Schedules of the Indian Constitution Notes for UPSC

Schedules are the lists and tables that are attached at the end of the Constitution. The framers did not want to crowd the main articles with long lists such as the names of states, the languages, the oaths or the subjects of legislation, and therefore they put those details in schedules. The original Constitution had 8 schedules, and four more have been added by amendments, so there are now 12 Schedules. The Schedules are one of the most asked topics in the UPSC Prelims, because the questions test your memory of what each Schedule contains, which amendment added it, and how many items it has. These notes explain each Schedule in simple language with the related articles, numbers and exam tips.

Quick Table of the 12 Schedules

First Schedule: States and Union Territories

This Schedule has two lists: the names of the States and the names of the Union Territories, with their territories. At present, India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories. The number has changed many times: Telangana became the 29th state in 2014, but in 2019 the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories (Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh), which brought the number of states to 28 and the UTs to 9. In January 2020, the UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into one, and the number of UTs became 8. The First Schedule is amended whenever Parliament passes a law under Article 3 to create a new state or change the boundary of a state.

Second Schedule: Salaries and Allowances

It deals with the emoluments, allowances and privileges of the following: the President, the Governors of states, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the State Legislative Assemblies, the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the State Legislative Councils, the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts, and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The Vice-President is not mentioned in this Schedule because he gets his salary as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The salary of the Prime Minister and the Ministers is determined by Parliament by law and is not in this Schedule.

Third Schedule: Forms of Oaths and Affirmations

It gives the forms of the oath or affirmation to be taken by: the Union Ministers, the candidates for election to Parliament, the members of Parliament, the judges of the Supreme Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the State Ministers, the candidates for election to the State Legislature, the members of the State Legislature, and the judges of the High Courts. Note that the oath of the President (Article 60) and of the Governor (Article 159) are given in the Articles themselves, and are not in the Third Schedule. The Vice-President's oath is given in Article 69.

Fourth Schedule: Seats in the Rajya Sabha

It lays down the number of seats given to each State and Union Territory in the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President for their expertise in literature, science, art and social service, and 238 are the representatives of the States and the Union Territories. At present, the strength is 245 (233 elected and 12 nominated). Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of seats (31).

Fifth Schedule: Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes

It provides for the administration of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in all States except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Governor has special powers to make regulations for peace and good governance, and can direct that a law of Parliament or of the State Legislature will not apply or will apply with modifications in a Scheduled Area. A Tribes Advisory Council is formed in each state having Scheduled Areas, with a maximum of 20 members, of whom three-fourths are the representatives of the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly. The President can declare an area a Scheduled Area, and can also alter it. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) is linked to this Schedule.

Sixth Schedule: Tribal Areas of the North-East

The Sixth Schedule is for the administration of the tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It gives them a special autonomy through Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils.

• Each autonomous district has a District Council of not more than 30 members, of which four are nominated by the Governor and the rest are elected by adult suffrage, for a term of five years.
• The Councils can make laws on land, forests (other than reserved forests), shifting cultivation, village administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce and social customs, with the Governor's assent.
• They can also set up village courts, collect land revenue and certain taxes, and run primary schools, markets and ferries.
• Parliament and the State Legislature's laws do not apply or apply with modifications in these areas, as directed by the Governor.

Currently, there are 10 Autonomous District Councils: three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, and one in Tripura (the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council). Ladakh's Hill Councils are not under the Sixth Schedule, although there have been demands for its inclusion.

Seventh Schedule: The Three Lists

This is the most important Schedule for polity. It divides the subjects of legislation between the Centre and the States under Article 246.

The 42nd Amendment (1976) moved five subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List: education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, and administration of justice. The 101st Amendment (2016) introduced the Goods and Services Tax and removed or changed a number of entries. In case of a conflict between a Central law and a State law on a subject of the Concurrent List, the Central law prevails (Article 254), unless the State law has received the President's assent. Residuary powers (subjects not in any list) lie with the Parliament (Article 248), which is a feature borrowed from the Canadian Constitution.

Eighth Schedule: Languages

The Eighth Schedule recognises 22 languages. The original Constitution had 14 languages. Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment (1967), Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali by the 71st Amendment (1992), and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali by the 92nd Amendment (2003).

The Union is directed by Article 351 to promote the development of Hindi, drawing on the other languages of the Schedule, and the members of Parliament can speak in any of the 22 languages with the help of interpretation facilities. Note that the Government has also given the status of Classical Languages to Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia (and later, in 2024, to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali), which is separate from the Eighth Schedule.

