Anand Classes brings you a complete and detailed explanation of the Schedules of the Constitution of India in a simplified way for NDA exam aspirants. Understanding the 12 Schedules is an important part of Indian Polity, as questions are frequently asked in NDA, CDS, UPSC, and other competitive exams. This post covers each Schedule with subject matter, related Articles, FAQs, and NDA-focused MCQs to boost your preparation. Click the print button to download NDA study material and notes.
12 Schedules in the Constitution of India
The Constitution of India originally contained 8 Schedules. With subsequent amendments, their number has increased to 12 Schedules. Each Schedule deals with specific provisions as detailed below:
First Schedule
- Subject Matter:
- Names of the States and their territorial jurisdiction
- Names of the Union Territories and their extent
- Articles Covered: 1 and 4
Second Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Provisions relating to the emoluments, allowances, and privileges of high constitutional authorities. - Articles Covered: 59, 65, 75, 97, 125, 148, 158, 164, 186, and 221
- Authorities Included:
- The President of India
- The Governors of States
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha
- The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assemblies (States)
- The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Councils (States)
- Judges of the Supreme Court
- Judges of the High Courts
- The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
Third Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Forms of Oaths or Affirmations for various constitutional offices. - Articles Covered: 75, 84, 99, 124, 146, 173, 188, and 219
- Persons Covered:
- Union Ministers
- Candidates for election to Parliament
- Members of Parliament
- Judges of the Supreme Court
- The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
- State Ministers
- Candidates for election to State Legislatures
- Members of State Legislatures
- Judges of the High Courts
Fourth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the States and Union Territories. - Articles Covered: 4 and 80
Fifth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Provisions relating to the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes. - Article Covered: 244
Sixth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Provisions for the administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. - Articles Covered: 244 and 275
Seventh Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Division of powers between the Union and the States through three lists:- List I – Union List (currently 100 subjects, originally 97)
- List II – State List (currently 61 subjects, originally 66)
- List III – Concurrent List (currently 52 subjects, originally 47)
- Article Covered: 246
Eighth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Recognized languages under the Constitution. - Articles Covered: 344 and 351
- Details:
- Originally 14 languages, now 22 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
- Amendments:
- Sindhi – 21st Amendment Act (1967)
- Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali – 71st Amendment Act (1992)
- Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali – 92nd Amendment Act (2003)
Ninth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Laws relating to land reforms and abolition of Zamindari system and other matters. - Article Covered: 31-B
- Details:
- Added by the 1st Amendment (1951).
- Originally contained 13 laws; now contains 282 laws.
- Objective: To protect such laws from judicial review on the ground of violation of Fundamental Rights.
- However, in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that laws inserted after April 24, 1973, are subject to judicial review.
Tenth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Provisions regarding disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the grounds of defection. - Articles Covered: 102 and 191
- Added by: 52nd Amendment Act (1985) – Anti-Defection Law
Eleventh Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Specifies the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Panchayats (Rural Local Bodies). - Matters Covered: 29
- Article Covered: 243-G
- Added by: 73rd Amendment Act (1992)
Twelfth Schedule
- Subject Matter:
Specifies the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Municipalities (Urban Local Bodies). - Matters Covered: 18
- Article Covered: 243-W
- Added by: 74th Amendment Act (1992)
List of Schedules in the Constitution of India (Tabular Form) – Easy Preparation for NDA Aspirants
| Schedule | Subject Matter | Articles Covered | Amendments / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Names of States & their territorial jurisdiction; Names of Union Territories & their extent | 1, 4 | — |
| Second | Provisions relating to emoluments, allowances, and privileges of: President, Governors, Speaker & Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha & State Assemblies, Chairman & Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha & State Councils, Judges of SC & HCs, Comptroller & Auditor-General of India | 59, 65, 75, 97, 125, 148, 158, 164, 186, 221 | — |
| Third | Forms of Oaths & Affirmations for: Ministers, MPs, Judges, CAG, State Legislators | 75, 84, 99, 124, 146, 173, 188, 219 | — |
| Fourth | Allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to States & Union Territories | 4, 80 | — |
| Fifth | Administration & control of Scheduled Areas & Scheduled Tribes | 244 | — |
| Sixth | Administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram | 244, 275 | — |
| Seventh | Division of powers between Union & States: Union List (100), State List (61), Concurrent List (52) | 246 | Originally: Union (97), State (66), Concurrent (47) |
| Eighth | Recognized Languages (22) | 344, 351 | Originally 14; Sindhi (21st Amendment, 1967); Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (71st, 1992); Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (92nd, 2003) |
| Ninth | Laws on land reforms, abolition of Zamindari system, etc. | 31-B | Added by 1st Amendment (1951); 282 laws now; post-April 24, 1973 laws subject to judicial review (SC, 2007) |
| Tenth | Disqualification of MPs & MLAs on grounds of defection (Anti-Defection Law) | 102, 191 | Added by 52nd Amendment (1985) |
| Eleventh | Powers, authority & responsibilities of Panchayats (29 matters) | 243-G | Added by 73rd Amendment (1992) |
| Twelfth | Powers, authority & responsibilities of Municipalities (18 matters) | 243-W | Added by 74th Amendment (1992) |
FAQs on Schedules of the Constitution of India (For NDA Polity Preparation)
Q1. How many Schedules are there in the Constitution of India?
