List of Important Constitutional Amendments of India – Static GK & General Awareness for Competitive Exams with Memory Tricks

Introduction

The Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, was designed as a living document — flexible enough to adapt to changing times, yet rigid enough to protect its core values. The mechanism that keeps it relevant is the Constitutional Amendment. As of 2026, the Indian Constitution has been amended 106 times, making it one of the most frequently amended constitutions in the world. In sharp contrast, the United States Constitution has been amended only 27 times in over 230 years.

Questions on Constitutional Amendments are among the most repeated in the Polity and General Awareness sections of UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, IBPS PO, RRB NTPC, SBI Clerk, State PCS, and various Insurance and Defence exams. Examiners frequently ask which amendment introduced a specific provision (such as Fundamental Duties, GST, or the lowering of the voting age), which Article governs the amendment procedure, or which amendment is called the "Mini Constitution." This article compiles every important amendment in a structured, easy-to-revise format. To explore more Polity and Static GK topics, you can refer to the Static GK section on thejobsme.com.

Constitutional Amendments are also closely tied to current affairs — debates on the Women's Reservation Act, the pending 130th Amendment Bill, EWS reservation rulings, delimitation, and Centre-State relations regularly appear in the news. This makes the topic important not just for objective Prelims questions but also for UPSC Mains and Essay papers and for the General Awareness sections of banking and railway exams.

Core Concepts: Amendment Procedure and Basic Structure

Article 368 in Part XX of the Constitution lays down the power and procedure for amending the Constitution. The Indian amendment procedure is a balance between the flexibility of the British model and the rigidity of the American model — it is neither too easy nor too difficult. A Constitution Amendment Bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament, must be passed by each House separately, and then receives the assent of the President to become a Constitutional Amendment Act.

Three Types of Amendment Procedures

• By Simple Majority: Some provisions can be amended by a simple majority of members present and voting in each House — the same as ordinary legislation. Examples include the creation of new states, changes in citizenship, and changes to the salaries of officials. These are technically outside the scope of Article 368.
• By Special Majority (Article 368): Most provisions require a special majority — a majority of the total membership of each House plus at least a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. Examples include amendments to Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
• By Special Majority plus Ratification by States (Article 368): Provisions affecting the federal structure require a special majority in Parliament and ratification by the legislatures of at least half of the states. Examples include the election of the President, the Seventh Schedule, representation of states in Parliament, and Article 368 itself.

The Basic Structure Doctrine

The amending power of Parliament is not unlimited. In the landmark Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) case, the Supreme Court ruled that while Parliament can amend any part of the Constitution, it cannot alter or destroy its "Basic Structure." Elements such as the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, separation of powers, federalism, secularism, democracy, and judicial review form this Basic Structure. This doctrine acts as the outer boundary of the amendment power. To strengthen your Polity preparation, you can also practise with the Static GK Quiz on thejobsme.com.

List of Important Constitutional Amendments of India

The following table lists the most exam-relevant Constitutional Amendments along with the year and the key changes each one introduced.

Pending Amendment to Watch

The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Home Minister and is under review by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It proposes the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and other Ministers if they are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days on charges of a serious criminal offence punishable by five years or more of imprisonment. As it is still a Bill and not yet enacted, the latest enacted amendment remains the 106th. For ongoing updates on such polity developments, you can follow the Daily Current Affairs section on thejobsme.com.

Key Supreme Court Cases on Amendment Power

Several landmark judgments have shaped the scope and limits of Parliament's amending power. These cases are frequently tested in both Prelims and Mains.

Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Trick 1: The Local Government Pair — "73 Rural, 74 Urban"

The two local-government amendments come as a consecutive pair. Remember the order by the size of the number matching the size of the place:

• 73rd → Panchayati Raj → Rural local bodies (Part IX, Eleventh Schedule).
• 74th → Municipalities → Urban local bodies (Part IXA, Twelfth Schedule).

