Parts of the Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution is a living document, evolving with the aspirations and needs of a nation. From its original form with 395 Articles and 22 Parts, it has undergone a fascinating transformation. Over time, as India’s society and governance requirements have evolved, 3 new parts were seamlessly woven into its fabric: Part 9A dedicated to Municipalities, Part 9B for Cooperative societies, and Part 14A for tribunals. This brought the total to 25 Parts, and the Constitution grew to encompass 448 Articles and 12 Schedules. Each Part is like a chapter in the story of India’s democracy, contributing unique insights and provisions. In this article, we delve into the intriguing world of these 25 Parts, exploring how they shape the governance, rights, and responsibilities of the world’s largest democracy.

25 Parts of Indian Constitution

This is the table that contains all the 25 parts:

Part	Subject	Articles
Part I	The Union and its territory	Art. 1 to 4
Part II	Citizenship	Art. 5 to 11
Part III	Fundamental Rights	Art. 12 to 35
Part IV	Directive Principles	Art. 36 to 51
Part IVA	Fundamental Duties	Art. 51A
Part V	The Union  Chapter I – The Executive (Art.52 to 78)  Chapter II – Parliament (Art.79 to 122)  Chapter III – Legislative Powers of President (Art.123)  Chapter IV – The Union Judiciary (Art. 124 to 147) Chapter V – Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (Art.148 to 151)	Art. 52 to 151
Part VI	The States  Chapter I – General (Art.152)  Chapter II – The Executive (Art.153 to 167)  Chapter III – The State Legislature (Art.168 to 212)  Chapter IV – Legislative Powers of Governor (Art.213)  Chapter V – The High Courts (Art.214 to 232)  Chapter VI – Subordinate Courts (Art.233 to 237)	Art. 152 to 237
Part VII	States in the B part of the First Schedule Repealed by Const. (7th Amendment) Act, 1956	Art. 238 (Repealed)
Part VIII	The Union Territories	Art. 239 to 242
Part IX	The Panchayats	Art. 243 to 243O
Part IXA	The Municipalities	Art. 243P to 243ZG
Part IXB	Co-operative Societies	Art. 243H to 243ZT
Part X	The Scheduled and Tribal Areas	Art. 244 to 244A
Part XI	Relations between the Union and the States  Chapter I – Legislative Relations (Art.245 to 255)  Chapter II – Administrative Relations (Art.256 to 263)	Art. 245 to 263
Part XII	Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits  Chapter I – Finance (Art.264 to 291)  Chapter II – Borrowing (Art.292 to 293)  Chapter III – Property, Contracts, Rights, Liabilities, Obligations and Suits (Art.294 to 300)  Chapter IV – Right to Property (Art.300-A)	Art. 264 to 300A
Part XIII	Trade, Commerce and Intercourse within the Territory of India	Art. 301 to 307
Part XIV	Services under the Union and the States	Art. 308 to 323
Part XIVA	Tribunals	Art. 323A to 323B
Part XV	Elections	Art. 324 to 329A
Part XVI	Special provisions relation to certain classes	Art. 330 to 342
Part XVII	Official Language  Chapter I – Language of the Union (Art.343 to 344)  Chapter II – Regional Languages (Art.345 to 347)  Chapter III-Language of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and so on (Art.348 to 349)  Chapter IV-Special Directives (Art.350 to 351)	Art. 343 to 351
Part XVIII	Emergency Provisions	Art. 352 to 360
Part XIX	Miscellaneous	Art. 361 to 367
Part XX	Amendment of the Constitution	Art. 368
Part XXI	Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions	Art. 369 to 392
Part XXII	Short title, commencement, authoritative text in Hindi and repeals	Art. 393 to 395

Parts of the Indian Constitution in detail

Part I: The Union and its Territory (Articles 1 to 4)

India is divided into 28 states and 8 Union Territories, each with its unique characteristics. The President appoints administrators for Union Territories.

