Static GK
Schedules of the Indian Constitution
All 12 Schedules — subject, related articles, key counts, exam traps, and landmark judgments. The Schedules are the most under-prepared yet frequently tested area in UPSC Prelims.
Original vs Current: The Constitution had 8 Schedules at commencement (1950). Four more were added by amendments — 9th (1951), 10th (1985), 11th (1992), 12th (1992). The Constitution now has 12 Schedules. UPSC frequently tests which schedule was added by which amendment.
📋 Quick Overview — All 12 Schedules
| Schedule | Subject | Related Articles | Key Number / Fact | Added By / Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Names of States and Union Territories; territories of each | Art. 1, 4 | 28 States + 8 UTs (as of 2026) | Original; amended every time a new state/UT is created or boundaries change |
| 2nd | Salaries, allowances and emoluments of constitutional authorities | Art. 59, 65, 75, 97, 125, 148, 158, 164, 186, 221 | Covers President, Governors, Speaker/Deputy Speaker of LS & State Assemblies, SC & HC Judges, CAG — NOT Vice-President | Original; divided into Parts A–D |
| 3rd | Forms of Oaths and Affirmations | Art. 75, 84, 99, 124, 146, 173, 188, 219 | 8 forms of oaths (Union Ministers, MPs, SC/HC Judges, etc.) — NOT President's oath (that is in Art. 60) | Original |
| 4th | Allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) | Art. 4, 80 | Maximum 250 (238 elected + 12 nominated); current strength 245 | Original; updated when new states are created |
| 5th | Administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than NE states | Art. 244(1) | Applies to 10 states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana. NOT applicable to Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura (those are covered by Schedule 6) | Original |
| 6th | Administration of Tribal Areas in North-Eastern states — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) | Art. 244(2), 275(1) | Applies to 4 NE states: Assam (3 ADCs), Meghalaya (3 ADCs), Tripura (1 ADC), Mizoram (3 ADCs) — 10 ADCs total | Original; Nagaland and Manipur are NOT covered (they have separate arrangements) |
| 7th | Three Lists: Union, State, Concurrent (division of legislative powers) | Art. 246 | Union List: 99 subjects · State List: 61 subjects · Concurrent List: 52 subjects | Original; 7th Amendment 1956 re-organised states and modified list entries |
| 8th | Languages officially recognised by the Constitution | Art. 344(1), 351 | 22 languages (added in stages: 14 originally → 18 by 1967 → 22 by 2003) | Original with 14; grew to 22 by 92nd Amendment, 2003 (added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santali) |
| 9th | Laws (statutes) saved from judicial review on property/land reform grounds | Art. 31B | 284 Acts/Regulations currently listed; post-24 April 1973 inclusions are judicially reviewable (IR Coelho v State of Tamil Nadu, 2007) | Added by 1st Constitutional Amendment, 1951 — originally to protect land reform laws from FR challenges |
| 10th | Anti-Defection Law — disqualification of MPs and MLAs for defection | Art. 102(2), 191(2) | Para 7 (oust jurisdiction of courts) struck down in Kihoto Hollohan v Zachillhu, 1992; merger rule: at least 2/3 of members of original legislature party must agree to merge | Added by 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985 |
| 11th | Powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats (Panchayati Raj) | Art. 243G | 29 functional items that may be devolved to Panchayats | Added by 73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992; came into force 24 April 1993 |
| 12th | Powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities (Urban Local Bodies) | Art. 243W | 18 functional items that may be devolved to Municipalities | Added by 74th Constitutional Amendment, 1992; came into force 1 June 1993 |
📌 Schedules 1–4: State Structure & Institutional Salaries
Schedule 1 — States and Union Territories
Current count: 28 States + 8 Union Territories (after J&K bifurcation on 31 October 2019 — J&K became a UT with legislature; Ladakh became a UT without legislature). Telangana was added as the 29th state in 2014, then J&K lost state status in 2019, bringing the count back to 28 states.
Schedule 2 — Emoluments (Parts A–D)
| Part | Covers | Key Exam Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | President of India & Governors of States | President's salary: ₹5 lakh/month; Governor's salary: ₹3.5 lakh/month (post-2018 revision) |
| Part B | Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Lok Sabha & State Legislative Assemblies; Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of State Legislative Councils | Rajya Sabha Chairman (VP) is NOT in Schedule 2 — VP's emoluments are governed by the Vice-President's Pension Act, 1997, not by the Schedule |
| Part C | Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts | SC Chief Justice: ₹2.8 lakh/month; other SC Judges: ₹2.5 lakh/month (post-2018 revision via High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2018) |
| Part D | Comptroller & Auditor General of India | CAG is the only individual (non-judge) authority in Schedule 2 other than President and Governors |
Schedule 3 — Oaths and Affirmations
| Form | For Whom |
|---|---|
| I | Union Ministers (and Deputy Ministers) |
| II | Candidates for election to Parliament (oath for qualification) |
| III | Members of Parliament (oath on taking seat) |
| IV | Judges of the Supreme Court |
| V | Comptroller & Auditor General |
| VI | Candidates for election to State Legislature |
| VII | Members of State Legislatures (oath on taking seat) |
| VIII | Judges of High Courts |
Key trap: The President's oath is prescribed by Article 60 of the Constitution itself — it is NOT in Schedule 3. Similarly, the Vice-President's oath is in Article 69. Schedule 3 covers ministers, MPs, MLAs, and judges — not the President or VP.
Schedule 4 — Rajya Sabha Seat Allocation
Maximum strength of Rajya Sabha: 250 (238 elected by State Legislatures/UTs + 12 nominated by President for arts, literature, science, social service). Current strength: 245. After J&K bifurcation, J&K UT gets 4 seats; Ladakh has 0 RS seats (no legislature). Uttar Pradesh has the most RS seats: 31.
🌿 Schedules 5 & 6: Tribal Governance
| Feature | Schedule 5 | Schedule 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Scheduled Areas in mainland India (10 states) | Tribal Areas in 4 NE states |
| Article | Art. 244(1) | Art. 244(2) & 275(1) |
| Governance Body | Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) in each state; Governor has special powers to modify/suspend Central laws | Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — legislative, executive & judicial powers |
| States Covered | AP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, HP, Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana | Assam (3 ADCs), Meghalaya (3 ADCs), Tripura (1 ADC), Mizoram (3 ADCs) |
| NOT Covered | Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura (use Sch. 6); also Nagaland, Manipur (separate arrangements) | Nagaland, Manipur (covered by separate statutes/arrangements, not Sch. 6) |
| PESA Act | Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 extends Panchayati Raj to Schedule 5 areas with tribal customary protections | PESA does not apply to Sch. 6 areas |
⚖️ Schedule 7 — Three Legislative Lists
| List | Entries (Current) | Legislates | Conflict Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union List | 99 subjects (originally 97; 42nd Amendment raised count) | Only Parliament | Union prevails over State (Art. 246) |
| State List | 61 subjects (originally 66; several entries deleted/transferred over amendments) | Only State Legislature (under normal circumstances) | Parliament can legislate on State List under Art. 249 (RS resolution), 250 (Emergency), 252 (2 or more states request), 253 (international treaty) |
| Concurrent List | 52 subjects (originally 47; 42nd Amendment moved 5 subjects from State to Concurrent) | Both Parliament and State Legislatures | In case of repugnancy: Central law prevails (Art. 254). Exception: State law with Presidential assent prevails in that State (Art. 254(2)) |
Key entries to remember: Defence, Foreign affairs, Atomic energy → Union List. Public order, Police, Land → State List. Education (moved from State to Concurrent by 42nd Amendment, 1976), Forests, Weights & Measures, Criminal law → Concurrent List. Residuary powers (subjects not in any list) → Parliament (Art. 248).
