Overview: There have been several Amendments in the Indian Constitution since the first Amendment was made in 1951. Until now there have been 105 constitutional amendment bills have been approved by the Parliament and the President.

For Judiciary examinations across all states it is a must to know how many amendments have been made in the Constitution. Although knowing all Amendments is not essential, knowing the important ones is enough. While preparing you have to ensure that you memorize these amendments properly as they are important for both prelims and mains examination.

In this article we will discuss: 

• Understanding the importance of amendments in the Indian Constitution 
• Total Amendments. 
• List of important amendments. 
• Understanding the 42nd Amendment.
• Process of Amending Indian Constitution. 
• Important questions for practice. 

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Understanding the importance of amendments in the Indian Constitution 

For your Judiciary preparation, Constitutional Amendments are very important. Amendments in any constitution mean that any country is evolving and growing at the pace of time. Society is meant to evolve with changing times and laws, and the essence of any society ought to change with it. Indian Constitution is the soul of India, and for it to function perfectly, it is crucial to have a constitution that is apt to the changing society.

Amendments can introduce political reforms aimed at improving the functioning of government institutions, enhancing accountability, reducing corruption, and promoting good governance.

With so many amendments in the Indian Constitution, we know that our Constitution is not rigid; rather, it is a perfect blend of rigidity and flexibility. Amending the Constitution is not new to the Indian Constitution; all the constitutions in the world get amended with changing times. For our Indian Constitution, the concept of amendment was borrowed from the South African Constitution. 

In our Indian Constitution, Article 368 in Part XX of the Constitution deals with the Powers of Parliament to amend the Constitution. 

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Total Amendments in the Indian Constitution: 

There have been multiple amendments in our Indian Constitution, and as of September 2023, there have been 105 amendments.

Any amendment in the Indian Constitution is made after a bill for amendment is introduced in the Parliament; to date, 128 bills have been introduced, of which 105 have been passed. 

For every Judiciary Aspirant preparing for upcoming Judiciary exams, you need to know the significant constitutional amendments and their effect on the Indian Justice System. 

There are frequent questions on Constitutional Amendments in judicial examinations; hence, learning and frequently revising these amendments is extremely important. 

So let us start with some important constitutional amendments. 

The first amendment in the Constitution happened in 1951, and we will discuss the first and all the other important constitutional amendments for your judiciary preparation. 

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List of important amendments in the Indian Constitution:

