Important Articles, Amendments & Constitutional Reference

Compact UPSC cheatsheet — 60 most-tested articles, 30 key amendments, Three Lists, 12 Schedules, constitutional bodies, and table of precedence. Maximum facts, minimal prose. Designed for last-minute revision and Prelims 2025.

UPSC Prelims · Mains GS-II Laxmikanth Appendices Reference / Cheatsheet Arts 1–370 | All Amendments 12 Schedules | Three Lists

1. 60 Most-Tested Articles — Quick Reference

Article	Subject & Key Fact
1	Name & territory of India — "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States"
3	Formation of new States — Parliament by law (President's recommendation required before introduction)
12	Definition of "State" — includes Parliament, state legislatures, all local/other authorities (for Part III)
13	Laws inconsistent with Fundamental Rights are void — basis for judicial review of legislation
14	Equality before law & equal protection — applies to citizens AND foreigners
15	Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth (citizens only)
16	Equality of opportunity in public employment — permits reservations (Art. 16(4), 16(4A), 16(4B))
17	Abolition of untouchability — offence under Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955
19	6 Freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession) — citizens only; reasonable restrictions
20	Protection against conviction for offences — ex post facto law, double jeopardy, self-incrimination
21	Protection of life and personal liberty — most expansive FR; Maneka Gandhi, K.S. Puttaswamy cases
21A	Right to Education (6–14 years) — inserted by 86th Amendment 2002; free and compulsory
22	Protection against arbitrary arrest — right to be informed of grounds; legal aid; 24-hour magistrate rule (exception: preventive detention)
32	Right to Constitutional Remedies — "heart and soul of the Constitution" (Ambedkar); 5 writs; cannot be suspended except Art. 359
37	DPSPs non-justiciable but fundamental to governance; State shall keep in mind while making laws
44	DPSP — Uniform Civil Code; still unimplemented; Shah Bano, Sarla Mudgal cases
48A	DPSP — Protection of environment & wildlife; inserted by 42nd Amendment 1976
51A	Fundamental Duties (11 duties) — inserted by 42nd Amdt; 11th duty on education added by 86th Amdt 2002
52	There shall be a President of India
54	Election of President — Electoral College: elected MPs + elected MLAs (not nominated members)
61	Impeachment of President — by Parliament with 2/3 majority of total membership of each House
66	Election of Vice-President — both elected MPs (RS + LS) vote; not MLAs; simple majority
72	President's pardoning power — pardon, commute, reprieve, respite, remit (including death sentence)
74	Council of Ministers with PM at head aids & advises President — advice is binding (44th Amdt)
75	PM appointed by President; other ministers on PM's advice; CoM collectively responsible to LS
76	Attorney General of India — highest law officer; appointed by President; right of audience in all courts
79	Constitution of Parliament — President + Council of States + House of the People
80	Composition of Rajya Sabha — 250 max (238 elected + 12 nominated by President for art/science/literature/social service)
81	Composition of Lok Sabha — 550 max (530 States + 20 UTs); current strength 543
83	Duration of Houses — LS 5 years; RS permanent (1/3 members retire every 2 years)
85	Sessions of Parliament — summoned by President; gap between sessions max 6 months; prorogation vs dissolution
108	Joint sitting of both Houses — only for ordinary bills; deadlock or bill lapses; Speaker of LS presides
109	Special procedure for Money Bills — cannot be introduced in RS; RS can only recommend (not amend); 14-day rule
110	Definition of Money Bill — 7 matters; Speaker's decision is final; no joint sitting for Money Bills
112	Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget) — must be laid before both Houses; no separate vote needed for charged expenditure
123	President's Ordinance-making power — when Parliament not in session; same force as Act of Parliament; 6-week life after re-assembly
124	Establishment of Supreme Court — CJI & judges appointed by President; collegium system (Three Judges Cases)
131	Original jurisdiction of SC — disputes between States, or State vs Union (exclusive; not with HC)
136	Special Leave Petition (SLP) — discretionary appellate jurisdiction of SC; against any court/tribunal except military
141	Law declared by SC is binding on all courts in India — ensures uniformity of law
142	SC may pass orders necessary to do complete justice — wide residuary power ("plenary power")
143	Advisory jurisdiction of SC — President may refer questions of law/fact of public importance; SC opinion not binding
148	Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) — guardian of public purse; reports to President/Governor; independent of executive