🗣️ Schedule 8 — 22 Official Languages
| Language | Script | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Assamese | Assamese (Eastern Nagari) | 2. Bengali | Bengali |
| 3. Bodo | Devanagari | 4. Dogri | Devanagari |
| 5. Gujarati | Gujarati | 6. Hindi | Devanagari |
| 7. Kannada | Kannada | 8. Kashmiri | Perso-Arabic (Nastaliq) |
| 9. Konkani | Devanagari | 10. Maithili | Devanagari/Mithilakshar |
| 11. Malayalam | Malayalam | 12. Manipuri (Meitei) | Meitei Mayek / Bengali |
| 13. Marathi | Devanagari | 14. Nepali | Devanagari |
| 15. Odia | Odia | 16. Punjabi | Gurmukhi |
| 17. Sanskrit | Devanagari | 18. Santali | Ol Chiki |
| 19. Sindhi | Devanagari/Perso-Arabic | 20. Tamil | Tamil |
| 21. Telugu | Telugu | 22. Urdu | Perso-Arabic (Nastaliq) |
4 languages added by 92nd Amendment, 2003 (in bold above): Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santali. Before 2003, there were 18 languages. The earlier additions were: Sindhi (21st Amendment, 1967), Konkani + Manipuri + Nepali (71st Amendment, 1992). Santali uses Ol Chiki script — the only Schedule 8 language with a script invented in the modern era (1925, by Pandit Raghunath Murmu). English is NOT in Schedule 8.
🔒 Schedules 9 & 10: Judicial Review & Anti-Defection
Schedule 9 — Laws Protected from Judicial Review
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Added by 1st Amendment (1951) to protect land reform and zamindari abolition laws from being struck down for violating Fundamental Rights (especially Art. 19(1)(f) — right to property, since removed by 44th Amendment) |
| Number of Acts | 284 Acts/Regulations currently listed (grew from 13 in 1951 to 284) |
| IR Coelho Case, 2007 | Supreme Court (9-judge Constitution Bench) held: Acts placed in Schedule 9 before 24 April 1973 (Kesavananda Bharati judgment date) cannot be reviewed; Acts added after 24 April 1973 CAN be reviewed if they damage or destroy the basic structure of the Constitution. This is the most important Schedule 9 case. |
| Art. 31B | Enabling article — acts specified in Schedule 9 shall not be deemed void on grounds of contravening Part III (Fundamental Rights) |
Schedule 10 — Anti-Defection Law
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Added By | 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985 (Rajiv Gandhi government) |
| Applies To | Members of Parliament (Art. 102(2)) and Members of State Legislatures (Art. 191(2)) |
| Grounds for Disqualification |
(1) Voluntarily giving up membership of the political party on whose ticket elected. (2) Voting or abstaining from voting contrary to the directions of the party without prior permission. |
| Merger Exception | No disqualification if at least 2/3 of the members of the legislature party agree to merge with another party. The original "1/3 split" provision was deleted by the 91st Amendment, 2003. |
| Decision-Making Authority | Speaker/Chairman of the House concerned (Para 6). Decision is final but judicially reviewable (after Kihoto Hollohan, 1992) |
| Kihoto Hollohan v Zachillhu, 1992 | SC upheld the validity of the Tenth Schedule but struck down Para 7 (which tried to oust courts' jurisdiction) as unconstitutional — it required ratification by states as it curtailed judicial review, and had not been so ratified. Speaker's decision remains subject to judicial review on grounds of mala fide, perversity, etc. |
| Elected vs Nominated Members | Nominated members: if they join a political party within 6 months of being nominated, they are disqualified. After 6 months, they cannot join any party. |
🏘️ Schedules 11 & 12: Local Self-Government Functions
| Feature | Schedule 11 (Panchayats) | Schedule 12 (Municipalities) |
|---|---|---|
| Added By | 73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992 | 74th Constitutional Amendment, 1992 |
| Came Into Force | 24 April 1993 | 1 June 1993 |
| Related Article | Art. 243G | Art. 243W |
| Number of Functions | 29 functional items | 18 functional items |
| Nature of Devolution | Discretionary — "may" be devolved by State Legislature (Art. 243G uses "may"). States are NOT compelled to transfer all 29 functions. This is why Panchayats remain weak in many states. | Discretionary — similarly "may" be devolved (Art. 243W). Municipalities may or may not have all 18 functions depending on the state. |
| Key Functions | Agriculture, land improvement, animal husbandry, fisheries, social forestry, primary health, primary education, drinking water, poverty alleviation, public distribution | Urban planning, land use, roads, water supply, public health, slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation, urban forestry, cultural & educational facilities, burial grounds |
