Parts and Schedules in Indian Constitution

Originally the constitution contained 395 articles divided in 22 parts and 8 schedules. The numbering still remains the same but as and when the constitution is amended, new articles are added below original articles with suffix A, B, C etc. For example, when our constitution was amended for adjusting the Right to Education, a new Article 21A was inserted below Article 21. Further, some articles get repealed from time to time. For example, the article 2-A [Sikkim to be associated with Union], Article 31. [Compulsory acquisition of property] are some of the repealed articles of the constitution. Overall, there are around 450 articles currently in the constitution including those added by amendments and those repealed. This makes India’s constitution to be lengthiest in the world.

Total parts of Indian Constitution

Currently, Indian Constitution has 26 Parts plus a preamble. Preamble is also considered to be a part of constitution of India. Parts 1 to Part 22 were original. Several amendments have added other parts such as IV-A, IX-A, IX-B etc.  These 26 parts are as follows:

1. Part I – Union and its Territory
2. Part II – Citizenship.
3. Part III – Fundamental Rights
4. Part IV – Directive Principles of State Policy
5. Part IVA – Fundamental Duties
6. Part V – The Union
7. Part VI – The States
8. Part VII – States in the B part of the First schedule (repealed)
9. Part VIII – The Union Territories
10. Part IX – The Panchayats
11. Part IXA – The Municipalities
12. Part IXB – The Co-operative Societies.
13. Part X – The scheduled and Tribal Areas
14. Part XI – Relations between the Union and the States
15. Part XII – Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits
16. Part XIII – Trade and Commerce within the territory of India
17. Part XIV – Services Under the Union, the States
18. Part XIVA – Tribunals
19. Part XV – Elections
20. Part XVI – Special Provisions Relating to certain Classes
21. Part XVII – Languages
22. Part XVIII – Emergency Provisions
23. Part XIX – Miscellaneous
24. Part XX – Amendment of the Constitution
25. Part XXI – Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions
26. Part XXII – Short title, date of commencement, Authoritative text in Hindi and Repeals.

As mentioned above, part VII stands repealed at presently, thus, there are total 25 parts of Constitution of India in force today.

Schedules of Constituion of India

Schedules are basically lists which categorize and tabulate various items related to constitutional matters. There are total 12 schedules in Indian Constitution as follows:

1. First Schedule: List of states and union territories
2. Second Schedule: Salaries of persons holdings various constitutional offices such as President, Vice President, CAG, Supreme Court Judges, Governor etc.
3. Third Schedule: Forms of Oaths which the persons elected / appointed on constitutional posts need to take.
4. Fourth Schedule: Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha
5. Fifth Schedule: Administration and control of Scheduled Areas
6. Sixth Schedule: Provisions made for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
7. Seventh Schedule: Division of subjects for powers and responsibilities in union, state and concurrent lists.
8. Eighth Schedule: List of India’s official languages.
9. Ninth Schedule: Validation of certain Acts and Regulations
10. Tenth Schedule: This is called anti-defection law
11. Eleventh Schedule: Lists of various subjects of Panchayat Raj
12. Twelfth Schedule : List of various subjects for Municipalities