Important Amendments Act of Indian Constitution - APPSC G1 G2

1st Amendment Act (1950) : To remove certain practical difficulties encountered in the working of the fundamental rights specially the rights to equality before law.

2nd Amendment Act (1952) : To raise the limit of the population rent list and thus extend the powers of the Union Parliament.

3rd Amendment Act (1954) : This amendment transferred certain items from the state list to the concurrent list.

4th Amendment Act (1955) : Give provisions concerning right to property, trade and commerce as well as the Ninth Schedule.

5th Amendment Act (1955) : It provided a new procedure for consulting the state legislature with regard to changing the name or boundary of states.

6th Amendment Act (1956) : It made changes in provisions concerning inter-state sales tax and 7th schedule of the constitution.

7th Amendment Act (1956) : This amendment was designed to implement the State reorganisation Act. The second & seventh Schedule were substantially amended for the purpose of reorganisation of states.

8th Amendment Act (1960) : This amendment extended the reservation of seats for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and special representation of the Anglo-Indians in the state legislatures and Lok Sabha upto 1970.

9th Amendment Act (1960) : It made changes in the first schedule and effected transfer of certain territories like Berubari, Khulana etc. to Pakistan as per agreement between the two governments.

10th Amendment Act (1961) : It included the territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the Indian Union.

11th Amendment Act (1961) : It made changes in the procedure of election of the President of India.

12th Amendment Act (1962) : legalized the accession of the territories of Goa, Daman and Diu to the Inidan Union.

13th Amendment Act (1962) : gave special provisions for Nagaland and amended Part XXI and Article 371 of constitution.

14th Amendment Act (1962) : included the territory of Pondicherry in the first schedule and created local legislatures or council of ministers or both for union territories of Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Goa, Daman Diu and Pondicherry.

15th Amendment Act (1963) : raised the age of retirement of the judges of the High Courts from 60 to 62 and provided for the appointment of retired judges to the High Courts.

16th Amendment Act (1963) : sought to protect the sovereignty and integrity of India against fissiparous activities of certain persons and groups.

17th Amendment Act (1964) : made further changes in the right to property. Forty-four land reform acts were added to the ninth schedule.

18th Amendment Act (1964) : Article 3 was amended by this Act to specify that the expression "State" will include a union territory also and to make it clear that the power to form a new state under this article includes a power to form a new state or union territory.

19th Amendment Act (1966) : made certain changes in the powers of the election commission and authorized the high courts to hear election petition. The petitioners were also authorised to make appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision of the High Court.

20th Amendment Act (1966) : added certain new provisions in the constitution with a view to validate the appointment of and judgements etc. delivered by certain district judges.

21st Amendment Act (1967) : added Sindhi as the twelfth language to the list of official languages as given in Eighth Schedule.

22nd Amendment Act (1969) : created an autonomous sub-state of Meghalaya within Assam.

23rd Amendment Act (1969) : extended the reservation of seats for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, as well as members of Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and Legislative assemblies for further period of 10 years viz. up to January 1980.

24th Amendment Act (1971) : was passed to overcome the restrictions on the powers of the parliament and amend the Fundamental Rights imposed by the Supreme Court of India in the Golak Nath case.

25th Amendment Act (1971) : This amend further article 31 in the wake of the Bank Nationalisation case.

26th Amendment Act (1971) : derecognised the princes, chiefs or other persons and abolished all rights, liabilities and obligations in respect of them.

27th Amendment Act (1971) : endowed the new Union Territory of Mizoram with a legislature and council of ministers.

28th Amendment Act (1972) : did away with the privileges and concessions enjoyed by the I.C.S. Officers.

29th Amendment Act (1972) : included two Kerala Land Reform laws in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

30th Amendment Act (1972) : did away the valuation test of Rs. 20,000 for appeal in the civil cases.

31st Amendment Act (1973) : increased the strength of Lok Sabha to 545.

32nd Amendment Act (1974) : This act provided the necessary constitutional authority for giving effect to the provision of equal opportunities to different areas of the state of Andhra Pradesh and administrative tribunals.

