ratification because it altered the Seventh Schedule; salary-related changes did not.
Exam-Style Practice: Previous Year Question Patterns
MCQ 1 (Prelims-style): With reference to the 42nd Amendment, consider the statements: (1) It added Fundamental Duties. (2) It changed the ground for Emergency to “internal disturbance”. (3) It reduced the Lok Sabha term to five years. Which are correct?
Answer: 1 and 2 only. Statement 3 is wrong — the 42nd extended it to six years; the 44th restored five.
MCQ 2: The 101st Amendment established which body? (a) NITI Aayog (b) GST Council (c) NCBC (d) National Judicial Commission — Answer: (b) GST Council under Article 279A.
MCQ 3: Which amendment removed property from Fundamental Rights? (a) 42nd (b) 44th (c) 45th (d) 25th — Answer: (b) 44th, 1978 (Article 300A).
60-Minute Revision Plan and Quick Recall Table
Spend 20 minutes on the five landmark amendments, 20 minutes on the table of other amendments, and 20 minutes on practice questions.
| Amendment | Year | Tagline | Key Provisions | Memory Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1951 | Land reform shield | Ninth Schedule, Articles 31A/31B, speech restrictions | “First fixes farms and free speech” |
| 42nd | 1976 | Mini Constitution | Preamble words, Fundamental Duties, judicial review curtailed | “42 = SSI (Socialist, Secular, Integrity)” |
| 44th | 1978 | Undo button | Armed rebellion, Article 300A, 5-year term | “44 reverses 42” |
| 73rd | 1992 | Panchayati Raj | Part IX, 11th Schedule, 29 subjects, women’s reservation | “73 = 3 tiers” |
| 101st | 2016 | One Nation, One Tax | Article 279A, GST Council, concurrent powers | “101 = one tax” |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which amendment is known as the Mini Constitution of India?
The 42nd Amendment, 1976. It made wide-ranging changes, including adding ‘Socialist’, ‘Secular’ and ‘Integrity’ to the Preamble, introducing Fundamental Duties, and curtailing judicial review.
Q: Which amendment introduced Panchayati Raj in India?
The 73rd Amendment, 1992, which came into force on 24 April 1993. It created the three-tier system, the 11th Schedule with 29 subjects, and reservations for women and SC/STs.
Q: Which amendment introduced GST in India?
The 101st Amendment, 2016. It established the GST Council under Article 279A; GST itself was launched on 1 July 2017.
Q: What is the difference between the 42nd and 44th Amendments?
The 42nd (1976) centralised power and expanded Emergency grounds; the 44th (1978) reversed these excesses — replacing ‘internal disturbance’ with ‘armed rebellion’, removing property from Fundamental Rights (Article 19), and restoring judicial safeguards.
Q: What was the first amendment to the Indian Constitution?
The 1st Amendment, 1951. It added the Ninth Schedule, Articles 31A and 31B, and expanded reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech under Article 19(2).
Contents: this page covers Amendments to the Indian Constitution with worked notes, tables, a checklist and a rapid recap.
Exam Checklist
- Revise the article table vertically
- Pair each number with its office
- Therefore, write one mains-skeleton weekly
- Teach the page to a peer in three minutes
- Revisit on Sunday with the quiz
FAQ
How much of this page is exam-relevant?
Nearly all of it, because the tables and worked items follow the standard question register for this subject.
When should I revisit?
Day three and day seven after the first read, with the drill spoken aloud once.
The Thirty-Second Recap
One page. One topic. Therefore, read the tables twice. Speak the recap once. Moreover, the numbers carry the marks. The names carry the traps. However, revisits beat rereads. Finally, day three and day seven. That is all.
Explain It Simply
Think of this page as a map of one neighbourhood. The big streets are the tables. The landmarks are the numbers. The street names are the terms in bold. However big the city feels, this one neighbourhood fits in a pocket, and a pocket map is what exam week needs. Therefore, walk it once fully, then walk only the streets you forget, and by the second walk the neighbourhood feels like home.
Pocket the map, not the whole city: exams reward the walkable version of every topic.
Abbreviations That Recur Here
- GST.
- SC.
- UPSC.
- IVA.
- IX.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, Amendments to the Indian Constitution compresses into its tables, its numbers and its checklist above. To summarize, revise twice this week, speak the recap once, and let the acronyms carry the recall. Therefore, this page banks itself in ten honest minutes.
The Framework Line to Memorise
Amendment arithmetic is a framework of thresholds: validation by special majorities, authorization by ratification, and compliance with the basic structure as the ceiling protocol.
The Exam Angle in Two Lines
Moreover, papers ask this block as pairs and sequences, therefore revise against a partner list, not a lonely list.
Related reading
- UPSC Polity One-Pager: The President of India – Articles, Powers and Discretion Debates
- Panchayati Raj in India: 73rd Amendment, Committees and Key Provisions Explained for UPSC, SSC and Banking Exams
Quick revision
- Simple Majority: Outside Article 368; covers matters like creation of new states, citizenship provisions, and salaries of officials.
- Special Majority: A majority of total membership plus two-thirds of members present and voting; used for Fundamental Rights and most provisions.
- Special Majority + Ratification by Half the States: For federal provisions — election of the President, extent of executive/legislative power, Seventh Schedule, representation of states, and Article…
- R — Rights-focused: 1st, 44th, 86th, 103rd, 105th
- F — Federal: 101st (GST), 5th/6th Schedule related, state reorganisation acts
- T — Tax/economic: 101st (GST), 80th (devolution), 104th (SC/ST reservation in legislatures — often confused, so re-check grouping while revising)
Have a doubt on this topic?