"73 in the village, 74 in the city — both came together in 1992."

Trick 2: The Two Emergency Amendments — "42 Damaged, 44 Repaired"

The 42nd and 44th go together as a problem-and-solution pair:

• 42nd (1976) → the "Mini Constitution"; concentrated power and curbed judicial review during the Emergency.
• 44th (1978) → undid the excesses; removed Right to Property from Fundamental Rights and restored safeguards.

"42 broke it, 44 fixed it."

Trick 3: The Reservation Trio — "103 EWS, 104 Extend, 105 OBC"

Three back-to-back amendments all deal with reservation:

• 103rd → 10% EWS reservation.
• 104th → Extended SC/ST seat reservation; ended Anglo-Indian nomination.
• 105th → States' power over the OBC list.

"E-E-O: EWS, Extend, OBC — three in a row."

Trick 4: "Sweet 16, Voting at 18" — Amendment 61

To remember the voting-age amendment, link the round number to the round milestone:

• 61st Amendment (1989) → reduced voting age from 21 to 18 years.

"61 cut 21 down to 18."

Trick 5: "Tax and Schedule" — The First Amendment's Ninth Schedule

The very first amendment created the Ninth Schedule:

• 1st Amendment (1951) → added the Ninth Schedule to shield land reform laws from courts.

"First amendment, Ninth Schedule — protect the farms."

Trick 6: Single-Topic Star Amendments — "Quick Hits"

Some amendments are remembered by one signature change. Memorise these as flashcards:

• 52nd → Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule).
• 86th → Right to Education (Article 21A).
• 101st → GST.
• 106th → Women's Reservation (33%).

Trick 7: "Status Givers" — Amendments That Granted Constitutional Status

Group together the amendments that elevated a body or institution to constitutional status:

• 73rd / 74th → Panchayats and Municipalities.
• 97th → Cooperative Societies.
• 102nd → National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

"They all got a constitutional seat at the table."

Additional Notes

Frequently Confused Facts

• 42nd vs 44th Amendment: The 42nd (1976) is the "Mini Constitution" that curbed rights during the Emergency; the 44th (1978) reversed many of those changes and removed Right to Property from Fundamental Rights.
• 73rd vs 74th Amendment: The 73rd deals with Panchayati Raj (rural) and the 74th with Municipalities (urban). Do not swap them.
• Article 21 vs Article 21A: Article 21 is the Right to Life and Personal Liberty; Article 21A (added by the 86th Amendment) is the Right to Education.
• 101st vs 122nd: GST was introduced by the 101st Amendment Act (2016); the related bill in Parliament was numbered the 122nd Amendment Bill — the enacted Act number (101st) is the correct exam answer.
• 103rd vs 105th: The 103rd gave 10% EWS reservation; the 105th restored states' power to identify their own OBC lists. They are different.
• 106th Amendment vs the actual reservation: The 106th (Women's Reservation) was enacted in 2023, but the 33% reservation will take effect only after delimitation following the next Census — it is not yet operational.
• 61st vs 62nd: The 61st reduced the voting age to 18; do not confuse it with other 1980s amendments.
• Total amendments — 106 (enacted) vs 130 (pending bill): 106 amendments have been enacted as of 2026; the 130th is only a pending Bill, not yet an Act.

Repeating PYQ Patterns

Certain amendments are asked again and again in competitive exams. The 42nd Amendment (Mini Constitution, Fundamental Duties), 44th Amendment (Right to Property), 61st Amendment (voting age 18), 73rd and 74th Amendments (Panchayati Raj and Municipalities), 86th Amendment (Right to Education), 101st Amendment (GST), 103rd Amendment (EWS), and 106th Amendment (Women's Reservation) appear most frequently in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, and RRB NTPC. Banking exams such as IBPS PO and SBI Clerk favour the more recent amendments — GST (101st), EWS (103rd), and Women's Reservation (106th) — as part of static-plus-current awareness. UPSC Mains has directly tested Article 368 and the Basic Structure Doctrine (for example, the 2019 question on whether Parliament can destroy the basic structure). State PCS exams often add state-specific amendments such as the creation of Sikkim (36th) and language additions to the Eighth Schedule.