• Article 1: Name and Territory of the Union.
• Article 2: Establishment of New States.
• Article 3: Formation of new States and changes in areas, boundaries, or names.
• Article 4: Laws under Articles 2 and 3 for amendment of Schedules.

Part II: Citizenship (Articles 5 to 11)

Part II outlines Indian citizenship. Articles 5 to 8 define eligibility at the Constitution’s start, while Articles 9 to 11 cover acquisition and loss.

• Article 5: Citizenship at the Constitution’s inception.
• Article 6 to 8: Citizenship rights for migrants.
• Article 9: Persons acquiring foreign citizenship.
• Article 10: Continuance of citizenship rights.
• Article 11: Parliament’s regulation of citizenship.

Part III: Fundamental Rights (Articles 12 to 35)

This part (Articles 12 to 35) ensures fundamental rights and remedies.

Right to Equality (Articles 14 to 18)

• Right against Exploitation (Articles 23-24)
• Right of Freedom of Religion (Articles 25 to 28)
• Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29-30)
• Right to Constitutional Remedies (Articles 32 to 35)

Part IV: Directive Principles (Articles 36 to 51)

It discusses Directive Principles of State Policy, emphasizing social justice, economic welfare, and principles like a uniform civil code. Article 37, however, states that these principles cannot be upheld in a court of law. Because achieving some of these ideals—like the freedom to work or an education—may require significant financial and temporal resources. The Irish Constitution and Lauterpacht’s International Bill of Rights served as models for the Indian Constitution’s authors, who also incorporated Directive Principles.

Part IV A: Fundamental Duties (Article 51 A)

Article 51 A outlines 11 fundamental duties for citizens, such as respecting the Constitution, promoting harmony, and safeguarding the environment.

Part V: The Union (Articles 52 to 151)

• Chapter I: The Executive (Articles 52 to 78) covers the President, Vice-President, Council of Ministers, and Attorney General.
• Chapter II: Parliament (Articles 79 to 122) details Parliament’s composition, procedures, and legislative powers.
• Chapter III: Legislative Powers of President (Article 123) covers the President’s ordinance powers.
• Chapter IV: The Union Judiciary (Articles 124 to 147) outlines the Supreme Court.
• Chapter V: Comptroller and Auditor-General (Articles 148 to 151) details the CAG’s duties.

Part VI: The States (Articles 152 to 237)

• Chapter I: General (Article 152) provides definitions.
• Chapter II: The Executive (Articles 153 to 167) discusses the Governor, Council of Ministers, and Advocate General.
• Chapter III: The State Legislature (Articles 168 to 212) outlines the composition, powers, and procedures of State Legislatures.
• Chapter IV: Legislative Powers of Governor (Article 213) details the Governor’s ordinance powers.
• Chapter V: The High Courts (Articles 214 to 232) outlines the powers of High Courts.
• Chapter VI: Subordinate Courts (Articles 233 to 237) details the appointment and validation of District Judges.

Part VII – Repealed Part (Article 238)

Part VII of the Indian Constitution was repealed by the Constitution (7th Amendment) Act in 1956 through Article 238. This amendment erased Part VII, which was related to Part B states.

Part VIII – Union Territories (Articles 239 to 242)

Part VIII covers Union Territories with special provisions for Delhi. Articles 239A, 239AA, and 239AB were added, and Article 242 was repealed.

Part IX – Panchayats (Articles 243 to 243O)

Articles 243 to 243O provide details about the definition, constitution, composition, reservation, and duration of Panchayats. It also outlines their powers, elections, and audit of accounts, with a term of five years.

Part IXA – Municipalities (Articles 243P to 243ZG)

Introduced by the 74th Amendment in 1992, Part IXA details the structure, composition, powers, and functions of urban self-government, covering Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, Municipal Corporations, Metropolitan Areas, and Industrial Townships.

