List of Schedules in Indian Constitution
- Schedules are introduced to define the Indian Constitution in the easiest way used by the various legislations. These schedules are part of the constitution; they are not in the constitution. They are kept as separate documents in our constitution.
- The word “Schedule” was first mentioned in the year 1935 during the Government of India Act 1935. They are the additional details or tables appended to the Constitution of India that categorize and elaborate on specific Articles and provisions. They help keep the main text of the Constitution clean and uncluttered.
- Original Constitution (1950): Contained 8 schedules
- Present Constitution: Contains 12 schedules (4 were added via constitutional amendment)
- The schedules of the Indian Constitution are a crucial topic under the static General Knowledge section, particularly for aspirants preparing for competitive exams like SSC and Railways.
- In this article, you will learn the schedules in Indian Constitution, a detailed breakdown of all 12 schedules, the amendments through which these schedules are added and a simple mnemonic trick to memorize them in seconds. List of Schedules in Indian Constitution
Complete List of 12 Schedules in Indian Constitution
| Schedule | Subject |
| 1st schedule | It contains the list of states and Union Territories. |
| 2nd schedule | Contains provisions as to the President, Governors of states, Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the people, Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of states. Salaries of President, Governors, Chief Judges & Auditor General. |
| 3rd schedule | Contains the Oath or Affirmation of members of Legislature, Ministers & Judges. |
| 4th schedule | Contains provisions to the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of states) |
| 5th schedule | Contains provisions to the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes (ST’s) |
| 6th schedule | Contains provisions to the administration of Tribal Areas in the state of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura & Mizoram. |
| 7th schedule | Contains distribution of power between Union and States (Union, State & Concurrent list) 1) Union list (100 subjects) 2) State list (61 subjects) 3) Concurrent list (52 subjects) |
| 8th schedule | Contains the list of recognised languages. |
| 9th schedule | Contains provisions as to validation of certain Acts & Regulations. (Mainly Land reforms) |
| 10th schedule | Anti-Defection Law. |
| 11th schedule | Contains the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats. (contains 29 functional subjects) |
| 12th schedule | Contains the powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities. (contains 18 functional subjects) |
Trick to Remember Schedules of Indian Constitution
Memorizing all 12 schedules in chronological order can be tough. Use this popular and effective mnemonic word: “TEARS OF OLD PM”.
T- Territories (1st schedule)
E-Emoluments/ Salaries (2nd schedule)
A- Affirmations/oaths (3rd schedule)
R- Rajya Sabha seats (4th schedule)
S – Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes (5th schedule)
O- Other Tribal Areas (6th schedule)
F- Federal lists (7th schedule)
O- Official language (8th language)
L – Land reforms (9th schedule)
D- Defection/Anti-Defection law (10th schedule)
P- Panchayats (11th schedule)
M- Municipalities (12th schedule)
Important Constitutional Amendments Related to Schedules
India had 8 Schedules back then. But after insertion of different Amendments, India now has 12 schedules. The last four schedules (9th to 12th) were added to the constitution post-independence.
- 9th Schedule: Added by the 1st Constitutional Amendment Act 1951 to protect laws related to land reforms.
- 10th schedule: Added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1985 to restrict political defection.
- 11th Schedule: Added by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 to grant constitutional status, responsibilities to Panchayati Raj institutions.
- 12th Schedule: Added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992 to grant constitutional status, responsibilities to Municipalities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q1) What are Schedules?
Ans: Schedules are introduced to define the Indian Constitution in the easiest way used by the various legislations. These schedules are part of the constitution; they are not in the constitution. They are kept as separate documents in our constitution.
Q2) How many schedules were there in the Indian Constitution originally?
Ans: Originally, there were 8 schedules in the Indian Constitution but after post-independence added 4 more schedules through key amendments.
Q3) Which schedule deals with the Anti-Defection Law?
Ans: The 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the Anti-Defection law. It was added under the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1985.
Q4) Which schedule contains the Concurrent list?
Ans: The 7th schedule Contains distribution of power between Union and the states through three list: Union list, state list and concurrent list.
Conclusion
Understanding the Schedules of the Indian Constitution is important for scoring well in static GK section. By using the above short mnemonics and revising the amendments, you can easily excel in this topic and score well in exams.