29 functions of Panchayats (Schedule 11) — for exam recall: Agriculture & land improvement (1) · Minor irrigation & water management (2) · Animal husbandry, dairying & poultry (3) · Fisheries (4) · Social forestry & farm forestry (5) · Minor forest produce (6) · Small-scale industries (7) · Khadi, village & cottage industries (8) · Rural housing (9) · Drinking water (10) · Fuel & fodder (11) · Roads, culverts, bridges, ferries, waterways (12) · Rural electrification (13) · Non-conventional energy sources (14) · Poverty alleviation programme (15) · Education (primary & secondary) (16) · Technical training & vocational education (17) · Adult & non-formal education (18) · Libraries (19) · Cultural activities (20) · Markets & fairs (21) · Health & sanitation (22) · Family welfare (23) · Women & child development (24) · Social welfare (25) · Welfare of SC/ST/OBCs (26) · Public distribution system (27) · Maintenance of community assets (28) · (Note: some lists enumerate 29 by splitting one category — the exact split varies by source)
⚠️ High-Frequency Exam Traps & MCQ Points
| Trap / MCQ Point | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
| How many schedules did the original Constitution (1950) have? | 8 Schedules (9th added 1951, 10th added 1985, 11th and 12th added 1993) |
| Vice-President's emoluments are in Schedule 2? | No — VP's emoluments governed by VP's Pension Act, 1997 (and prior statutes); NOT in Schedule 2 |
| President's oath is in Schedule 3? | No — President's oath is in Article 60; VP's oath in Art. 69; only ministers, MPs, MLAs, SC/HC judges are in Schedule 3 |
| Laws in Schedule 9 are completely immune from judicial review? | No — after IR Coelho (2007), Acts added post-24 April 1973 are reviewable for basic structure violations |
| Para 7 of Schedule 10 bars judicial review of Speaker's decision? | Struck down in Kihoto Hollohan (1992) — judicial review remains available |
| Nagaland and Manipur tribal areas are under Schedule 6? | No — Nagaland has Art. 371A protection; Manipur has separate arrangements. Schedule 6 covers only Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram |
| State List originally had how many subjects? | 66 originally; now 61 (42nd Amendment shifted Education, Forests, Weights & Measures, Administration of Justice, Protection of Wild Animals from State to Concurrent) |
| Schedule 11 devolution of 29 functions to Panchayats is mandatory? | No — Art. 243G uses "may", making devolution discretionary. States decide how many functions to transfer. |
| Santali is written in Devanagari script? | No — Santali uses Ol Chiki script. Only Santali among Schedule 8 languages uses this script. |
| Anti-defection: a legislator needs what fraction to merge without disqualification? | 2/3 of the legislature party must agree. The 1/3 split exception was removed by 91st Amendment, 2003. |
| Schedule 5 applies to all tribal areas including NE India? | No — Schedule 5 explicitly excludes the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura (Art. 244(1)). Those 4 states are covered by Schedule 6. |
| How many ADCs are there under Schedule 6? | 10 ADCs total: Assam (3), Meghalaya (3), Tripura (1), Mizoram (3) |
📅 Amendments That Added/Modified Schedules
| Amendment | Year | Schedule Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Amendment | 1951 | Added Schedule 9 (land reform laws protected from FR challenges) |
| 7th Amendment | 1956 | Reorganised states — extensive changes to Schedules 1 & 4 |
| 21st Amendment | 1967 | Added Sindhi to Schedule 8 (15th language at the time) |
| 42nd Amendment | 1976 | Moved Education, Forests, Weights & Measures, etc. from State List to Concurrent List (Schedule 7); also added 5 new subjects to Schedule 7 |
| 52nd Amendment | 1985 | Added Schedule 10 (Anti-Defection Law) |
| 71st Amendment | 1992 | Added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali to Schedule 8 (18 languages) |
| 73rd Amendment | 1992 | Added Schedule 11 (Panchayats — 29 functions); came into force 24 April 1993 |
| 74th Amendment | 1992 | Added Schedule 12 (Municipalities — 18 functions); came into force 1 June 1993 |
| 91st Amendment | 2003 | Removed 1/3-split exception from Schedule 10 (Anti-Defection) — only 2/3 merger now permitted |
| 92nd Amendment | 2003 | Added 4 languages to Schedule 8: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santali (total: 22) |
| 100th Amendment | 2015 | Modified Schedule 1 — exchange of certain territories with Bangladesh (Land Boundary Agreement) |
BharatNotes