12 Schedules of the Indian Constitution
Complete 2026 exam guide with purpose, related Articles, important Constitutional Amendments, common traps, memory tricks, quick revision and 10 practice MCQs.
The Constitution of India originally contained 8 Schedules; today it contains 12 Schedules, covering subjects such as States and Union Territories, constitutional authorities, oaths, Rajya Sabha seats, Scheduled Areas, tribal areas, legislative lists, scheduled languages, specified laws, anti-defection, Panchayats and Municipalities.
Introduction
The Schedules of the Indian Constitution contain detailed provisions and lists that supplement the Articles of the Constitution. Questions on the Schedules are repeatedly asked in UPSC, APPSC, SSC, Railways, Banking, Police SI/Constable, Defence and other government examinations.
The Constitution at commencement had 8 Schedules. Four more were added later: the Ninth Schedule by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951; the Tenth Schedule by the Constitution (Fifty-second Amendment) Act, 1985; the Eleventh Schedule by the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992; and the Twelfth Schedule by the Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992.
Do not write that the Ninth Schedule makes laws completely immune from judicial review. Article 31B gives special protection to laws placed in the Ninth Schedule, but the Supreme Court's basic-structure jurisprudence, including I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu, means such protection is not an absolute bar to constitutional judicial review.
Quick Facts at a Glance
| Schedule | Main Subject | Related Article(s) | High-Value Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | States and Union Territories; their territorial description | Articles 1–4 | Changes arising from reorganisation of States/UTs may require amendment of the First Schedule. |
| 2nd | Provisions relating to emoluments, allowances, privileges etc. of specified constitutional authorities | Various Articles including 59, 65, 75, 97, 125, 148, 158, 164, 186 & 221 | Covers specified offices such as President/Governors, presiding officers, Judges and CAG; it is not a general salary list for all public officials. |
| 3rd | Forms of Oaths or Affirmations | Articles 75, 84, 99, 124, 146, 173, 188 & 219 | Includes prescribed oath/affirmation forms for Ministers, legislators, judges and certain constitutional offices. |
| 4th | Allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) | Articles 4(1) & 80(2) | Remember: 4th Schedule = Rajya Sabha seats. |
| 5th | Administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes | Article 244(1) | Associated with Scheduled Areas and Tribal Advisory Councils. |
| 6th | Administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram | Articles 244(2) & 275(1) | Provides for Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils in specified tribal areas. |
| 7th | Distribution of legislative subjects | Article 246 and related provisions | Contains the Union List, State List and Concurrent List. |
| 8th | Languages recognised in the Schedule | Articles 344(1) & 351 | Contains 22 languages as of 16 August 2026. |
| 9th | Specified Acts and Regulations receiving protection under Article 31B | Article 31B | Added by the 1st Amendment Act, 1951; protection is not an absolute exclusion of judicial review. |
| 10th | Disqualification on ground of defection | Articles 102(2) & 191(2) | Anti-Defection Law; inserted by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985. |
| 11th | Powers, authority and responsibilities associated with Panchayats | Article 243G | 29 subjects; added by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992. |
| 12th | Powers, authority and responsibilities associated with Municipalities | Article 243W | 18 subjects; added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992. |
1–4: Territory → Constitutional offices → Oaths → Rajya Sabha.
5–8: Scheduled Areas → Tribal Areas → Legislative Lists → Languages.
9–12: Protected laws → Defection → Panchayats → Municipalities.
1. First Schedule – States and Union Territories
The First Schedule contains the States of India and the Union Territories and their territorial descriptions. It is closely connected with Articles 1 to 4. Article 1 declares that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States, while Articles 2 and 3 deal with admission, establishment, formation and alteration of States.
2. Second Schedule – Constitutional Authorities
The Second Schedule contains provisions concerning emoluments, allowances, privileges and related service conditions of specified constitutional authorities. For exam purposes, associate it with the President and Governors, presiding officers of legislatures, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
3. Third Schedule – Oaths and Affirmations
The Third Schedule prescribes forms of oaths or affirmations for important constitutional functionaries such as Union and State Ministers, candidates and members of legislatures, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General.
4. Fourth Schedule – Rajya Sabha Seats
The Fourth Schedule deals with the allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to the States and Union Territories.
5. Fifth Schedule – Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes
The Fifth Schedule contains provisions regarding the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes. It is linked with Article 244(1). Important exam concepts connected with the Fifth Schedule include Scheduled Areas, the role of the Governor and Tribal Advisory Councils.
6. Sixth Schedule – Tribal Areas in Four North-Eastern States
The Sixth Schedule contains special arrangements for administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It provides a constitutional framework for Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils.
7. Seventh Schedule – Union, State and Concurrent Lists
The Seventh Schedule is one of the most important federal provisions of the Constitution. It distributes legislative subjects through three lists:
- Union List – subjects primarily within Parliament's legislative domain.
