How Many Schedules are there in the Indian Constitution?

The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any independent country in the world. It is divided into Parts, Articles, and Schedules. While Articles contain the core legal text, 'Schedules' are essentially massive lists or tables attached at the very end of the document to provide extra, detailed information (like lists of states, languages, or salaries).

Question (Click to Flip)

Are schedules as powerful as articles?

Answer

Yes. A Schedule is a legally binding part of the Constitution. It is simply kept at the end of the book so that the main reading of the Articles doesn't get cluttered with massive lists of 28 states or 22 languages.

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Key Facts

The 9th Schedule was the very first addition to the Constitution, added by the 1st Amendment in 1951 under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The 11th and 12th Schedules were added simultaneously in 1992 (73rd and 74th Amendments) to legally force state governments to share power with local village and city leaders.

1. The Correct Answer

Currently: Today, there are exactly 12 Schedules in the Indian Constitution.
Originally: When the Constitution was officially adopted in 1949, it had only 8 Schedules. Over the decades, the Parliament added four new schedules through constitutional amendments.

2. A Quick Overview of the 12 Schedules

1st Schedule: Lists all the exact names and territorial borders of India's 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
2nd Schedule: Details the heavy salaries and allowances of the President, Governors, Judges, and the CAG.
3rd Schedule: Contains the exact, word-by-word format of the 'Oaths' taken by Ministers and Judges before taking office.
4th Schedule: Allocates the exact number of seats each state gets in the Rajya Sabha.
5th & 6th Schedules: Massive special laws for the administration and protection of tribal areas (Scheduled Areas) and North-Eastern states.
7th Schedule: The most famous list! It divides absolute legal power between the Center and the States into three lists: Union List, State List, and Concurrent List.
8th Schedule: Lists the 22 official languages recognized by the Republic of India.
9th Schedule: Laws added here (mostly land reforms) are generally protected from being challenged in the Supreme Court.
10th Schedule: Known as the Anti-Defection Law. It prevents greedy politicians from constantly changing parties after winning an election.
11th Schedule: Details the powers of the Panchayati Raj (Village Governments).
12th Schedule: Details the powers of Municipalities (City/Urban Governments).

Questions and Answers

Are schedules as powerful as articles?+

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