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🇮🇳 SUPREME LAW OF INDIA • ENFORCEABLE SINCE 26 JAN 1950

The Constitution of India: Sovereign Archive

Explore all 395+ articles across all 25 parts and 12 schedules of the world’s longest written constitution. Complete with plain-language explanations, Constituent Assembly debates, and landmark Supreme Court rulings.

395+
Articles
25
Thematic Parts
12
Schedules
106
Amendments
📜 Preamble “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC...”
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”
Page 1 • Plain Meaning Edition
Article 243P
Part IX-A

Definitions

Article 243P ('Definitions') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) “Committee” means a Committee constituted under article 243S; (b) “district” means a district in a State; (c) “Metropolitan area” means an area having a...

Article 243Q
Part IX-A

Constitution of Municipalities

Article 243Q ('Constitution of Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) There shall be constituted in every State, — (a) a Nagar Panchayat (by whatever name called) for a transitional area, that is to say, an area in transition from a rural area to an urban area; (b) a Municipal Council for a smaller...

Article 243R
Part IX-A

Composition of Municipalities

Article 243R ('Composition of Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) Save as provided in clause (2), all the seats in a Municipality shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from the territorial constituencies in the Municipal area and for this purpose each Municipal area shall be divided...

Article 243S
Part IX-A

Constitution and composition of Wards Committees, etc

Article 243S ('Constitution and composition of Wards Committees, etc') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) There shall be constituted Wards Committees, consisting of one or more wards, within the territorial area of a Municipality having a population of three lakhs or more. (2) The Legislature of a State may, by law, make provision with...

Article 243T
Part IX-A

Reservation of seats

Article 243T ('Reservation of seats') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every Municipality and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by...

Article 243U
Part IX-A

Duration of Municipalities, etc

Article 243U ('Duration of Municipalities, etc') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) Every Municipality, unless sooner dissolved under any law for the time being in force, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer: Provided that a Municipality shall be given a...

Article 243V
Part IX-A

Disqualifications for membership

Article 243V ('Disqualifications for membership') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of a Municipality — (a) if he is so disqualified by or under any law for the time being in force for the purposes of elections to the Legislature of the...

Article 243W
Part IX-A

Powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities, etc

Article 243W ('Powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities, etc') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Legislature of a State may, by law, endow — (a) the Municipalities with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government and...

Article 243X
Part IX-A

Power to impose taxes by, and Funds of, the Municipalities

Article 243X ('Power to impose taxes by, and Funds of, the Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: The Legislature of a State may, by law, — (a) authorise a Municipality to levy, collect and appropriate such taxes, duties, tolls and fees in accordance with such procedure and subject to such limits; (b) assign to a Municipality...

Article 243Y
Part IX-A

Finance Commission

Article 243Y ('Finance Commission') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) The Finance Commission constituted under article 243-I shall also review the financial position of the Municipalities and make recommendations to the Governor as to — (a) the principles which should govern— (i) the distribution...

Article 243Z
Part IX-A

Audit of accounts of Municipalities

Article 243Z ('Audit of accounts of Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: The Legislature of a State may, by law, make provisions with respect to the maintenance of accounts by the Municipalities and the auditing of such accounts.

Article 243ZA
Part IX-A

Elections to the Municipalities

Article 243ZA ('Elections to the Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Municipalities shall be vested in the State Election Commission referred to in article 243K. (2) Subject...

Article 243ZB
Part IX-A

Application to Union territories

Article 243ZB ('Application to Union territories') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: The provisions of this Part shall apply to the Union territories and shall, in their application to a Union territory, have effect as if the references to the Governor of a State were references to the Administrator of the Union territory...

Article 243ZC
Part IX-A

Part not to apply to certain areas

Article 243ZC ('Part not to apply to certain areas') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) Nothing in this Part shall apply to the Scheduled Areas referred to in clause (1), and the tribal areas referred to in clause (2), of article 244. (2) Nothing in this Part shall be construed to affect the functions and powers of the...

Article 243ZD
Part IX-A

Committee for district planning

Article 243ZD ('Committee for district planning') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) There shall be constituted in every State at the district level a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the...

Article 243ZE
Part IX-A

Committee for Metropolitan planning

Article 243ZE ('Committee for Metropolitan planning') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: (1) There shall be constituted in every Metropolitan area a Metropolitan Planning Committee to prepare a draft development plan for the Metropolitan area as a whole. (2) The Legislature of a State may, by law, make provision with respect...

Article 243ZF
Part IX-A

Continuance of existing laws and Municipalities

Article 243ZF ('Continuance of existing laws and Municipalities') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: Notwithstanding anything in this Part, any provision of any law relating to Municipalities in force in a State immediately before the commencement of the Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992, which is inconsistent with the...

Article 243ZG
Part IX-A

Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters

Article 243ZG ('Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters') in Part IX-A (The Municipalities, inserted by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992) governs constitutional urban local bodies (Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations). Specifically, this article provides: Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, — (a) the validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats to such constituencies, made or purporting to be made under article 243ZA shall not...

Part IX-A (18 Articles)
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.

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