Answer: The Constitution of India originally had 8 Schedules, but through amendments, the number has increased to 12 Schedules. Each schedule deals with specific subjects such as state boundaries, distribution of powers, emoluments of dignitaries, recognized languages, and powers of local bodies.
📘 (Important for NDA polity notes and NDA study material pdf download.)
Q2. What is the importance of the Seventh Schedule?
Answer: The Seventh Schedule is crucial because it divides powers between the Union and State governments through three lists: Union List (100 subjects like defense, banking), State List (61 subjects like agriculture, police), and Concurrent List (52 subjects like education, forests). This division avoids conflicts and ensures smooth governance.
📘 (Frequently asked in NDA polity preparation and NDA notes pdf.)
Q3. Which Schedule deals with languages?
Answer: The Eighth Schedule recognizes 22 official languages of India. Initially, there were 14 languages, but later Sindhi, Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali were added through amendments. It reflects India’s linguistic diversity and cultural identity.
📘 (Revise with NDA polity notes and download NDA study material pdf.)
Q4. What is the Tenth Schedule?
Answer: The Tenth Schedule is also called the Anti-Defection Law. It was added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 to prevent political defections. It disqualifies MPs and MLAs if they switch parties after elections, ensuring political stability and loyalty to the party system.
📘 (Covered in NDA polity notes and NDA polity study material pdf.)
Q5. Why was the Ninth Schedule introduced?
Answer: The Ninth Schedule was added by the First Amendment Act (1951) to protect land reform and Zamindari abolition laws from being challenged in courts for violating Fundamental Rights. Later, in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that laws added after April 24, 1973, are open to judicial review.
📘 (Key for NDA polity notes preparation and NDA study material pdf.)
Q6. What are the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules?
Answer:
- The Eleventh Schedule (added by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992) gives powers to Panchayats with 29 subjects like agriculture, rural housing, and poverty alleviation.
- The Twelfth Schedule (added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) gives powers to Municipalities with 18 subjects like urban planning, sanitation, and public health.
These schedules strengthen local self-government in India.
📘 (Useful in NDA polity notes and NDA study material pdf download.)
Q7. Which Schedule contains Oaths and Affirmations?
Answer: The Third Schedule prescribes the forms of Oaths and Affirmations for Union Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of State Legislatures, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and the Comptroller & Auditor-General of India. This ensures officials take an oath of loyalty and responsibility before assuming office.
📘 (Direct question type in NDA polity notes and NDA study material pdf.)
MCQs on Schedules of the Constitution of India (For NDA Polity Preparation)
Q1. How many Schedules are there in the Constitution of India at present?
a) 8
b) 10
c) 12
d) 14
Answer: c) 12
- The Constitution originally had 8 Schedules; after amendments, it now has 12.
📘 (Frequently asked in NDA polity preparation and useful for NDA exam revision.)
Q2. Which Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the distribution of powers between Union and States?
a) Fifth Schedule
b) Seventh Schedule
c) Ninth Schedule
d) Eleventh Schedule
Answer: b) Seventh Schedule
- It divides subjects into Union List (100), State List (61), and Concurrent List (52).
📘 (Important for NDA polity MCQs and Indian Polity NDA exam practice.)
Q3. The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution originally recognized how many languages?
a) 12
b) 14
c) 16
d) 18
Answer: b) 14
- Currently, there are 22 recognized languages after several amendments.
📘 (A favorite NDA polity exam question, revise well for NDA preparation 2025.)
Q4. Which Schedule of the Constitution contains the Anti-Defection Law?
a) Ninth Schedule
b) Tenth Schedule
c) Eleventh Schedule
d) Twelfth Schedule
Answer: b) Tenth Schedule
- Added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, it prevents defections of MPs and MLAs.
📘 (Directly asked in NDA polity section, revise under NDA exam polity preparation.)
Q5. Which Amendment added the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution of India?
a) 42nd Amendment
b) 1st Amendment
c) 52nd Amendment
d) 73rd Amendment
Answer: b) 1st Amendment
- Introduced in 1951 to protect land reform laws from judicial review.
📘 (Important for NDA polity current affairs + static polity section practice.)
Q6. The Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution relates to:
a) Panchayats
b) Municipalities
c) Scheduled Tribes
d) Languages
Answer: a) Panchayats
- Added by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992; covers 29 subjects related to rural governance.
📘 (Frequently repeated in NDA exam polity questions and local self-government notes.)
Q7. Which Schedule contains Oaths and Affirmations for constitutional posts?
a) Second Schedule
b) Third Schedule
c) Fourth Schedule
d) Fifth Schedule
Answer: b) Third Schedule
- It provides oaths for Ministers, MPs, MLAs, Judges, and the CAG.
📘 (Often asked in NDA polity MCQs and NDA polity preparation tests.)
Q8. The Twelfth Schedule deals with:
a) Union Territories
b) Municipalities
c) Scheduled Areas
d) Rajya Sabha Seats
Answer: b) Municipalities
- Added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992, it lists 18 subjects like urban planning, sanitation, and health.
📘 (Useful for NDA exam polity revision and quick last-minute NDA polity notes.)
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