Ninth Schedule: Land Reform Laws

The Ninth Schedule was added by the First Amendment Act, 1951, along with Article 31B, to protect the land reform laws (such as the abolition of the zamindari system) from being struck down by the courts as violating Fundamental Rights. It originally had 13 laws and now has more than 280. In the I. R. Coelho case (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 (the date of the Kesavananda Bharati judgment) are open to judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution or the fundamental rights as seen in Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21.

Tenth Schedule: Anti-Defection Law

Added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, it lays down the provisions for the disqualification of the members of Parliament and of the State Legislatures on the ground of defection. A member is disqualified if he voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or votes against the party whip without permission. The decision on disqualification is taken by the Presiding Officer (Speaker or Chairman), whose decision can be reviewed by the courts (Kihoto Hollohan case, 1992). The 91st Amendment (2003) removed the exemption for a split (one-third of the members) and kept only the exemption for the merger of two-thirds of members of a legislature party with another party. It also limited the size of the Council of Ministers to 15 percent of the House.

Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules: Local Government

The Eleventh Schedule was added by the 73rd Amendment (1992) and contains 29 subjects for the Panchayats, such as agriculture, minor irrigation, animal husbandry, fisheries, primary education, drinking water, rural housing and poverty alleviation. The Twelfth Schedule was added by the 74th Amendment (1992) and contains 18 subjects for the Municipalities, such as urban planning, regulation of land use, water supply, public health, sanitation, fire services, urban forestry and slum improvement.

Tips to Remember the Schedules

• 1-2-3-4: States, Salaries, Swearing (oaths), Seats of Rajya Sabha. A simple code: "Some Sensible Students Study".
• 5-6: Fifth is for the tribes of the mainland, Sixth for the tribes of the Northeast.
• 7-8: Seventh for the Lists, Eighth for the Languages.
• 9-10: Ninth for land reforms (1951), Tenth for defection (1985).
• 11-12: Eleventh for villages (29 subjects), Twelfth for cities (18 subjects).
• Schedules added by amendments: Ninth (1st), Tenth (52nd), Eleventh (73rd), Twelfth (74th).

Important Points for the Exam

• The number of schedules in the original Constitution was 8, and it is now 12.
• The Concurrent List was borrowed from the Australian Constitution.
• The oaths of the President and the Governor are not in the Third Schedule.
• The subjects of the Union List are listed as entries 1 to 100 (a few entries are deleted), State List 1 to 66 and Concurrent List 1 to 47 (with additions as 17A, 17B, 20A and 33A).
• Mains question: "Examine whether the Ninth Schedule serves the purpose for which it was introduced." Discuss the First Amendment, Kesavananda Bharati and I. R. Coelho.

Related Reading

To see where these schedules fit in the Constitution, read our overview of the Parts of the Indian Constitution and the Historical Background of the Indian Constitution. For the local government schedules, see Panchayati Raj and Local Government. Browse all chapters in the Indian Polity and Governance notes and the UPSC blog.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many schedules does the Indian Constitution have?

12 schedules. The original had 8, and the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth were added by amendments.

What does the First Schedule contain?

The names of the States and the Union Territories and their territories. India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories.

What is in the Second Schedule?

The salaries and allowances of the President, Governors, Speakers, Chairmen, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and the CAG.

What is in the Third Schedule?

The forms of oaths and affirmations for ministers, legislators, judges and the CAG.

What does the Fourth Schedule deal with?

The allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the States and Union Territories.

What is the Fifth Schedule?

It governs the administration and control of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, in all states except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

What is the Sixth Schedule?

It provides for Autonomous District Councils for the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

What are the three lists of the Seventh Schedule?

The Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List, which divide the legislative powers between the Centre and the States.

How many languages are in the Eighth Schedule?

22 languages. Originally there were 14.

Which languages were added to the Eighth Schedule in 2003?

Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, by the 92nd Amendment.

Why was the Ninth Schedule created?

To protect land reform laws from judicial review. It was added by the First Amendment in 1951.

What is the I. R. Coelho case about?

In 2007, the Supreme Court held that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 can be reviewed by courts if they violate the basic structure.

Which Schedule contains the anti-defection law?

The Tenth Schedule, added by the 52nd Amendment in 1985.

How many subjects are in the Eleventh Schedule?

29 subjects for the Panchayats.

How many subjects are in the Twelfth Schedule?

18 subjects for the Municipalities.

Which amendment moved education to the Concurrent List?

The 42nd Amendment, 1976, which moved five subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List.