- State List – subjects primarily within State Legislatures' domain, subject to constitutional exceptions.
- Concurrent List – subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures may legislate, subject to constitutional rules on inconsistency.
8. Eighth Schedule – 22 Scheduled Languages
The Eighth Schedule currently contains 22 languages. At the commencement of the Constitution there were 14. Sindhi was subsequently added; Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were added in 1992; and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added through the Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, 2003.
| 22 Languages in the Eighth Schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Assamese | Bengali | Bodo | Dogri |
| Gujarati | Hindi | Kannada | Kashmiri |
| Konkani | Maithili | Malayalam | Manipuri |
| Marathi | Nepali | Odia | Punjabi |
| Sanskrit | Santhali | Sindhi | Tamil |
| Telugu | Urdu | — | — |
9. Ninth Schedule – Article 31B and Specified Laws
The Ninth Schedule was introduced through the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951. Article 31B gives protection to Acts and Regulations specified in this Schedule against invalidity on the ground of inconsistency with certain Fundamental Rights.
However, it is incorrect for modern exam preparation to state that every law placed in the Ninth Schedule is completely beyond judicial review. The Supreme Court has held, through its basic-structure jurisprudence, that Ninth Schedule protection is subject to constitutional limits.
Wrong: “Ninth Schedule laws cannot be judicially reviewed.”
Better: “Article 31B grants special protection, but Ninth Schedule laws are not absolutely immune from basic-structure judicial review.”
10. Tenth Schedule – Anti-Defection Law
The Tenth Schedule contains provisions relating to disqualification of members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of defection. It was inserted by the Constitution (Fifty-second Amendment) Act, 1985.
Important grounds include voluntarily giving up membership of a political party and voting or abstaining contrary to a party direction in circumstances covered by the Schedule. An independently elected member may be disqualified if he or she joins a political party after the election. The Schedule also contains a merger-related exception where the prescribed constitutional conditions are satisfied.
11. Eleventh Schedule – Panchayats
The Eleventh Schedule was added by the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 and is associated with Article 243G. It lists 29 subjects in relation to which State law may endow Panchayats with powers and responsibilities.
Examples include agriculture, land improvement, minor irrigation, animal husbandry, fisheries, rural housing, drinking water, roads, rural electrification, poverty alleviation, education, health and sanitation, women and child development and maintenance of community assets.
12. Twelfth Schedule – Municipalities
The Twelfth Schedule was added by the Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992 and is associated with Article 243W. It contains 18 municipal functions.
Important subjects include urban planning, land-use regulation, roads and bridges, water supply, public health and sanitation, fire services, urban forestry, slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation, parks and playgrounds, vital statistics, street lighting, parking, bus stops and regulation of slaughterhouses and tanneries.
Schedules Added by Constitutional Amendments
| Schedule Added | Amendment | Year | Core Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th Schedule | 1st Constitutional Amendment | 1951 | Specified laws / Article 31B protection |
| 10th Schedule | 52nd Constitutional Amendment | 1985 | Anti-Defection |
| 11th Schedule | 73rd Constitutional Amendment | 1992 | Panchayats – 29 subjects |
| 12th Schedule | 74th Constitutional Amendment | 1992 | Municipalities – 18 functions |
Static GK Booster
| Question Area | Exam Fact |
|---|---|
| Number of Schedules at commencement | 8 |
| Present number of Schedules | 12 |
| States and Union Territories | 1st Schedule |
| Oaths and affirmations | 3rd Schedule |
| Rajya Sabha seat allocation | 4th Schedule |
| Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes | 5th Schedule |
| Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram tribal areas | 6th Schedule |
| Union, State and Concurrent Lists | 7th Schedule |
| Scheduled languages | 8th Schedule – 22 languages |
| Article 31B-related specified laws | 9th Schedule |
| Anti-Defection Law | 10th Schedule |
| Panchayats | 11th Schedule – 29 subjects |
| Municipalities | 12th Schedule – 18 functions |
Memory Trick for All 12 Schedules
1 Territory → 2 Authorities → 3 Oaths → 4 Rajya Sabha → 5 Scheduled Areas → 6 Tribal Areas → 7 Lists → 8 Languages → 9 Laws → 10 Defection → 11 Panchayats → 12 Municipalities
Short recall line: “Territory, Authorities, Oaths, Seats – Areas, Tribes, Lists, Languages – Laws, Defection, Villages, Cities.”
