The 80th to 100th Amendments of the Indian Constitution – A Detailed Overview


The 80th to 100th Amendments of the Indian Constitution – A Detailed Overview

The period between the 80th Amendment (2000) and the 100th Amendment (2015) marked a significant phase in India’s constitutional evolution. It was a time of administrative reform, fiscal restructuring, reservation policies, territorial agreements, and electoral adjustments — all aimed at adapting the Constitution to modern governance challenges.

80th Amendment Act, 2000 – Alternative Scheme of Devolution of Taxes

  • Background: The Tenth Finance Commission recommended replacing the complex sharing of income tax with a simpler system.
  • Key Provision: Provided for the states to receive 26% of gross central taxes and duties instead of a share in specific taxes.
  • Impact: Enhanced fiscal autonomy of states, reducing dependency on central grants.

81st Amendment Act, 2000 – Carry Forward of Unfilled Reserved Vacancies

  • Background: Vacant reserved seats for SC/ST candidates in government jobs often lapsed at the year’s end.
  • Key Provision: Allowed carry forward of unfilled reserved vacancies beyond the 50% ceiling on reservations.
  • Impact: Ensured better representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in public employment.

82nd Amendment Act, 2000 – Relaxation in Qualifying Marks for SC/ST

  • Background: The Supreme Court judgments had restricted lowering qualifying marks for SC/ST candidates.
  • Key Provision: Enabled the state to make provisions for relaxation in qualifying marks or lowering standards of evaluation for SC/STs in promotions.
  • Impact: Strengthened affirmative action in promotions.

83rd Amendment Act, 2000 – Exemption for Arunachal Pradesh

  • Key Provision: Exempted Arunachal Pradesh from the application of reservation of seats in panchayats for SCs (as there is no SC population in the state).
  • Impact: Avoided unnecessary constitutional application where the provision was irrelevant.

84th Amendment Act, 2001 – Readjustment of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies

  • Background: Based on the 2001 Census data.
  • Key Provision: Extended the freeze on readjustment of seats till 2026 but allowed changes in boundaries for better population distribution.
  • Impact: Maintained balance between states despite varying population growth rates.

85th Amendment Act, 2001 – Consequential Seniority in Promotions for SC/ST

  • Key Provision: Provided for “consequential seniority” in promotions for SC/ST candidates promoted through reservation.
  • Impact: Protected career progression and benefits for SC/ST employees.

86th Amendment Act, 2002 – Right to Education

  • Key Provision: Made education a Fundamental Right for children aged 6 to 14 years (Article 21A).
  • Impact: Landmark step in human development, leading to the Right to Education Act (2009).

87th Amendment Act, 2003 – Delimitation Based on 2001 Census

  • Key Provision: Revised population figures for constituencies based on the 2001 Census without changing the number of seats.
  • Impact: Improved representation in line with demographic changes.

88th Amendment Act, 2003 – Service Tax

  • Key Provision: Introduced service tax into the Constitution and allowed its levy by the Union.
  • Impact: Expanded India’s indirect tax base.

89th Amendment Act, 2003 – Separate Commissions for SC and ST

  • Key Provision: Bifurcated the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes into two separate bodies.
  • Impact: Allowed focused attention on the needs of each group.

90th Amendment Act, 2003 – Representation in Assam

  • Key Provision: Ensured reservation of seats in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District for Scheduled Tribes.
  • Impact: Protected political rights of indigenous Bodo population.

91st Amendment Act, 2003 – Anti-Defection and Cabinet Size

  • Key Provision: Restricted defection allowances and capped the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the total strength of the legislature.
  • Impact: Strengthened political stability and reduced unnecessary ministerial expansion.

92nd Amendment Act, 2003 – Inclusion of Languages

  • Key Provision: Added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali to the Eighth Schedule.
  • Impact: Recognized linguistic diversity and promoted cultural inclusion.

93rd Amendment Act, 2005 – Reservation in Private Educational Institutions

  • Key Provision: Allowed the state to make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes in private educational institutions, except minority institutions.
  • Impact: Expanded reservation policy beyond government-run institutions.

94th Amendment Act, 2006 – Representation in Jharkhand Panchayats

  • Key Provision: Ended the temporary provision for representation of certain communities in Bihar’s panchayats after Jharkhand was created.
  • Impact: Updated constitutional language to reflect new state boundaries.

95th Amendment Act, 2009 – SC/ST Reservation Extension

  • Key Provision: Extended reservation of seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for SC/ST communities for another 10 years (till 2020).
  • Impact: Continued political empowerment of marginalized groups.

96th Amendment Act, 2011 – Odia Language

  • Key Provision: Changed the name of the Oriya language to Odia in the Eighth Schedule.
  • Impact: Reflected cultural and linguistic identity more accurately.

97th Amendment Act, 2011 – Cooperative Societies

  • Key Provision: Granted constitutional status to cooperative societies, adding provisions for their democratic functioning.
  • Impact: Strengthened rural economy and community-based enterprises.

98th Amendment Act, 2012 – Special Court for Karnataka

  • Key Provision: Established a special court to deal with cases related to elected members in Karnataka.
  • Impact: Enhanced accountability in public office.

99th Amendment Act, 2014 – National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)

  • Key Provision: Replaced the collegium system for appointing judges with the NJAC.
  • Impact: Intended to make judicial appointments more transparent; however, it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015.

100th Amendment Act, 2015 – India–Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement

  • Key Provision: Facilitated exchange of enclaves and territories between India and Bangladesh.
  • Impact: Resolved a decades-old border dispute, improving bilateral relations.


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