Part IXB – Co-operative Societies (Articles 243ZH to 243ZT)

Added by the 97th Amendment in 2011, Part IXB focuses on co-operative societies, emphasizing their role as self-help organizations for social and economic justice.

Part X – Scheduled and Tribal Areas (Articles 244 to 244A)

Article 244 deals with the administration of Scheduled and Tribal Areas, while Article 244A addresses the formation of autonomous states comprising specific tribal areas in Assam.

Part XI – Relations between the Union and the States (Article 245 to 263)

This part includes Legislative Relations (Article 245 to 255) and Administrative Relations (Article 256 to 263), covering the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States and their respective obligations.

Part XII – Finance, Property, Contracts, and Suits (Article 264 to 300A)

• Chapter I (Articles 264 to 291) focuses on finances
• Chapter II (Articles 292 to 293) covers borrowing.
• Chapter III (Articles 294 to 300) discusses property, contracts, rights, liabilities, obligations, and suits.
• Chapter IV (Article 300A) deals with the right to property.

Part XIII – Trade, Commerce, and Intercourse within the Territory of India (Articles 301 to 307)

These articles provide freedom for trade, commerce, and intercourse within the country, emphasizing principles, trade prohibitions, and definitions of trade and commerce.

Part XIV – Services under the Union and the States (Article 308 to 323)

Articles 308 to 314 deal with the recruitment, conditions, tenure, and removal of persons serving the Union or a State. Articles 315 to 323 cover Public Service Commissions, appointments, functions, and expenses.

Part XIVA – Tribunals (Articles 323A to 323B)

Added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, Part XIVA introduces administrative tribunals (Article 323A) and tribunals for other matters (Article 323B).

Part XV – Elections (Articles 324 to 329A)

These articles cover the supervision, direction, and control of elections, addressing election-related matters and the power of Parliament to make provisions for elections.

Part XVI – Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes (Article 330 to 342)

Articles 330 to 342 provide special benefits for the reservation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Anglo-Indians, and Backward Classes.

Part XVII – Official Language (Article 343 to 351)

This part addresses the language of the Union, regional languages, language in the Supreme Court and High Courts, and special directives for linguistic minorities.

Part XVIII – Emergency Provisions (Article 352 to 360)

This part outlines three types of emergencies: National, State, and Financial, with provisions for the proclamation of emergencies.

Part XIX – Miscellaneous (Article 361 to 367)

Articles 361 to 367 cover the protection of the President and governors, bar to hindrance by courts in certain controversies, and special provisions for major ports, airdromes, and more.

Part XX – Amendment of the Constitution (Article 368)

Article 368 deals with the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and the procedure for doing so.

Part XXI – Temporary, Transitional, and Special Provisions (Article 369 to 392)

This part addresses the temporary powers of Parliament, special provisions for certain states, and provisions for judges, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and Public Service Commissions.

Part XXII – Short title, Commencement, Authoritative Text in Hindi, and Repeals (Article 393 to 395)

Articles 393 to 395 include the short title, commencement date, authoritative text in Hindi, and repeals, serving as a collection of legislative provisions.

FAQs on Parts of the Indian Constitution

1. How many parts are there in the Indian Constitution?

There are 448 Articles in the 25 Parts and 12 Schedules of the Indian Constitution. On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly enacted the Indian Constitution, which went into effect on January 26, 1950. There were 395 Articles in 22 Parts and 8 Schedules in the original Constitution.

2. Why Article 7 is removed?

Part 7 was eliminated altogether as a result of the State Reorganization of 1956 because the system that separated the states into three categories (A, B, and C) was no longer in use. Linguistically, the states were rearranged.

3. Which article was removed recently?

Article 370 removed recently from the Constitution of India which dealt with the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir was Article 370.

4. How many articles are there in 25 parts of Indian Constitution?

The Indian Constitution consisted of 395 articles divided into 22 parts. As of 2021, the Indian Constitution consists of 25 parts and 448 articles and 12 schedules.