Schedules of Indian Constitution: All 12 Schedules Explained (Articles & Amendments)

The Schedules of Indian Constitution are 12 lists appended at the end of the document that contain detailed administrative material the main articles only refer to in summary. Originally the Constitution had eight Schedules; four more — the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth — were added through subsequent amendments. The Schedules of Indian Constitution carry the same constitutional force as the articles themselves and any change to them requires the same amendment procedure under Article 368. Together they regulate everything from the oaths of office to the division of powers between the Union and the States, the disqualification of legislators on grounds of defection, and the panchayat-level powers of local government.

For UPSC, state PSC, and judicial services aspirants, the Schedules of Indian Constitution are a fixed scoring topic in Polity. Questions tend to ask which schedule covers which subject, which articles are linked to a particular schedule, and which amendments added or modified schedules. This reference article walks through every schedule, the articles attached to it, and the major amendments that have touched it up to 2026.

What Are the Schedules of Indian Constitution

A Schedule is a list, table, or chart placed at the end of the Constitution. It exists because some constitutional content — like the list of states, the salaries of judges, the territorial extent of regional councils, or the list of recognised languages — is too detailed to sit inside an article. The article instead points to the schedule. The Schedules of Indian Constitution are mentioned in over 30 articles and any modification follows the same special-majority procedure as an amendment to the body of the Constitution.

When the Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, it contained eight Schedules. The current count is 12. The four additions came through:

• The First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951 — added the Ninth Schedule
• The Fifty-Second Amendment Act, 1985 — added the Tenth Schedule
• The Seventy-Third Amendment Act, 1992 — added the Eleventh Schedule
• The Seventy-Fourth Amendment Act, 1992 — added the Twelfth Schedule

All 12 Schedules of Indian Constitution at a Glance

The table below maps each schedule to its subject matter and the articles it is linked to. This is the single most-quoted reference table in Polity preparation.

First Schedule: Names of States and Union Territories

The First Schedule lists the 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India along with their territorial extent. Articles 1 and 4 are the constitutional hooks. Any reorganisation of states under Article 3 — like the creation of Telangana in 2014, the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, or the merger of Daman and Diu with Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 2020 — automatically amends the First Schedule.

Recent Updates to the First Schedule

• 2014: Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act created Telangana
• 2019: Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act split the former state into two UTs (J&K and Ladakh)
• 2020: Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu merged into one UT

Second Schedule: Emoluments and Privileges

The Second Schedule specifies the salaries, allowances, and pension entitlements of the President, Vice-President, Speakers, Governors, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General. These cannot be reduced during the term of office, ensuring institutional independence. The salaries have been revised multiple times by ordinary law — the schedule itself was amended in 2018 to allow the President’s emoluments to be fixed at Rs 5 lakh per month.

Third Schedule: Forms of Oaths and Affirmations

The Third Schedule contains the exact text of oaths to be taken by the President, Vice-President, Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, Supreme Court and High Court judges, Governors, State Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, and the CAG. The phrasing — “bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established” — is constitutionally entrenched.

Fourth Schedule: Rajya Sabha Seat Allocation

The Fourth Schedule allocates seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) among the states and UTs. The total elected strength is 233 (plus 12 nominated under Article 80(1)(a) before the 2023 changes). State allocations follow population, with UP at 31 and smaller states like Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland with 1 each. The Fourth Schedule is amended every time a new state or UT is created.

Fifth Schedule: Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes

The Fifth Schedule governs the administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. It is operationalised through Article 244(1) and provides for Tribes Advisory Councils, special powers to the Governor to regulate land transfer and money-lending, and the obligation to send annual reports to the President. The PESA Act, 1996 extends Panchayat provisions to these areas. For a deeper treatment see our note on Scheduled Areas under the Fifth Schedule and the PESA Act.

States currently with notified Fifth Schedule areas include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh.

Sixth Schedule: Tribal Areas of the North East

The Sixth Schedule applies specifically to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. It provides for Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils with legislative, executive, judicial, and financial powers. ADCs can make laws on land, forest, water, agriculture, marriage, inheritance, and social customs. There are currently 10 ADCs across the four states. Demands to extend the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh and to several hill districts of Manipur have featured in centre-state negotiations through 2023-2025. The full treatment is in our Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution note.