Amendment	Changes made	Amendment year
1st	Introduced Article 15(4) to provide for reservation of seats in educational institutions. Inserted Article 19(2) to restrict freedom of speech and expression in the interest of public order.  Added Article 31A and 31B to save laws related to land reform from judicial review.	1951
2nd	Removed the right to property as a fundamental right. Allowed the government to enact land reform measures without infringing on the right to property.	1952
7th	Re-organized states in India on linguistic lines, leading to significant changes in state boundaries.  Addressed demands for linguistic states and aimed to foster linguistic and cultural unity.	1956
10th	Extended the term of the President of India from 5 to 5 years. Aligned the President's term with the terms of the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.	1961
24th	Reversed the Supreme Court's decision in the Golaknath case. Clarified that Parliament has the power to amend any part of the Constitution.	1971
25th	Abolished the privy purses and privileges of princely states' rulers. Integrated the former princely states into the Indian Union.	1971
26th	Abolished the zamindari system, ending intermediaries in land ownership. Transferred landownership directly to tillers and peasants.	1971
31st	Included Sindhi as the 15th officially recognised Indian language. Acknowledged the linguistic diversity of India.	1973
36th	Made Sikkim the 22nd state of India. Extended the Indian Constitution to Sikkim after a referendum.	1975
37th	Transferred certain territories from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.  Resolved border disputes between the two states.	1975
42nd	Added the words "Secular" and "Socialist" to the Preamble. Extended the term of the Lok Sabha and state legislatures from 5 to 6 years. Enhanced the powers of the government during emergencies.	1976
44th	Reversed some of the changes introduced by the 42nd Amendment. Restored fundamental rights and judicial review.	1978
52nd	Introduced the anti-defection law to curb political defections. Prevented members of Parliament from switching parties.	1985
61st	Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, enabling more youth participation in elections.	1988
73rd	Recognised Panchayati Raj Institutions as the third tier of government. Decentralized power and resources to rural areas.	1992
74th	Recognised municipalities as self-governing bodies. Enhanced urban local governance and autonomy.	1992
76th	Included Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali as scheduled languages. Promoted linguistic diversity and cultural preservation	1994
86th	Introduced the Right to Education (Article 21A), ensuring free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years. Made education a fundamental right.	2002
87th	De-linked Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, allowing for more flexibility in governance and development. Enabled states to decide the list of Scheduled Tribes.	2003
88th	Provided reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Aims to uplift these marginalised communities in public employment.	2003
89th	Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) for the appointment of judges. Sought to reform the process of judicial appointments.	2003
91st	Ensured free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years (Article 21A). Promoted universal elementary education.	2003
92nd	Included Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali as scheduled languages, recognizing their linguistic and cultural significance.	2003
93rd	Reserved seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central educational institutions.  Promoted social equity in education.	2006
97th	Added cooperative societies to Article 19(1)(c), granting them certain rights. Empowered cooperative movements in India.	2011
99th	Introduced the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to reform the judicial appointments process. Aimed to ensure transparency and accountability in the judiciary.	2014
100th	Resolved long-standing land boundary issues with Bangladesh, facilitating border demarcation.	2015
101st	Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), transforming India's tax structure and promoting a unified market.	2016
103rd	Provided reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in educational institutions and public employment. Aimed to uplift economically disadvantaged sections.	2019
105th	Extended reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Parliament and State Assemblies. Ensured continued representation for historically marginalized communities.	2021

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Understanding the 42nd Amendment:

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution is one of the most significant amendments in the history of the Indian Constitution, it is also known as Mini Constitution. It was enacted during the period of the Emergency and made several notable changes to the Constitution. Some of the key provisions and changes brought about by the 42nd Amendment includes:

1. Preamble Modification: The 42nd Amendment added the word "Secular" and "Socialist" to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, making it read, "We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic..."

2. Fundamental Rights: The amendment altered the balance between fundamental rights and directive principles by stating that laws implementing directive principles could not be challenged on the grounds that they violated fundamental rights.

3. Suspension of Fundamental Rights: It provided that during a state of Emergency declared under Article 352, the President could suspend the enforcement of fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 19.

4. Judicial Review: The amendment attempted to restrict the power of judicial review by stating that no constitutional amendment could be challenged in any court on any ground.

5. Election of the President: The amendment changed the method of election of the President. It introduced an Electoral College consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States, replacing the earlier system where only members of the State Legislative Assemblies participated in the election.

6. Election of the Prime Minister: It declared that the Prime Minister was to be appointed by the President and that the Council of Ministers would be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

7. Size of Council of Ministers: It imposed a limit on the size of the Council of Ministers at the central and state levels.

8. Anti-Defection Provisions: The 42nd Amendment introduced anti-defection provisions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which laid down the grounds on which a Member of Parliament or State Legislature could be disqualified for defection.

9. Duration of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies: It extended the term of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies from five to six years during a state of Emergency.

10. Change in the Words "Internal Disturbance": It replaced the term "armed rebellion" with "internal disturbance" as one of the grounds for declaring a state of Emergency under Article 352.

It's important to note that the 42nd Amendment has been a subject of significant debate and controversy in India's constitutional history. Many of the changes it made were seen as an attempt to consolidate power in the executive and curtail judicial review. Subsequent amendments and judicial decisions have modified some of the provisions introduced by the 42nd Amendment, restoring a more balanced constitutional framework.

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Process of Amending Indian Constitution:

As discussed above, the Constitution of India is a Rigid constitution with a blend of flexibility.

