Table: First 40 Amendments of the Indian Constitution



Table: First 40 Amendments of the Indian Constitution

Amendment No. Year Key Changes Impact
1st 1951 Restricted freedom of speech; introduced Ninth Schedule; protected land reforms. Balanced individual rights with socio-economic reforms.
2nd 1952 Changed representation formula in Lok Sabha. Adjusted parliamentary seat distribution based on population.
3rd 1954 Altered tax distribution between Union and States. Improved fiscal relations between Centre and States.
4th 1955 Restricted right to property; expanded Ninth Schedule. Facilitated land acquisition for public purposes.
5th 1955 Modified procedure for creating new states. Allowed smoother reorganisation of territories.
6th 1956 Empowered Parliament to tax inter-state trade. Strengthened central control over commerce.
7th 1956 States reorganised on linguistic lines; removed Part A/B/C/D classification. Created a more culturally aligned state structure.
8th 1960 Extended SC/ST/Anglo-Indian reservation in legislatures. Continued political representation for disadvantaged groups.
9th 1960 Transferred territories to Pakistan (Indo-Pak Agreement). Settled certain boundary disputes.
10th 1961 Incorporated Dadra and Nagar Haveli into India. Expanded Indian territory.
11th 1961 Changed Vice-President election procedure. Streamlined election process.
12th 1962 Incorporated Goa, Daman, Diu into India. Integrated liberated Portuguese territories.
13th 1962 Created state of Nagaland with special provisions. Preserved tribal laws and customs.
14th 1962 Incorporated Puducherry; provisions for Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Integrated former French territory.
15th 1963 Increased High Court judge retirement age to 62. Improved judiciary service conditions.
16th 1963 Required oath of allegiance to Constitution for election candidates. Strengthened national integrity.
17th 1964 Added more land reform laws to Ninth Schedule. Protected agrarian reforms from legal challenge.
18th 1966 Clarified “state” definition for new state creation. Avoided constitutional ambiguity.
19th 1966 Transferred election disputes to High Courts. Enhanced judicial handling of election cases.
20th 1966 Validated appointment of certain judges. Maintained judicial continuity.
21st 1967 Added Sindhi to Eighth Schedule. Promoted linguistic diversity.
22nd 1969 Created Meghalaya as autonomous state within Assam. Step towards full statehood for Meghalaya.
23rd 1969 Extended reservation for SC/ST/Anglo-Indians. Continued affirmative action in politics.
24th 1971 Made President bound to assent to constitutional amendments. Strengthened Parliament’s amendment power.
25th 1971 Prioritised Directive Principles over certain Fundamental Rights. Allowed socio-economic reforms despite property rights claims.
26th 1971 Abolished privy purses of former rulers. Promoted equality among citizens.
27th 1971 Created UT legislatures for Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh. Provided partial autonomy to frontier regions.
28th 1972 Abolished special privileges of ICS officers. Equalised public service conditions.
29th 1972 Added two Kerala land reform acts to Ninth Schedule. Protected state reforms from litigation.
30th 1972 Limited SC’s jurisdiction in certain property matters. Reduced judicial interference in land policy.
31st 1973 Increased Lok Sabha strength to 545. Represented population growth in Parliament.
32nd 1973 Special status for Andhra Pradesh regions. Safeguarded regional interests.
33rd 1974 Regulated resignation of MPs/MLAs. Prevented misuse for political manipulation.
34th 1974 Added more land laws to Ninth Schedule. Strengthened land reform security.
35th 1974 Made Sikkim an Associate State. Initiated Sikkim’s integration process.
36th 1975 Made Sikkim a full-fledged state. Completed Sikkim’s merger into India.
37th 1975 Gave Arunachal Pradesh a legislative assembly. Enhanced local governance.
38th 1975 Made Emergency proclamation immune from judicial review. Strengthened executive control during Emergency.
39th 1975 Excluded certain high offices from judicial scrutiny in elections. Protected key political figures during Emergency.
40th 1976 Expanded Ninth Schedule; defined India’s maritime limits. Protected more laws and asserted sovereignty over seas.


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