Difference Between Fifth and Sixth Schedules

Seventh Schedule: Union, State, and Concurrent Lists

The Seventh Schedule contains the three lists that distribute legislative power between Parliament and State Legislatures under Article 246. The Union List has 97 entries (originally; current count is 100 after amendments). The State List has 61 entries (originally 66). The Concurrent List has 52 entries (originally 47). Residuary powers under Article 248 lie with Parliament. The Seventh Schedule is the constitutional backbone of federalism in India.

The 42nd Amendment (1976) moved Education, Forests, Weights and Measures, Protection of Wild Animals and Birds, and Administration of Justice from the State List to the Concurrent List, expanding central authority. The 101st Amendment (2016) introduced GST and amended Entry 92A and added Article 246A as a special carve-out for GST.

Eighth Schedule: Languages of India

The Eighth Schedule lists languages recognised by the Constitution for purposes including representation in the Official Languages Commission under Article 344. The original Constitution recognised 14 languages. Subsequent amendments added more, and the current count is 22.

Timeline of Eighth Schedule Additions

• Original (1950): 14 languages — Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
• 21st Amendment (1967): Added Sindhi (15)
• 71st Amendment (1992): Added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (18)
• 92nd Amendment (2003): Added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (22)

Demands to add more languages — Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Tulu, Kodava, Khasi, Mizo, Marwari among others — are pending. The Eighth Schedule is administratively distinct from the list of Classical Languages of India, which is recognised by the Ministry of Culture but is not part of the Constitution.

Ninth Schedule: Laws Beyond Judicial Review

The Ninth Schedule was added by the First Amendment in 1951 to protect land reform laws from judicial review under Article 31-B. Originally 13 laws were placed in it. The count has grown to 284. The Supreme Court in the landmark I. R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) ruled that any law placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 — the date of the Kesavananda Bharati judgment — is subject to judicial review if it violates the basic structure of the Constitution. The Ninth Schedule is therefore no longer the absolute shield it once was.

Tenth Schedule: Anti-Defection Law

The Tenth Schedule was inserted by the 52nd Amendment in 1985 to combat the menace of legislators switching parties for personal gain. It disqualifies members of Parliament and state legislatures who voluntarily give up party membership, vote contrary to party direction (whip), or join a different party. The 91st Amendment (2003) further tightened it by removing the one-third split exemption and capping the council of ministers at 15% of the legislature’s strength. The presiding officer of the House decides defection cases, a feature critics argue creates conflict of interest. The Supreme Court in Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992) upheld the Tenth Schedule but made the Speaker’s decision subject to judicial review.

For deeper treatment of the legal architecture see our Anti-Defection Law explainer.

Eleventh Schedule: Powers of Panchayats

Added by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992, the Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects that state legislatures may devolve to Panchayati Raj Institutions under Article 243-G. These cover agriculture, land improvement, minor irrigation, animal husbandry, fisheries, social forestry, small-scale industries, drinking water, rural housing, fuel and fodder, roads, rural electrification, non-conventional energy, poverty alleviation, education, libraries, cultural activities, markets and fairs, health and sanitation, family welfare, women and child development, social welfare, welfare of weaker sections, public distribution, maintenance of community assets, and more. See our Panchayati Raj Institutions explainer for implementation status.

Twelfth Schedule: Powers of Municipalities

Added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992, the Twelfth Schedule lists 18 subjects that may be devolved to urban local bodies under Article 243-W. These include urban planning, regulation of land use, construction of buildings, planning for economic and social development, roads and bridges, water supply, public health, sanitation and solid waste management, fire services, urban forestry, slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation, urban amenities, cultural and educational aspects, burials and burial grounds, cattle pounds, vital statistics, and public conveniences.

Recent Amendments Touching the Schedules

The Schedules of Indian Constitution have been touched by several amendments in the last decade. The 101st Amendment (2016) modified the Seventh Schedule to implement GST. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 amended the First and Fourth Schedules. The 105th Amendment Act (2021) restored states’ power to identify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes — affecting the Seventh Schedule’s State List indirectly. Through 2024-2025, debates around extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh and adding new languages to the Eighth Schedule continue.

How Schedules Connect to the Indian Polity Syllabus

The Schedules of Indian Constitution thread through almost every Polity topic. The Seventh Schedule is central to centre-state and cooperative federalism. The Fifth and Sixth Schedules are tested alongside tribal administration and PESA. The Tenth Schedule is examined with parliamentary procedure and the office of the Speaker. The Eighth Schedule is paired with official language policy. The Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules are tested with the Panchayati Raj and urban local government. Familiarity with the full set of schedules is therefore non-negotiable for any serious aspirant.

Frequently Asked Questions