The Constitution of India provides for its own amendment under Article 368. Here's the process of amending the Indian Constitution with articles:

1. Proposal for Amendment:

An amendment to the Indian Constitution can be proposed in two ways:

a. By a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA): Any member of Parliament or a state legislature can introduce a bill to amend the Constitution.

b. By the President: The President can introduce a bill to amend the Constitution based on the advice of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet).

2. Passing the Amendment Bill:

The amendment bill must be passed in both houses of Parliament with a special majority:

a. Lok Sabha (House of the People): The bill must be passed by a majority of the total membership of the house and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

b. Rajya Sabha (Council of States): The bill must also be passed by a majority of the total membership of the house and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

3. Ratification by State Legislatures:

If the amendment affects the federal structure of the Constitution (i.e., it affects the powers of states), it must be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures. The President seeks their views, and they have to pass the amendment with a special majority.

4. Presidential Assent:

Once the amendment bill is passed by both houses of Parliament and ratified by the required number of state legislatures, it is presented to the President for assent. The President can either give assent or withhold assent, but in practice, the President gives assent.

5. Amendment Becomes Part of the Constitution:

Once the President gives assent, the amendment becomes a part of the Indian Constitution. It is then incorporated into the appropriate article or schedule of the Constitution, and the Constitution is considered to be amended accordingly.

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Important questions for practice:

Here are some multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on important constitutional amendments in the Indian Constitution:

1. Which amendment to the Indian Constitution added the words "Socialist" and "Secular" to the Preamble?

1. 40th Amendment
2. 42nd Amendment
3. 44th Amendment
4. 46th Amendment

Answer: 42nd Amendment

2. The 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution is related to:

1. Reservation in education
2. Reservation in employment
3. Panchayati Raj institutions
4. Municipalities

Answer: c. Panchayati Raj institutions

3. The Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with:

1. The procedure for amendment of the Constitution
2. The distribution of powers between the Center and the States
3. Anti-defection provisions
4. Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Answer: c. Anti-defection provisions

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4. The amendment that extended the term of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies from five to six years during a state of Emergency was the:

1. 42nd Amendment
2. 44th Amendment
3. 46th Amendment
4. 52nd Amendment

Answer: b. 44th Amendment

5. The amendment that introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India was the:

1. 101st Amendment
2. 98th Amendment
3. 105th Amendment
4. 96th Amendment

Answer: a. 101st Amendment

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6. Which amendment to the Indian Constitution gave the President the power to suspend the enforcement of fundamental rights during a state of Emergency?

1. 39th Amendment
2. 42nd Amendment
3. 44th Amendment
4. 46th Amendment

Answer: b. 42nd Amendment

7. The amendment that introduced reservations for socially and educationally backward classes in educational institutions was the:

1. 93rd Amendment
2. 86th Amendment
3. 92nd Amendment
4. 95th Amendment

Answer: a. 93rd Amendment

8. Which amendment laid down the grounds for disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures for defection?

1. 42nd Amendment
2. 44th Amendment
3. 52nd Amendment
4. 91st Amendment

Answer: c. 52nd Amendment

9. The amendment that changed the method of election of the President of India was the:

1. 44th Amendment
2. 52nd Amendment
3. 61st Amendment
4. 70th Amendment

Answer: b. 52nd Amendment

10. The 24th Amendment to the Indian Constitution aimed to:

1. Extend the term of the Lok Sabha
2. Protect laws related to land reforms from judicial review
3. Insert the words "Socialist" and "Secular" into the Preamble
4. Introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Answer: b. Protect laws related to land reforms from judicial review

Conclusion:

Constitutional amendments can enhance the democratic process by addressing issues related to electoral systems, political parties, and the functioning of legislatures, thereby strengthening the democratic institutions and ensuring fair representation. Indian Constitution has been amended several times, but the basic structure and the essence of the constitution is kept intact. For your Judiciary Preparation it is important to remember all the major amendments mentioned above in this article.

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All the best!