151	CAG submits audit reports to President (Union) / Governor (State) who lays them before Parliament/Legislature
155	Appointment of Governor — by President; holds office during pleasure of President
161	Governor's pardoning power — can pardon, reprieve, remit; but cannot pardon death sentences (unlike President)
163	Council of Ministers with CM at head aids & advises Governor; Governor can act in discretion in certain matters
164	CM appointed by Governor; other ministers on CM's advice; Council collectively responsible to Vidhan Sabha
165	Advocate General of State — State's law officer; appointed by Governor
200	Governor's assent to State Bills — can give assent, withhold, reserve for President's consideration
213	Governor's Ordinance-making power — when state legislature not in session; same as Art. 123 for states
226	High Court writ jurisdiction — can issue writs to any person/authority in state (broader than SC Art. 32)
239AA	Special status for Delhi (NCT) — Legislature, Council of Ministers; LG has special role; public order/police/land with Union
243	Definitions for Panchayats (73rd Amendment 1992) — Gram Sabha, Panchayat, Panchayat area
244	Scheduled & Tribal Areas — 5th Schedule (Scheduled Areas) and 6th Schedule (Tribal Areas NE)
246	Distribution of legislative powers — Parliament on Union List, State on State List, both on Concurrent; Union prevails in conflict
248	Residuary powers — Parliament has exclusive power to legislate on matters NOT in any list
249	Parliament can legislate on State List if RS passes resolution by 2/3 majority (national interest)
253	Parliament can legislate on any subject to implement international treaties/agreements
262	Inter-state water disputes — Parliament may provide for adjudication; SC/HC jurisdiction excluded (River Disputes Act)
263	Inter-State Council — President may establish for coordinating policies between states; advisory body
265	No tax shall be levied or collected except by authority of law — foundation of tax law
279A	GST Council — inserted by 101st Amendment 2016; CM/FM representation; decisions by 3/4 weighted majority
280	Finance Commission — constituted every 5 years; recommends Centre-State tax devolution
300A	Right to property — constitutional right (not FR after 44th Amdt 1978); no deprivation except by authority of law
311	Dismissal, removal, reduction of civil servants — two-stage: penalty and opportunity of being heard
312	All India Services — RS can create new AIS by 2/3 majority resolution (national interest)
315	Public Service Commissions — UPSC for Union; SPSC for States; joint PSC possible
320	Functions of PSC — recruitment, promotion, disciplinary matters; advice is ordinarily binding
323A	Administrative Tribunals — Parliament can establish (inserted by 42nd Amdt); Central/State Administrative Tribunals
324	Election Commission — superintendence, direction, control of elections; independent body
326	Adult suffrage — elections to LS and State Assemblies based on universal adult franchise (18 years: 61st Amdt)
330	Reservation of seats for SC/ST in Lok Sabha — proportional to population
334	Reservation of seats for SC/ST and Anglo-Indians — originally 10 years; extended; 104th Amdt extended to 2030
338	National Commission for Scheduled Castes — constitutional body; investigates safeguards; annual report to President
338A	National Commission for Scheduled Tribes — separate commission (carved out from NCSC by 89th Amendment 2003)
338B	National Commission for Backward Classes — inserted by 102nd Amendment 2018; constitutional status
341	Scheduled Castes — notified by President; Parliament amends the list; SC list is state-specific
342A	Socially & Educationally Backward Classes — inserted by 102nd Amendment 2018; President/Parliament to notify
343	Official language of Union — Hindi in Devanagari script; English to continue for 15 years from commencement
348	Language of SC, HCs, authoritative texts of laws — English; Parliament may by law authorise use of Hindi
350B	Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities — appointed by President; reports to President
352	National Emergency — President's proclamation if security of India threatened by war/external aggression/armed rebellion; approved by Parliament within 1 month by 2/3 majority
356	President's Rule (State Emergency) — failure of constitutional machinery in state; imposed by President; approved by Parliament
360	Financial Emergency — Art. 360; threat to financial stability/credit of India; never used so far
365	Failure to comply with directions of Union may lead to imposition of President's Rule
368	Power to amend Constitution — Parliament by special majority; some provisions require state ratification (1/2 of states)
370	Special provisions for J&K — abrogated by Presidential Order 2019; upheld by SC in December 2023

