Things of value within territorial waters or continental shelf and resources of the exclusive economic zone to vest in the Union
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 297 (Things of value within territorial waters or continental shelf and resources of the exclusive economic zone to vest in the Union): Regulates taxation authority, public funds, revenue sharing, contracts, and property rights under Part XII.
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 297 ('Things of value within territorial waters or continental shelf and resources of the exclusive economic zone to vest in the Union') 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) All lands, minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters, or the continental shelf, or the exclusive economic zone, of India shall vest in the Union and be held for the purposes of the Union. ...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 297): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Things of value within territorial waters or continental shelf and resources of the exclusive economic zone to vest in the Union' under Part XII
Structured across 3 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Article 265, no tax or fee can be levied or collected by executive order without an enacted law, and no money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund without Parliamentary/Legislative appropriation.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: