In this guide
Polity questions in CDS GK are short and exact. They ask for an article number, the amendment that made a change, the schedule that holds a list, or the country a feature came from. That makes polity one of the most reliable blocks to prepare: the facts don't change from year to year, except when Parliament amends the Constitution, and the questions reward clean tables more than long reading.
An officer also swears an oath to the Constitution on commissioning. Knowing it well is part of the job.
How the Constitution was made
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 December 1946 | First meeting of the Constituent Assembly; Sachchidananda Sinha as temporary president |
| 11 December 1946 | Dr Rajendra Prasad elected permanent president |
| 13 December 1946 | Nehru moves the Objectives Resolution (adopted January 1947) |
| 29 August 1947 | Drafting Committee set up under Dr B. R. Ambedkar |
| 26 November 1949 | Constitution adopted; observed as Constitution Day |
| 24 January 1950 | Members sign; Rajendra Prasad elected first President |
| 26 January 1950 | Constitution comes into force; Republic Day |
The date 26 January was chosen because the Congress had observed it as Purna Swaraj Day since 1930. B. N. Rau was the Assembly's constitutional adviser. The original Constitution had 395 articles, 22 parts and 8 schedules.
Borrowed features
| Source | Features |
|---|---|
| Government of India Act, 1935 | Federal scheme, office of Governor, judiciary, public service commissions, emergency provisions, administrative detail |
| United Kingdom | Parliamentary government, rule of law, single citizenship, cabinet system, writs, bicameralism |
| United States | Fundamental rights, judicial review, independence of the judiciary, impeachment of the President, Vice-President |
| Ireland | Directive Principles, nomination of Rajya Sabha members, method of electing the President |
| Canada | Federation with a strong centre, residuary powers with the centre, Governors appointed by the centre |
| Australia | Concurrent List, freedom of trade and commerce, joint sitting of Parliament |
| Germany (Weimar) | Suspension of fundamental rights during emergency |
| USSR | Fundamental duties; ideals of social, economic and political justice |
| France | Republic; liberty, equality, fraternity |
| South Africa | Amendment procedure; election of Rajya Sabha members |
| Japan | "Procedure established by law" |
The Preamble
It begins "We, the people of India" and declares India a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic. It aims to secure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. It has been amended once, by the 42nd Amendment (1976), which added "socialist", "secular" and "integrity". In Berubari (1960) the Supreme Court said the Preamble is not part of the Constitution; in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) it held that it is.
Parts and key articles
| Part | Subject | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| I | Union and its territory | 1–4 |
| II | Citizenship | 5–11 |
| III | Fundamental Rights | 12–35 |
| IV | Directive Principles | 36–51 |
| IVA | Fundamental Duties | 51A |
| V | The Union | 52–151 |
| VI | The States | 152–237 |
| IX, IXA | Panchayats; Municipalities | 243 onwards |
| XI | Centre–state relations | 245–263 |
| XV | Elections | 324–329 |
| XVIII | Emergency provisions | 352–360 |
| XX | Amendment | 368 |
| Article | Content |
|---|---|
| 14 | Equality before law |
| 17 | Abolition of untouchability |
| 19 | Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession) |
| 21 | Protection of life and personal liberty |
| 21A | Free and compulsory education, ages 6–14 |
| 32 | Right to constitutional remedies (Supreme Court writs) |
| 44 | Uniform civil code (a Directive Principle) |
| 51A | Fundamental duties |
| 72 | President's power to pardon |
| 110 | Money Bill |
| 112 | Annual financial statement (the Budget) |
| 123 | President's ordinances |
| 148 | Comptroller and Auditor General |
| 226 | High Court writs |
| 280 | Finance Commission |
| 300A | Right to property (a legal right) |
| 324 | Election Commission |
| 352, 356, 360 | National, state (President's rule) and financial emergency |
Ambedkar called Article 32 the "heart and soul" of the Constitution. The five writs are habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo warranto.
Fundamental Rights and Duties
The Constitution began with seven Fundamental Rights. The 44th Amendment (1978) removed the right to property from Part III and made it a legal right under Article 300A, leaving six:
- Right to equality (14–18)
- Right to freedom (19–22)
- Right against exploitation (23–24)
- Right to freedom of religion (25–28)
- Cultural and educational rights (29–30)
- Right to constitutional remedies (32)
Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee. There were ten; the 86th Amendment (2002) added an eleventh, the duty of parents or guardians to provide opportunities for education to children aged 6–14.
