The Schedules of the Indian Constitution organise important constitutional details such as the territories of States and Union Territories, distribution of legislative powers, recognised languages, tribal administration, anti-defection rules and local governance.
The Constitution originally contained 8 Schedules when it came into force in 1950. Constitutional amendments later increased the number to 12 Schedules. Therefore, UPSC, APSC and State PCS aspirants should understand not only what each Schedule contains but also its related Articles and important amendments.
For APSC aspirants, the Sixth Schedule deserves special attention because it directly deals with tribal administration in Assam and other northeastern States.
What are the Schedules of the Indian Constitution?
The Schedules of the Indian Constitution are appended lists that provide detailed information linked to different constitutional Articles. They help keep lengthy administrative, legislative and institutional provisions outside the main body of individual Articles.
For example, Article 246 distributes legislative powers between Parliament and State Legislatures, while the Seventh Schedule lists the subjects under the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. Similarly, Article 243G connects Panchayats with subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule.
12 Schedules of the Indian Constitution: Complete List with Subjects
| Schedule | Main Subject | Important Articles / Exam Point |
| First Schedule | States and Union Territories and their territories | Articles 1 and 4 |
| Second Schedule | Emoluments, allowances and privileges of important constitutional authorities.It outlines emoluments, allowances, and privileges forThe President of IndiaState GovernorsLok Sabha Speaker and Deputy SpeakerRajya Sabha Chairman and Deputy ChairmanLegislative Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (States)Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman (States)Supreme Court JudgesHigh Court JudgesComptroller and Auditor General of India | Articles 59, 65, 75, 97, 125, 148, 158, 164, 186 and 221 |
| Third Schedule | Forms of oaths and affirmations for Union and state ministers, candidate for parliament and state legislature election, members of parliament and state legislatures, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Comptroller and Auditor General of India. | Covers Ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges, CAG and candidates |
| Fourth Schedule | Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to States and Union Territories | Articles 4 and 80 |
| Fifth Schedule | Administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes | Article 244(1) |
| Sixth Schedule | Administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram | Articles 244(2) and 275(1) |
| Seventh Schedule | List I: Union List, List: State List and List: Concurrent List | Article 246 |
| Eighth Schedule | Constitutionally recognised languages. Namely: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu. | Articles 344(1) and 351 |
| Ninth Schedule | Certain Acts and Regulations protected under Article 31B, subject to judicial review principles | Article 31B |
| Tenth Schedule | Anti-defection law (added by 52nd Amendment Act, 1985) | Articles 102(2) and 191(2) |
| Eleventh Schedule | Powers and responsibilities of Panchayats; 29 subjects | Article 243G |
| Twelfth Schedule | Powers and responsibilities of Municipalities; 18 subjects | Article 243W |
Schedules of the Indian Constitution
First Schedule: States and Union Territories
- The First Schedule lists India’s States and Union Territories and describes their territorial extent. Consequently, laws that reorganise States or alter boundaries may require changes to this Schedule.
Second Schedule: Salaries and Allowances
- The Second Schedule deals with provisions relating to constitutional authorities such as the President, Governors, presiding officers of legislatures, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Third and Fourth Schedules
- The Third Schedule provides forms of oath or affirmation for several constitutional offices and legislators.
- Meanwhile, the Fourth Schedule distributes seats in the Council of States or Rajya Sabha among States and eligible Union Territories.
Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Indian Constitution: Important for APSC
- The Fifth Schedule provides a special framework for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes. It includes mechanisms such as the Tribes Advisory Council and gives the Governor important responsibilities in Scheduled Areas.
- However, the Sixth Schedule creates a distinct system for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It provides for Autonomous Districts and Autonomous Regions and enables District and Regional Councils to exercise legislative and administrative powers in specified areas.
Seventh Schedule: Distribution of Legislative Powers
The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution forms the backbone of India’s federal legislative system. It contains three lists:
- Union List: Parliament primarily legislates on subjects such as defence, foreign affairs and currency.
- State List: State Legislatures primarily legislate on subjects such as police, public order and agriculture.
- Concurrent List: Both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate on listed subjects such as education and forests, subject to constitutional rules governing inconsistency.
Article 246 provides the constitutional basis for this distribution. Therefore, the Seventh Schedule frequently appears in UPSC questions on federalism, Centre-State relations and legislative competence.
Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution: 22 Languages
- The Eighth Schedule currently contains 22 languages, including Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Hindi, Manipuri, Sanskrit, Santhali, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Articles 344 and 351 connect with this Schedule.
- Originally, the Schedule contained 14 languages. Subsequent amendments expanded the list. For example, the 21st Amendment added Sindhi, the 71st Amendment added Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali, while the 92nd Amendment added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali.
Ninth and Tenth Schedules: Land Reform and Anti-Defection
- The Ninth Schedule entered the Constitution through the First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951. Article 31B aimed to protect listed laws, particularly early land-reform legislation, from being invalidated merely for violating certain Fundamental Rights.
- However, this protection does not create an absolute shield from judicial review. The Supreme Court has held that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 can face review if they damage the Constitution’s basic structure.
- The present Tenth Schedule, added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985, contains the anti-defection law. It provides grounds for disqualifying MPs and State legislators when they defect in circumstances specified by the Schedule.
Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules: Panchayats and Municipalities
- The Eleventh Schedule strengthened rural local governance. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 added it and connected it with Article 243G. It contains 29 subjects, including agriculture, minor irrigation, rural housing, health, education, women and child development and poverty alleviation.
- Similarly, the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 added the Twelfth Schedule for urban local governance. It lists 18 subjects, including urban planning, roads, water supply, sanitation, fire services and environmental protection.
Conclusion
The Schedules of Indian Constitution organise some of the most important features of Indian governance, ranging from federalism and tribal administration to languages, anti-defection and local self-government.
Therefore, UPSC and APSC aspirants should study all 12 Schedules of the Indian Constitution together with their associated Articles, amendments and practical significance rather than memorising only their names.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many Schedules are there in the Indian Constitution?
The Indian Constitution currently contains 12 Schedules. Originally, it had eight Schedules in 1950. Subsequently, constitutional amendments added the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules to address areas such as land reforms, anti-defection and local governance.
2. Which Schedule is most important for Assam in the Indian Constitution?
The Sixth Schedule holds special importance for Assam because it provides for the administration of tribal areas through Autonomous District and Regional Councils. It also applies to tribal areas in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
3. Which Schedules of the Indian Constitution are important for UPSC and APSC?
The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules are particularly important for UPSC and APSC. Together, they cover tribal administration, legislative powers, languages, land reforms, anti-defection and local self-government. Moreover, candidates should study these Schedules along with their related Articles and constitutional amendments.