Do Not Confuse
| Common Confusion | Correct Understanding |
|---|---|
| 5th vs 6th Schedule | 5th = administration/control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes; 6th = specified tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram with autonomous council framework. |
| 7th vs 8th Schedule | 7th = legislative lists; 8th = 22 scheduled languages. |
| 9th Schedule and judicial review | Article 31B provides special protection, but Ninth Schedule placement does not create absolute immunity from basic-structure judicial review. |
| 10th Schedule | Anti-Defection; not reservation or election delimitation. |
| 11th vs 12th Schedule | 11th = Panchayats/rural local government, 29 subjects; 12th = Municipalities/urban local government, 18 functions. |
| 73rd vs 74th Amendment | 73rd = Panchayats; 74th = Municipalities. |
| Eighth Schedule languages vs Union official language | 22 scheduled languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule; this is different from the constitutional provisions governing the official language of the Union. |
10 Exam-Focused MCQs
Select an option. The correct answer and explanation will appear automatically.
1. How many Schedules did the Constitution of India originally contain?
The Constitution originally contained eight Schedules. The Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules were added later by constitutional amendments.
2. Which Schedule allocates seats in the Rajya Sabha?
The Fourth Schedule deals with allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).
3. The Union List, State List and Concurrent List are contained in which Schedule?
The Seventh Schedule distributes legislative subjects between the Union and States through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists.
4. How many languages are currently included in the Eighth Schedule?
The Eighth Schedule contains 22 languages as of 16 August 2026.
5. The Ninth Schedule was added by which Constitutional Amendment?
The Ninth Schedule and Article 31B were introduced through the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951.
6. The Anti-Defection provisions are contained in:
The Tenth Schedule was inserted by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985.
7. Which Constitutional Amendment added the Eleventh Schedule?
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 added the Eleventh Schedule relating to Panchayats.
8. How many subjects are listed in the Eleventh Schedule?
The Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects associated with Panchayats and Article 243G.
9. The Twelfth Schedule is primarily associated with:
The Twelfth Schedule was added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992 and lists 18 municipal functions.
10. Which statement about the Ninth Schedule is the most accurate?
Article 31B gives special protection to specified laws, but Supreme Court basic-structure jurisprudence means Ninth Schedule placement is not an absolute shield from constitutional judicial review.
Quick Revision – 12 Schedules in 60 Seconds
- 1st: States and Union Territories.
- 2nd: Specified constitutional authorities – emoluments/allowances etc.
- 3rd: Oaths and affirmations.
- 4th: Rajya Sabha seat allocation.
- 5th: Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes.
- 6th: Tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- 7th: Union, State and Concurrent Lists.
- 8th: 22 scheduled languages.
- 9th: Article 31B-related specified laws; added in 1951.
- 10th: Anti-Defection; 52nd Amendment, 1985.
- 11th: Panchayats; 29 subjects; 73rd Amendment.
- 12th: Municipalities; 18 functions; 74th Amendment.
8 originally → +9th (1951) → +10th (1985) → +11th & 12th (1992) = 12 Schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Schedules are there in the Indian Constitution in 2026?
There are 12 Schedules in the Constitution of India as of 16 August 2026.
How many Schedules were in the original Constitution?
The Constitution originally contained 8 Schedules.
Which Schedule contains the Anti-Defection Law?
The Tenth Schedule, inserted by the Constitution (Fifty-second Amendment) Act, 1985.
Which Schedule contains 22 languages?
The Eighth Schedule contains 22 languages.
What is the difference between the 11th and 12th Schedules?
The Eleventh Schedule is associated with Panchayats and lists 29 subjects; the Twelfth Schedule is associated with Municipalities and lists 18 functions.
Are Ninth Schedule laws completely immune from judicial review?
No. Article 31B provides special protection, but Supreme Court basic-structure jurisprudence means Ninth Schedule placement does not create absolute immunity from constitutional judicial review.
Official Sources and References
- Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice – Constitution of India 2026
- India Code – Constitution of India text
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj – Eleventh Schedule
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj – Mapping of 29 Eleventh Schedule subjects
- Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs – 74th Amendment and Twelfth Schedule functions
- Press Information Bureau – Languages in the Eighth Schedule
- Supreme Court of India – discussion of I.R. Coelho and Ninth Schedule/basic-structure review
This educational post was reviewed against Government of India constitutional sources and Supreme Court material available up to 16 August 2026. The Legislative Department currently provides a Constitution of India 2026 English version. Students should use the latest official constitutional text for amendment-sensitive questions.
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Conclusion
The twelve Schedules are a compact but high-scoring part of Indian Polity. Instead of memorising only schedule numbers, connect each Schedule with its subject, Article, amendment and exam trap. The most important revision pairs are: 7th–Legislative Lists, 8th–22 Languages, 9th–Article 31B, 10th–Anti-Defection, 11th–Panchayats/29 subjects and 12th–Municipalities/18 functions.
Educational Disclaimer: This article is intended for competitive-examination preparation and general awareness. Constitutional provisions and judicial interpretations should be read with the latest official text and authoritative court decisions where legal precision is required.
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