The schedules
| Schedule | Contents |
|---|---|
| First | States and Union Territories |
| Second | Salaries and allowances of the President, Governors, judges and others |
| Third | Forms of oaths and affirmations |
| Fourth | Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats |
| Fifth | Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes |
| Sixth | Tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram |
| Seventh | Union, State and Concurrent Lists |
| Eighth | Languages (22 today; 14 originally) |
| Ninth | Laws shielded from challenge on Fundamental Rights grounds (added by the 1st Amendment, 1951); since I. R. Coelho (2007), laws added after 24 April 1973 can be reviewed against the basic structure |
| Tenth | Anti-defection (52nd Amendment, 1985) |
| Eleventh | Panchayats, 29 subjects (73rd Amendment) |
| Twelfth | Municipalities, 18 subjects (74th Amendment) |
Amending the Constitution
Amendments take one of three routes. Only the last two are amendments under Article 368; the first is done by ordinary law.
| Route | What it needs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Simple majority (outside Article 368) | Ordinary law | Forming new states under Articles 2–4; changes to the Second Schedule |
| Special majority | A majority of the total membership of each House and two-thirds of members present and voting | Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles |
| Special majority plus states | As above, plus ratification by at least half the state legislatures | Election of the President, Supreme Court and High Courts, Seventh Schedule, representation of states in Parliament, Article 368 itself |
There is no joint sitting for a Constitution Amendment Bill, and the President must give assent (made compulsory by the 24th Amendment, 1971). In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the Supreme Court held that Parliament cannot alter the basic structure.
Landmark amendments
| Amendment | Year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1951 | Ninth Schedule; reasonable restrictions on free speech widened |
| 7th | 1956 | States reorganised on linguistic lines |
| 42nd | 1976 | "Mini-Constitution": socialist, secular, integrity; fundamental duties |
| 44th | 1978 | Right to property removed from Part III; "armed rebellion" replaced "internal disturbance" for emergency |
| 52nd | 1985 | Anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule) |
| 61st | 1988 | Voting age lowered from 21 to 18 |
| 73rd, 74th | 1992 | Panchayats and municipalities (in force 1993) |
| 86th | 2002 | Article 21A; 11th fundamental duty |
| 101st | 2016 | GST |
| 103rd | 2019 | 10% reservation for economically weaker sections |
| 106th | 2023 | One-third of seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies |
Common confusions
- 42nd vs 44th: the 42nd (Emergency era) expanded central power and added duties; the 44th (Janata government) undid parts of it and removed the right to property.
- Article 21A vs 45 vs 51A(k): 21A is the right to education (6–14); Article 45 now deals with early childhood care up to age 6; 51A(k) is the parents' duty.
- Adoption vs commencement: 26 November 1949 vs 26 January 1950.
Practice MCQs
- The Constitution was adopted on (a) 15 August 1947 (b) 26 November 1949 (c) 24 January 1950 (d) 26 January 1950
- The idea of Directive Principles was borrowed from (a) USA (b) UK (c) Ireland (d) Canada
- The Concurrent List was inspired by the Constitution of (a) Canada (b) Australia (c) USA (d) Germany
- The Preamble has been amended (a) never (b) once (c) twice (d) three times
- Which article deals with the Election Commission? (a) 148 (b) 280 (c) 324 (d) 352
- The right to property is now a (a) fundamental right (b) directive principle (c) legal right under Article 300A (d) fundamental duty
- Fundamental Duties were added on the recommendation of the (a) Sarkaria Commission (b) Swaran Singh Committee (c) Kothari Commission (d) Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
- The anti-defection law is in the (a) Eighth (b) Ninth (c) Tenth (d) Eleventh Schedule
- Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18? (a) 42nd (b) 44th (c) 52nd (d) 61st
- A joint sitting of Parliament can be called for (a) a Constitution Amendment Bill (b) a Money Bill (c) an ordinary bill (d) none of these
Answers:
- (b) Adopted 26 November 1949; in force 26 January 1950.
- (c) Ireland.
- (b) Australia.
- (b) Once, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
- (c) Article 324; 148 is the CAG and 280 the Finance Commission.
- (c) Since the 44th Amendment, 1978.
- (b) Swaran Singh Committee, 1976.
- (c) Added by the 52nd Amendment, 1985.
- (d) The 61st Amendment, 1988.
- (c) Only an ordinary bill; there is no joint sitting for money bills or amendment bills.
Revise this
The offices and bodies the Constitution creates are covered in government and constitutional bodies for CDS. For the historical background of the 1919 and 1935 Acts, see modern India.
- I can give the seven key dates of the Constituent Assembly.
- I can match eleven sources to their features.
- I can recite the five words that describe India in the Preamble and say what the 42nd Amendment added.
- I can give twenty key articles without looking.
- I can list the six Fundamental Rights with their article ranges.
- I can name all twelve schedules.
- I can explain the three amendment routes with one example each.
- I can match eleven landmark amendments to year and change.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Union Public Service Commission website .
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