Constitutional Amendments — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
1st Amendment	1951	Restricted freedom of speech by adding 'public order' as a ground for reasonable restrictions, enabled land reforms by adding Article 31A and 31B with the Ninth Schedule, and allowed state regulation of trade and commerce. This amendment addressed practical difficulties faced in implementing land reforms and balancing individual rights with social justice.	Established the precedent for balancing fundamental rights with social welfare, created the Ninth Schedule mechanism for protecting progressive legislation, and demonstrated the Constitution's adaptability to address implementation challenges.
24th Amendment	1971	Clarified Parliament's power to amend fundamental rights by adding clause (4) to Article 13 stating that constitutional amendments are not 'laws' within its meaning, and modified Article 368 to explicitly state Parliament's constituent power. This was a direct response to the Golak Nath judgment that had restricted amendment of fundamental rights.	Restored Parliament's power to amend fundamental rights, established the distinction between constituent power and legislative power, and set the stage for the constitutional crisis that led to the Kesavananda Bharati judgment.
42nd Amendment	1976	Called the 'Mini Constitution,' this amendment made sweeping changes including adding 'Socialist,' 'Secular,' and 'Integrity' to the Preamble, adding fundamental duties, extending Parliament and Assembly terms, restricting judicial review, and strengthening the Centre's powers. It was passed during the Emergency period with minimal debate.	Fundamentally altered the constitutional balance by strengthening executive power at the expense of judiciary and federalism, leading to the development of the basic structure doctrine's application and subsequent reversal of many provisions by the 44th Amendment.
44th Amendment	1978	Reversed many changes made by the 42nd Amendment, restored the original balance between executive, legislature, and judiciary, made the right to property a legal right instead of fundamental right, and strengthened safeguards against misuse of emergency powers. It restored the pre-Emergency constitutional framework with improvements.	Restored constitutional democracy after the Emergency, established better checks and balances, removed property as a fundamental right while protecting it as a legal right, and strengthened federal principles and judicial independence.
73rd Amendment	1992	Constitutionalized Panchayati Raj institutions by adding Part IX to the Constitution, provided constitutional status to village, intermediate, and district level panchayats, mandated regular elections, and reserved seats for SCs, STs, and women. It created a three-tier federal structure extending democracy to the grassroots level.	Transformed India's federal structure by adding a third tier of government, strengthened grassroots democracy, empowered rural communities especially women and marginalized groups, and provided constitutional protection to local self-governance institutions.
74th Amendment	1992	Constitutionalized urban local bodies by adding Part IXA to the Constitution, provided constitutional status to municipalities, mandated regular elections, reserved seats for SCs, STs, and women, and defined the powers and functions of urban local governments. It complemented the 73rd Amendment for urban areas.	Extended constitutional protection to urban local governance, strengthened urban democracy and planning, empowered urban communities and marginalized groups, and completed the three-tier federal structure for both rural and urban areas.
103rd Amendment	2019	Provided 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions and public employment by adding clauses to Articles 15 and 16. It introduced economic criteria as a basis for affirmative action, separate from caste-based reservations, with specific income and asset limits for eligibility.	Expanded India's reservation policy beyond caste to include economic criteria, potentially benefited economically disadvantaged sections of general category, raised debates about the 50% reservation ceiling, and tested the boundaries of equality principles in the Constitution.

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