33rd Amendment Act (1974) : empowered the presiding officer of the union and state legislatures not to accept the resignation of a member if they were convinced that it was being submitted under duress.

34th Amendment Act (1975) : included 20 land reforms and land ceiling acts in Ninth Schedule to ward against litigation.

35th Amendment Act (1974) : accorded the status of associate state of Sikkim and terminated the long protectorate status of this kingdom.

36th Amendment Act (1975) : integrated Sikkim with India and it became the twenty second state.

37th Amendment Act (1975) : provided legislative assemblies and councils of ministers in Arunachal and other centrally administered areas with a view to provide greater share to the people in the administration of these territories.

38th Amendment Act (1975) : authorized the president to declare emergency while the parliament or state legislature was not in session.

39th Amendment Act (1976) : provided that the election of the President, the Vice-President, Prime Minister and Speaker cannot be challenged.

40th Amendment Act (1976) : exempted the Prime Minister, like the President of India, from all criminal proceedings.

41st Amendment Act (1976) : raised the age of retirement of chairman and members of the State Public Service Commission from 60 to 62 years.

42nd Amendment Act (1976) : The 42nd Amendment Act can be called a mini constitution in itself. It brought colossal change in the constitution. The act give preponderance to the Directive Principle of State Policy over the fundamental rights established the supremacy of Parliament and curtailed the Power of Judiciary.
Preamble–The characterisation of India 'Sovereign Democratic Republic' was change to 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'. The phrase 'Unity of a Nation' was change to unity and intrigrity of the nation.

43rd Amendment Act (1977) : restored to the high courts and supreme court their jurisdiction to consider the constitutional validity of any central or state law.

44th Amendment Act (1978) : The 44th Amendment Act passed in 1978 undeed most of the changes introduced into the constitution by the 42nd Amendment Act of the Constitution.

45th Amendment Act (1980) : extended the reservation of seats and posts for the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe for a further period of 10 year viz. upto 1990.

46th Amendment Act (1982) : tax levied on the consignment of goods in the course of interstate trade or commerce is assigned to the states.

47th Amendment Act (1984) : intended to provide for the inclusion of certain land reform acts in the ninth schedule to the constitution.

48th Amendment Act (1984) : This was an amendment to Clause 5 (1) article 356 of the constitution for President's rule in Punjab for another year.

49th Amendment Act (1984) : The amendment gives constitutional security to the autonomous district council functioning in the state of Tripura.

50th Amendment Act (1984) : the members of the forces charged with the protection of property of the longing to, or in the charge or possession of the state.

51st Amendment Act (1984) : Article 33 replaces the sections dealing with scheduled castes and scheduled tribes except in tribal areas of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

52nd Amendment Act (1986) : Schedule X added in the constitution. The amendment effected by a bill popularly called anti-defection bill, was to curb defection by disqualification.

53rd Amendment Act (1986) : inserted a new article (371G) conferring full statehood on Mizoram.

54th Amendment Act (1986) : amended Part D of the II Schedule giving effect to the increase of salaries of the chief justice and judges of supreme court and high court.

55th Amendment Act (1986) : conferred full statehood on Arunachal Pradesh.

56th Amendment Act (1987) : sought to make a special provision for the setting up of the new state of Goa.

57th Amendment Act (1987) : amended Article 332 of the constitution providing for special arrangements with regard to reservation for scheduled tribes in the north-eastern states.

58th Amendment Act (1987) : authorizes the president to public an authoritative translation of the constitution.

59th Amendment Act (1988) : empowered the government to impose emergency in Punjab on the grounds that India's integrity was threatened by internal disturbances.

60th Amendment Act (1988) : empowered the state government to increase the ceiling on professional tax from Rs. 250 to Rs. 2500 per person per annum.

61st Amendment Act (1989) : reduce the voting age from 21 years to 18 years.

62nd Amendment Act (1989) : provided for the extension by another 10 years of reservation of seats in parliament and state assemblies for scheduled castes and tribes and reservation for Anglo Indian community by nomination.

63rd Amendment Act (1989) : repealed amendment 359 a empowering government to impose emergency in Punjab.

