Salient Features — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
42nd Amendment	1976	Known as the 'Mini Constitution,' this amendment made extensive changes including adding 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, inserting Fundamental Duties (Article 51A), curtailing judicial review powers, extending Parliament and Assembly terms to 6 years, and giving primacy to Directive Principles over Fundamental Rights. It also strengthened emergency provisions and reduced judicial oversight of constitutional amendments.	Significantly altered the balance of power between legislature and judiciary, strengthened executive authority, and expanded state power over individual rights. Many provisions were later struck down or modified by subsequent amendments and judicial decisions, particularly after the Minerva Mills judgment.
44th Amendment	1978	This amendment reversed many controversial provisions of the 42nd Amendment, restored the balance between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, made 'internal disturbance' as ground for emergency more stringent by requiring 'armed rebellion,' restored judicial review powers, and reduced Parliament and Assembly terms back to 5 years. It also made the right to property a legal right instead of fundamental right.	Restored democratic balance by strengthening judicial review, protecting individual rights, and preventing misuse of emergency provisions. It demonstrated the Constitution's self-correcting mechanism and reinforced the importance of checks and balances in democratic governance.
73rd Amendment	1992	This amendment constitutionalized Panchayati Raj institutions by adding Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) to the Constitution. It provided constitutional status to village, intermediate, and district level panchayats, mandated regular elections, reserved seats for SCs, STs, and women, and transferred powers and responsibilities to these institutions through the 11th Schedule.	Revolutionized grassroots democracy by creating a three-tier system of local self-government, empowered rural communities, enhanced women's political participation, and strengthened federal structure by adding a third tier of government. It has been crucial for rural development and democratic decentralization.
74th Amendment	1992	Parallel to the 73rd Amendment, this amendment constitutionalized urban local bodies by adding Part IXA (Articles 243P to 243ZG). It provided constitutional status to municipalities, mandated regular elections, reserved seats for SCs, STs, and women, and transferred urban governance functions through the 12th Schedule.	Strengthened urban governance by providing constitutional framework for municipal bodies, enhanced democratic participation in urban areas, improved service delivery in cities, and completed the three-tier federal structure by including urban local bodies alongside panchayats.
103rd Amendment	2019	This amendment introduced 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in educational institutions and public employment by modifying Articles 15 and 16. It allows the state to make special provisions for economically weaker sections of citizens other than SCs, STs, and OBCs, based on economic criteria.	Expanded the scope of affirmative action beyond caste-based criteria to include economic factors, potentially benefiting economically disadvantaged sections of general category. However, it has raised debates about the 50% reservation ceiling and the definition of economic criteria for determining EWS status.

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