Quick Insight

Constitutional Amendments are the visible record of how India has reformed itself — peacefully and within the law. Each amendment marks a turning point: the 73rd and 74th took democracy down to the village and the city, the 86th made education a right, the 101st unified the nation's indirect taxes under GST, and the 106th opened one-third of legislative seats to women. The Basic Structure Doctrine ensures this evolution never crosses into destruction of the Constitution's core. Understanding amendments helps aspirants connect static Polity to live current affairs — from the pending 130th Amendment Bill to delimitation and reservation debates. For more on the working of the Indian banking and economic system tested alongside polity, see the Banking Awareness notes, and stay current with the Daily Current Affairs page on thejobsme.com.

One-Liners for Quick Revision

• Amendment Procedure → Article 368 → Part XX of the Constitution.
• Total Amendments (as of 2026) → 106 enacted → 130th is only a pending Bill.
• Three Types of Amendment → Simple majority, Special majority, Special majority plus state ratification.
• Basic Structure Doctrine → propounded in Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) → limits Parliament's amending power.
• 1st Amendment (1951) → added Ninth Schedule → protected land reform laws.
• 7th Amendment (1956) → states reorganised on linguistic lines → introduced Union Territories.
• 10th Amendment (1961) → incorporated Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• 24th Amendment (1971) → Parliament can amend any part → President's assent made compulsory.
• 26th Amendment (1971) → abolished privy purses of former princes.
• 36th Amendment (1975) → made Sikkim a full state.
• 42nd Amendment (1976) → Mini Constitution → added Fundamental Duties, "Socialist," "Secular," "Integrity" to Preamble.
• 44th Amendment (1978) → removed Right to Property from Fundamental Rights → made it a legal right (Article 300A).
• 52nd Amendment (1985) → Anti-Defection Law → added Tenth Schedule.
• 61st Amendment (1989) → reduced voting age from 21 to 18 years.
• 71st Amendment (1992) → added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali to Eighth Schedule.
• 73rd Amendment (1992) → Panchayati Raj → Part IX, Eleventh Schedule.
• 74th Amendment (1992) → Municipalities → Part IXA, Twelfth Schedule.
• 86th Amendment (2002) → Right to Education → Article 21A → ages 6 to 14.
• 91st Amendment (2003) → Council of Ministers capped at 15% of House strength.
• 92nd Amendment (2003) → added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali → 22 scheduled languages.
• 97th Amendment (2011) → constitutional status to cooperative societies → Part IXB.
• 100th Amendment (2015) → India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement.
• 101st Amendment (2016) → Goods and Services Tax (GST) → GST Council under Article 279A.
• 102nd Amendment (2018) → constitutional status to NCBC → Articles 338B and 342A.
• 103rd Amendment (2019) → 10% EWS reservation → upheld in Janhit Abhiyan case (2022).
• 104th Amendment (2020) → extended SC/ST seat reservation → ended Anglo-Indian nomination.
• 105th Amendment (2021) → restored states' power to make their own OBC lists.
• 106th Amendment (2023) → Women's Reservation (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) → 33% seats → Articles 330A and 332A.
• 130th Amendment Bill (2025) → pending → removal of PM/CM/Ministers detained 30 days for serious offences.
• Kesavananda Bharati (1973) → Basic Structure Doctrine established.
• Minerva Mills (1980) → struck down parts of the 42nd Amendment.

For more Polity and Static GK topics like the Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights, and important Articles, explore the Static GK section on thejobsme.com. You can also test your preparation with the Static GK Quiz and check the latest exam updates at Latest Government Job Notifications.