64th Amendment Act (1990) : sought extension of President's rule in Punjab for another six months.

65th Amendment Act (1990) : Gave Constitutional Status to the National Commission for scheduled castes and tribes.

66th Amendment Act (1990) : To bring land reforms within the purview of Ninth schedule of the constitution.

67th Amendment Act (1990) : extension of the president's rule in Punjab. (extended upto 4 years)

68th Amendment Act (1991) : Extends President's rule in Punjab (it was extended upto five years).

69th Amendment Act (1991) : Delhi made National Capital Territory, provides for assembly & council of ministers.

70th Amendment Act (1992) : MLAs of Delhi and Pondicherry given the right to vote in Presidential Election.

71st Amendment Act (1992) : Eighth schedule of the constitution amended to include Konkani, Manipur and Nepali.

72nd Amendment Act (1992) : Article 332 amended to determine the number of reserved seats for ST's in the state Assembly of Tripura, until readjustment of seats made on the basis of census 2000.

73rd Amendment Act (1992) : The Act provides for Gram Sabha a three-tier model of Panchayati Raj, Reservations of seats for SC and ST in proportion to their population and one third reservation of seats for women.

74th Amendment Act (1993) : The Act provides constitutional status to Urban local bodies.

75th Amendment Act (1994) : articles 332 (Part XIV A) amended to give timely relief to the rent litigants by setting up state level Rent tribunals to reduce the tiers of appeals and to exclude jurisdiction of all courts except Supreme Court under Art. 136.

76th Amendment Act (1994) : This act aims at the reservation of seats in educational institutions.

77th Amendment Act (1995) : Article 16(4A) provides reservation in promotion for the SC and the ST.

78th Amendment Act (1995) : The amendment acts placed in the 9th schedule are immunized from legal challenge, through a number of amending acts along with a few principal acts so that its implementation becomes smooth.

79th Amendment Act (1999) : To continue the reservation for Schedule Castes, Scheduled Tribes.

80th Amendment Act (2000) : Suggests scheme of sharing of proceeds of Union taxes of duties between Union and states. 26% of gross proceeds of Union taxes is to be assigned to states.

81st Amendment Act (2000) : The vacancies reserved for SC, ST which couldn't be filled due to non-availability of candidates were backlog vacancies and shall be treated as excluded from the ceiling of 50% reservation.

82nd Amendment Act (2000) : SC, ST shall continue to enjoy facility of relaxation of qualifying marks and standard of evaluation in matters of reservation in promotion.

83rd Amendment Act (2000) : Since no Schedule Castes exist in state of Arunachal Pradesh. The act exempts Arunachal Pradesh from reservation of seats in Panchayat for Schedule Castes.

84th Amendment Act (2001) : Refix no. of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in House of People and legislative Assemblies of state on basis of population ascertained at census for year of 1991.

85th Amendment Act (2001) : Amendment of Article 16-clause 4(A) for the words matters of promotion to any class".

86th Amendment Act (2002) : The act inserted article 21-A and made the right to education of children of the age of 6 to 14 years a fundamental right.

87th Amendment Act (2003) : Seats are reserved for certain categories until readjustment of seats on basis of first census after year 2000.

88th Amendment Act (2003) : Insertion of new article 268 (A) Service Tax levied by Union and proceeds collected and appropriated by Union & States.

89th Amendment Act (2003) : Provides for constitution of a National Commission for ST.

90th Amendment Act : Provide that the representation of ST and non scheduled tribes in constituency included in Boroland Territorial area District.

91st Amendment Act (2003) : The Bill related to the delimitation of constituencies.

92nd Amendment Act (2004) : Amendment of 8th Schedule – entries were to be renumbered and Bodo, Dogiri, Maithili, Santhali were entered.

93rd Amendment Act (2005) : In article 15 clause (5) was inserted that nothing would prevent the state from making special provisions by law under Art. 15, 19 and 30 for advancement of SC, ST in relation to admission to educational institutions, private institutions aided or unaided by state, other than minority institutions referred in Clause (1) of article 30.