Interpretation

Quick Summary (TL;DR)

Article 367 (Interpretation): Governs constitutional immunities, press reporting of legislatures, definitions, and interpretation rules under Part XIX.

In Simple Citizen Words

Article 367 ('Interpretation') in Part XIX (Miscellaneous, Articles 361–367) covers vital structural rules: official functional immunity of the President and Governors while allowing citizens to sue the Government of India or State Government directly (Art 361), press freedom to publish true reports of Parliamentary and Assembly proceedings (Art 361A), anti-defection bar on remunerative political posts (Art 361B), abolition of privy purses of former princely rulers (Art 363A), and master constitutional definitions (Arts 366–367). Specifically: (1) Unless the context otherwise requires, the General Clauses Act, 1897, shall, subject to any adaptations and modifications that may be made therein under article 372, apply for the interpretation of this Constitution as it applies for...

Key Constitutional Provisions

Constitutional Mandate (Art. 367): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Interpretation' under Part XIX

Structured across 3 clause(s) with explicit constitutional provisos/safeguards

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

Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions

Even under Article 361, the second proviso explicitly guarantees that nothing restricts the right of any person to bring appropriate legal proceedings against the Government of India or the Government of a State (and in Rameshwar Prasad, 2006, the SC held that gubernatorial orders remain open to judicial review).

Why This Matters in Daily Life

Abolished feudal royal privileges (privy purses), protected honest journalism covering Parliament, and standardized legal definitions across the Constitution.

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

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Dr. B. R. Ambedkar & Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer

Drafting Committee Jurists • September 8 & October 14, 1949

🏛️ Constituent Assembly Debates (1946–1949)

Core Constitutional Debate & Dilemma

Framing context for Article 367: Codifying official functional immunities, abolishing feudal privy purses (26th Amendment), protecting press publication of parliamentary debates (Art 361A), and standardizing legal definitions (Art 366).

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"While the head of State enjoys functional immunity during office, the second proviso to Article 361 ensures that the citizen's right to sue the Government of India or a State Government in a court of law remains completely unimpaired."

Assembly Resolution & Final Synthesis

Constitutional resolution in Article 367: Enacted Part XIX (Articles 361–367) establishing constitutional definitions, press immunity for true legislative reports, and abolition of royal titles/purses.

🏛️ Constitutional Significance: During the Constituent Assembly deliberations, Article 367 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)

Unless the context otherwise requires, the General Clauses Act, 1897, shall, subject to any adaptations and modifications that may be made therein under article 372, apply for the interpretation of this Constitution as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of the Legislature of the Dominion of India.

Clause (2)

Any reference in this Constitution to Acts or laws of, or made by, Parliament, or to Acts or laws of, or made by, the Legislature of a State, shall be construed as including a reference to an Ordinance made by the President or, to an Ordinance made by a Governor, as the case may be.

Clause (3)

For the purposes of this Constitution “foreign State” means any State other than India:

Provided that, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, the President may by order declare any State not to be a foreign State for such purposes as may be specified in the order.

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

Interpretation

🟢 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 367 (Interpretation) has remained intact since Day 1 without parliamentary deletion or repeal.

CURRENT ENFORCEABLE STATUS (TODAY)

100% Original 1950 Text Enforceable Today: Article 367 (Interpretation): Governs constitutional immunities, press reporting of legislatures, definitions, and interpretation rules under Part XIX.

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                                

Article 366 Ask Nyaya Saarthi AI About This Article Article 368

Emergency Citizen Helplines

Interpretation

Official Constitutional Text (Gazette Bare Act)

Then vs Now: Constitutional Evolution & Visual Diff

Key Amendment Milestones & Textual Modifications