2. 30 Key Amendments — Quick Reference

No.	Year	What Changed (One Line)
1st	1951	Added 9th Schedule; reasonable restrictions on FRs (Art. 19); inserted Art. 31A & 31B to protect land reform laws
7th	1956	Reorganised states on linguistic basis; abolished Part A/B/C/D states; created Union Territories
24th	1971	Affirmed Parliament's power to amend any part of Constitution including FRs (response to Golak Nath 1967)
25th	1971	Limited right to property; inserted Art. 31C — laws giving effect to DPSP Arts 39(b)(c) not void even if violating Art. 14/19
26th	1971	Abolished privy purses and privileges of former rulers of princely states
38th	1975	Made President/Governor Ordinance proclamation non-justiciable (Emergency era; largely reversed by 44th)
39th	1975	Election disputes of PM, President, VP to be decided by Parliament-constituted body (struck down by SC in Indira Gandhi case)
42nd	1976	"Mini-Constitution" — added Fundamental Duties, Preamble words (socialist, secular, integrity), Art. 323A, moved Education/Forests/Weights & Measures to Concurrent List
44th	1978	Restored many pre-Emergency provisions; removed Right to Property from FRs (Art. 300A); restored Art. 74 advice binding; Art. 352 — "armed rebellion" replaces "internal disturbance"
52nd	1985	Anti-defection law — added 10th Schedule; defection from party leads to disqualification from membership
61st	1989	Voting age reduced from 21 to 18 years (Art. 326)
69th	1991	Special status to Delhi (NCT) — Art. 239AA; legislature with limited jurisdiction; LG as administrator
71st	1992	Added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali to 8th Schedule (3 languages added)
73rd	1992	Panchayati Raj — added Part IX and 11th Schedule; constitutional status to 3-tier PRIs; 1/3 reservation for women
74th	1992	Urban Local Bodies (Municipalities) — added Part IX-A and 12th Schedule; constitutional status; 18 functions
77th	1995	Inserted Art. 16(4A) — reservation in promotion for SCs/STs in services under State
84th	2001	Froze delimitation of LS/Assembly seats based on 1971 Census until 2026 (extended by 87th Amdt to 2001 Census)
86th	2002	Right to Education (Art. 21A) for 6–14 years; added Art. 51A(k) — duty of parents to provide education; 11th Fundamental Duty
89th	2003	Split NCSC into two bodies — NCSC (Art. 338) for SCs and NCST (Art. 338A) for STs
91st	2003	CoM capped at 15% of LS strength; disqualified member (10th Schedule) cannot be minister
92nd	2003	Added 4 languages to 8th Schedule — Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (total 22 languages now)
97th	2011	Right to form cooperative societies — added as FR (Art. 19(1)(c)); added Part IX-B for cooperative societies
99th	2014	National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) — struck down by SC in 2015 (Fourth Judges Case); collegium restored
100th	2015	Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh — transferred enclaves; amended First Schedule
101st	2016	Goods & Services Tax (GST) — inserted Art. 246A, 269A, 279A; GST Council; concurrent power to levy GST
102nd	2018	Constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes (Art. 338B); inserted Art. 342A
103rd	2019	10% EWS reservation in education & employment for economically weaker sections of general category
104th	2020	Extended SC/ST reservation in LS and State Assemblies by 10 more years (till 2030); removed Anglo-Indian nominated seats
105th	2021	Restored States' power to identify OBCs for reservations (after Maratha SC judgment); amended Arts 338B, 342A
106th	2023	33% reservation for women in LS and State Assemblies (Art. 330A, 332A) — operative only after delimitation post-Census (NOT yet in force)

UPSC Trap: 106th Amendment passed September 2023 but is NOT yet in force — it kicks in only after fresh delimitation following the next Census.

3. Three Lists — 7th Schedule (Art. 246)

Diagram A — Three Lists under 7th Schedule; Union prevails in case of conflict with Concurrent List

Union List — 15 Key Subjects

1. Defence & Armed Forces

2. Foreign Affairs

3. Atomic Energy

4. Banking & Insurance

5. Currency & Coinage

6. Railways

7. Airways

8. Citizenship

9. Inter-State Trade

10. Income Tax

11. Customs & Excise

12. Patents & Copyright

13. Post & Telegraph

14. CBI, NIA

15. Residuary powers

State List — 15 Key Subjects

1. Public Order & Police

2. Land & Revenue

3. Agriculture

4. Local Government

5. Public Health

6. Irrigation & Canals

7. State Roads & Bridges

8. State Taxes (VAT etc.)

9. Prisons

10. Betting & Gambling

11. Fisheries

12. Gas & Gas-works

13. Pilgrimages within India

14. Intoxicating Liquors

15. Markets & Fairs

Concurrent List — 15 Key Subjects

1. Criminal Law & Procedure

2. Civil Procedure

3. Marriage & Divorce

4. Education*

5. Forests*

6. Labour & Welfare

7. Factories & Boilers

8. Electricity

9. Bankruptcy & Insolvency

10. Contracts & Partnerships

11. Population Control*

12. Drugs & Poisons

13. Price Control

14. Newspapers & Books

15. Stamp Duties

* moved from State List by 42nd Amdt 1976

Key Rule: If Parliament and State legislature both make a law on a Concurrent subject, Parliament's law prevails (Art. 254). Exception: if State law has President's assent, it prevails in that State.

4. All 12 Schedules — Quick Reference

Diagram B — All 12 Schedules with content summary; 9th–12th Schedules are later additions

Schedule	Content	Key Fact
1st	Names of States & UTs	Amended when new State created (Art. 3); currently 28 states, 8 UTs
2nd	Salaries & allowances	Covers President, VP, Governors, LS/RS Speaker/Dy Speaker, SC/HC Judges, CAG
3rd	Forms of oaths	Required for constitutional officeholders before assuming office
4th	RS seats for States/UTs	238 elected members; seats roughly proportional to population — PYQ 2018
5th	Scheduled Areas (non-NE)	Tribes Advisory Council; Governor's special powers; currently 10 States
6th	Tribal Areas (Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram)	Autonomous District/Regional Councils with legislative, judicial powers
7th	Three Lists (Union 97, State 66, Concurrent 52)	Art. 246; residuary = Union (Art. 248); Union prevails in conflict on Concurrent
8th	22 Official Languages	Originally 14; 92nd Amdt added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (now 22)
9th	Laws protected from FR challenge	Added by 1st Amdt; Coelho 2007 — laws added after 24 Apr 1973 subject to basic structure test
10th	Anti-defection provisions	Added by 52nd Amdt 1985; Speaker/Chairman decides; SC review possible (Kihoto Hollohan 1993)
11th	29 functions of Panchayats	73rd Amendment 1992; agriculture, primary education, sanitation, rural roads, etc.
12th	18 functions of Municipalities	74th Amendment 1992; urban planning, regulation of land use, public health, markets — PYQ 2021

5. Constitutional Bodies — Quick Reference

Diagram C — 5 most-tested constitutional bodies: article, appointment, key note

Body	Article	Appointed by	Reports to	Key Note
President	Art. 52–62	Electoral College	—	Nominal head; acts on CoM advice (Art. 74)
Vice-President	Art. 63–71	Elected MPs (both Houses)	—	Ex-officio Chairman of RS; no MLAs in election
Prime Minister	Art. 75	President	Lok Sabha	Real executive; leader of majority party in LS
Speaker (LS)	Art. 93	Elected by LS members	—	Decides Money Bill, anti-defection; removal by LS majority
CAG	Art. 148	President	Parliament	"Guardian of public purse"; not re-eligible; removed like SC judge
UPSC Chairman	Art. 316	President	Parliament (Art. 323)	Ineligible for further Govt service; independent
CJI	Art. 124	President (collegium)	—	Removed by impeachment; Three Judges Cases (collegium)
CEC	Art. 324	President	Parliament	Removed like SC judge; CEC & ECs after 2023 Amdt — Law Committee recommends
Finance Commission Chair	Art. 280	President	President / Parliament	Constituted every 5 years; 16th FC (2024) under Arvind Panagariya
AG of India	Art. 76	President	Parliament	Highest law officer; audience in all courts; not full-time
NCSC Chairman	Art. 338	President	President / Parliament	Investigates SC safeguards; annual report
NCST Chairman	Art. 338A	President	President / Parliament	Carved from NCSC by 89th Amdt 2003
NCBC Chairman	Art. 338B	President	President / Parliament	Constitutional status via 102nd Amdt 2018
Lokpal Chair	Lokpal Act 2013	President (on Committee's recommendation)	Parliament	Statutory, not constitutional body; first Lokpal: Pinaki Chandra Ghose 2019
NHRC Chair	PHRA 1993	President	Parliament	Statutory body; retired CJI is Chairperson

