PARTS OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Originally the Constitution had 22 Parts. In the original Constitution, states were classified as Part A, B, C & D States in the First Schedule. Part A contained provinces of British India. Part B contained consisted of Princely States headed by Raj Pramukh. Part C states contained princely states or Chief Commissioner’s provinces headed by Chief Commissioner. Part D contained Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Seventh Amendment Act abolished classification of Part A and Part B states. Part C & Part D states were kept under Union Territory classification. This had impact on several Parts of the Constitution. Part VI consisted of provisions related with states in Part A of the First Schedule, which now deals with States as classification between Part A and part B states in First Schedule was abolished. Part VII dealt with States in Part B of First Schedule which was omitted. Part VIII dealt with States in Part C of the 1st Schedule, which now deals with Union Territories. Part IX originally had provisions for territories under Part D of the First Schedule and other territories not specified in First Schedule which was omitted by seventh amendment. Part IX now has provisions for Panchayats, which has been added by Seventy Third Amendment. Part IX A has been added by Seventy Fourth Amendment Act, which has provision for Municipalities. Part IVA has been added vide 42nd Amendment, which has provision for Fundamental Duties. Part XIVA has been added vide 42nd Amendment which provides for Tribunals. Constitution has now effectively 25 Parts.
| Part | Details | Articles |
| Part I | The Union and its Territories | 1-4 |
| Part II | Citizenship | 5-11 |
| Part III | Fundamental Rights | 12-35 |
| Part IV | Directive Principles of State Policy | 36-51 |
| Part IVA | Fundamental Duties: Added by Forty Second Amendment Act, 1976 | 51A |
| Part V | The Union | 52-151 |
| Part VI | The States | 152- 237 |
| Part VII | The States in Part B of the First Schedule: This part was omitted by the 7th Amendment in 1956 after re-organization of states. | 238 |
| Part VIII | The Union Territories | 239-242 |
| Part IX | Panchayats: Added by Seventy Third Amendment Act, 1992 | 243- 243O |
| Part IX A | The Municipalities: Added by Seventy Fourth Amendment, 1992 | 243P – 243 ZG |
| Part IX B | The Co-operative Societies: Added by Ninety Seventh Amendment Act, 2011 | 243 ZH – 243 ZT |
| Part X | The Scheduled and Tribal Areas | 244-244A |
| Part XI | Relations between the Union and the States | 245-263 |
| Part XII | Finance, Property, Contracts, and Suits | 264-300A |
| Part XIII | Trade, Commerce, and Intercourse within the Territory of India | 301-307 |
| Part XIV | Services under the Union and the States | 308-323 |
| Part XIVA | Tribunals: Added by 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 | 323A – 323B |
| Part XV | Elections | 324- 329A |
| Part XVI | Special Provisions relating to Certain Classes | 330 – 342 |
| Part XVII | Official Language of the Republic of India | 343- 351 |
| Part XVIII | Emergency Provisions | 352- 360 |
| Part XIX | Miscellaneous | 361- 367 |
| Part XX | Amendment of the Constitution | 368 |
| Part XXI | Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions | 369- 392 |
| Part XXII | Short Title, Commencement, and Repeals | 393-395 |
____________________________________________________
Mukesh Kumar Suman is an advocate and legal author based at Delhi. He regularly appears before various Judicial Forums including NCLT, NCLAT, High Courts and the Supreme Court. He can be approached at mukesh_suman@outlook.com or +91 9717864570.
