Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts

Quick Summary (TL;DR)

Article 283 (Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts): Regulates taxation authority, public funds, revenue sharing, contracts, and property rights under Part XII.

In Simple Citizen Words

Article 283 ('Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts') in Part XII (Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits) regulates public money and property. It covers constitutional rules on valid taxation (Art 265), Consolidated and Contingency Funds (Arts 266–267), GST & tax devolution between Union and States (Arts 268–281), government borrowing and contracts (Arts 292–299), liability of the State to be sued by citizens (Art 300), and the constitutional Right to Property (Art 300A). Specifically: (1) The custody of the Consolidated Fund of India and the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into such Funds, the withdrawal of moneys therefrom, the custody of public moneys other than those credited to such Funds received...

Key Constitutional Provisions

Constitutional Mandate (Art. 283): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts' under Part XII

Structured across 2 clause(s) with clear procedural conditions

Requires transparent Parliamentary law-making and democratic accountability rather than arbitrary executive action

Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions

Under Article 265, no tax or fee can be levied or collected by executive order without an enacted law, and no money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund without Parliamentary/Legislative appropriation.

Why This Matters in Daily Life

Protects citizens against arbitrary tax demands and illegal property seizure while enforcing strict fiscal discipline on governments.

Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates:

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N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar & Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Financial Provisions Draftsmen • August 4–10, 1949

🏛️ Constituent Assembly Debates (1946–1949)

Core Constitutional Debate & Dilemma

Framing context for Article 283: Enforcing "no taxation without authority of law" (Art 265), equitable tax devolution via an independent Finance Commission (Art 280), and protecting citizens' property (Art 300A).

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"No tax shall be levied or collected except by authority of law, and States must have assured constitutional revenue streams adjudicated by an independent Finance Commission free from political bias."

Assembly Resolution & Final Synthesis

Constitutional resolution in Article 283: Enacted Part XII (Articles 264–300A) regulating taxation, Consolidated Funds, the Finance Commission, government contracts/suits, and the constitutional Right to Property.

🏛️ Constitutional Significance: During the Constituent Assembly deliberations, Article 283 was codified as an integral pillar of India's constitutional governance.

Official Constitutional Text (Gazette Bare Act)

Authoritative statutory text as enacted and amended by Parliament • Clause-by-Clause Statutory Breakdown

India Code • Govt. of India Archive

Clause (1)

The custody of the Consolidated Fund of India and the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into such Funds, the withdrawal of moneys therefrom, the custody of public moneys other than those credited to such Funds received by or on behalf of the Government of India, their payment into the public account of India and the withdrawal of moneys from such account and all other matters connected with or ancillary to matters aforesaid shall be regulated by law made by Parliament, and, until provision in that behalf is so made, shall be regulated by rules made by the President.

Clause (2)

The custody of the Consolidated Fund of a State and the Contingency Fund of a State, the payment of moneys into such Funds, the withdrawal of moneys therefrom, the custody of public moneys other than those credited to such Funds received by or on behalf of the Government of the State, their payment into the public account of the State and the withdrawal of moneys from such account and all other matters connected with or ancillary to matters aforesaid shall be regulated by law made by the Legislature of the State, and, until provision in that behalf is so made, shall be regulated by rules made by the Governor of the State.

Public Domain & Statutory Authenticity Notice

Under Section 52(1)(q) of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, the Constitution of India, Bare Acts of Parliament, Gazette Notifications, and Judicial Judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts are in the Public Domain. Text is reproduced from the official Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India (India Code) archives.

Then vs Now: Constitutional Evolution & Visual Diff

Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts

🟢 Original 1950 Text Intact (Zero Textual Repeal) Baseline: Jan 26, 1950 → Today

ORIGINAL BASELINE (1950)

Enacted on 26 January 1950 by the Constituent Assembly of India. The foundational constitutional text of Article 283 (Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts) has remained intact since Day 1 without parliamentary deletion or repeal.

CURRENT ENFORCEABLE STATUS (TODAY)

100% Original 1950 Text Enforceable Today: Article 283 (Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts): Regulates taxation authority, public funds, revenue sharing, contracts, and property rights under Part XII.

Key Amendment Milestones & Textual Modifications

Original Enactment by the Constituent Assembly

Year 1950

Why it happened: Crafted by the Founding Fathers & Mothers with enduring constitutional clarity; its core text has stood untouched for over 75 years.

                                    Status: 🟢 Unchanged Since 26 January 1950 — Original Constitutional Mandate Preserved Intact                                

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Emergency Citizen Helplines

Custody, etc, of Consolidated Funds, Contingency Funds and moneys credited to the public accounts

Official Constitutional Text (Gazette Bare Act)

Then vs Now: Constitutional Evolution & Visual Diff

Key Amendment Milestones & Textual Modifications