6. Table of Precedence — Top 10

Position	Dignitary	Key Note
1	President of India	Head of State; highest constitutional office
2	Vice-President of India	Ex-officio Chairman, Rajya Sabha
3	Prime Minister	Head of Government; real executive
4	Governors of States (within their states)	Constitutional head of state; outside home state, rank below Cabinet Ministers
5	Former Presidents; Deputy PM (when exists)	Deputy PM rank equivalent to Cabinet Minister when no Former PM
6	Chief Justice of India & Speaker of Lok Sabha	UPSC Trap: CJI and Speaker are at the same level (Position 6)
7	Cabinet Ministers of Union; Chief Ministers of States (within their states); Deputy Chairman RS; Dy Speaker LS	Cabinet Ministers rank above CM of state outside that state
8	Chief Ministers of States (outside their states); Governors (outside their states)	—
9	Judges of Supreme Court	Equivalent to Cabinet Ministers
10	Former Prime Ministers; Leaders of Opposition (LS & RS)	Former PMs granted precedence equivalent to Cabinet Ministers

Note: The Table of Precedence is issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is not part of the Constitution. Positions 4 and 7 have within-state / outside-state variations for Governors and CMs.

7. Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims 2019

With reference to the 9th Schedule of the Constitution of India, consider: "Laws included in 9th Schedule cannot be challenged before any court." — This statement is incorrect after which case?
Answer: I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) — SC held that laws added to 9th Schedule after 24 April 1973 (Kesavananda date) can be challenged if they violate the basic structure. 9th Schedule is NOT immune.

Prelims 2021

Which of the following functions/powers are included in the 12th Schedule of the Constitution (relating to Municipalities)?
Answer: 18 subjects including urban planning, land use regulation, economic & social development, roads and bridges, water supply, public health, safeguarding of interests of weaker sections. (74th Amendment 1992)

Prelims 2024

With reference to the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, which statement is correct?
Answer: It provides for 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. However, it will come into force only after fresh delimitation exercise following the next Census — it is NOT currently operative.

Prelims 2022

Which of the following subjects was transferred from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment 1976?
Answer: Education, Forests, Weights & Measures, Protection of wild animals and birds, Administration of Justice (certain matters). Education was in State List before 1976 — now in Concurrent List (Entry 25).

Prelims 2018

The 4th Schedule of the Constitution deals with:
Answer: Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha for States and Union Territories. (Not to be confused with 6th Schedule which deals with tribal areas in North-East.)

8. Revision Box — 4 UPSC Traps

Must-Remember: 4 Common UPSC Traps in This Topic

9th Schedule is NOT immune from judicial review — I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007): any law added to 9th Schedule after 24 April 1973 (Kesavananda Bharati date) can be challenged if it violates the basic structure of the Constitution. Statements saying "9th Schedule laws cannot be challenged" are WRONG.
106th Amendment (33% women reservation) is NOT yet in force — Passed by Parliament in September 2023, it will become operative only after fresh delimitation exercise, which requires completion of the next Census. Current LS still has no women's reservation quota under this amendment.
Education is in the Concurrent List, NOT the State List — Before the 42nd Amendment 1976, Education was in the State List. The 42nd Amendment moved it to the Concurrent List (Entry 25). Any question suggesting states have exclusive power over education is incorrect.
CJI and Speaker of Lok Sabha are at the same level in Table of Precedence (Position 6) — Both occupy position 6; neither ranks above the other. Also note: Governors rank 4 within their state but fall below Cabinet Ministers outside their state.

Item	Detail
Total Articles	395 (original); 448 currently
Total Schedules	12
Total Amendments	106 (as of 2023)
Union List subjects	97
State List subjects	66
Concurrent List	52 subjects
8th Schedule langs	22 languages
Residuary power	Union (Art. 248)
Panchayat functions	29 (11th Schedule)
Municipal functions	18 (12th Schedule)
Art. 370 status	Abrogated 2019; upheld by SC 2023

Amdt	Year	Topic
42nd	1976	Education → Concurrent
44th	1978	Property not FR; Art. 74
52nd	1985	Anti-defection (10th Sch)
61st	1989	Voting age 18 years
73rd/74th	1992	PRIs + ULBs (11th/12th)
86th	2002	Art. 21A — RTE
101st	2016	GST (Art. 279A)
106th	2023	33% women (not yet active)

Important Articles, Amendments & Constitutional Reference

On this page

1. 60 Most-Tested Articles — Quick Reference

2. 30 Key Amendments — Quick Reference

3. Three Lists — 7th Schedule (Art. 246)

Union List — 15 Key Subjects

State List — 15 Key Subjects

Concurrent List — 15 Key Subjects

4. All 12 Schedules — Quick Reference

5. Constitutional Bodies — Quick Reference

6. Table of Precedence — Top 10

7. Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

8. Revision Box — 4 UPSC Traps

Must-Remember: 4 Common UPSC Traps in This Topic