Indian Polity & Constitution — Glossary

The All-India Services are civil services common to the Union and the States whose members are recruited and controlled by the Centre but serve in State cadres.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 is the parliamentary statute that bifurcated the State of Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana as India's 29th state with effect from 2 June 2014.

Armed rebellion is a violent organised uprising against lawful state authority that, since 1978, is a constitutionally enumerated ground for proclaiming a National Emergency in India.

Under Article 359(1) as amended by the 44th Amendment (1978), the enforcement of Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended even during a National Emergency.

The Assam Accord was a 1985 memorandum of settlement ending the six-year Assam Movement, fixing 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for detecting and deporting illegal migrants.

The basic structure doctrine holds that Parliament's amending power under Article 368 cannot alter the Constitution's essential framework, which courts may strike down even validly enacted amendments to protect.

The basic structure doctrine holds that Parliament's amending power under Article 368 cannot alter the Constitution's essential framework, which courts may strike down even validly enacted amendments to protect.

The collegium system is the judge-led mechanism by which a body of senior Supreme Court judges recommends appointments and transfers of judges to the higher judiciary in India.

The Committee on Public Undertakings is a parliamentary financial committee that examines the reports, accounts and autonomy of India's public sector enterprises.

The Concurrent List is the Seventh Schedule's List III on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate, with central law prevailing in case of conflict.

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme written law of the American federal republic, adopted in 1787 and ratified in 1788, establishing a presidential system based on separation of powers and federalism.

Directive Principles of State Policy are non-justiciable constitutional guidelines in Part IV (Articles 36–51) of the Indian Constitution directing the State to secure social and economic justice.

The Directive Principles of State Policy are non-justiciable constitutional guidelines in Part IV (Articles 36-51) of the Indian Constitution directing the State toward socio-economic justice and welfare governance.

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly's Drafting Committee and independent India's first Law and Justice Minister.

Dyarchy was a system of double government in the provinces of British India, introduced by the Government of India Act 1919, dividing subjects into "transferred" and "reserved" categories.

The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India lists the scheduled languages of the Republic, presently numbering 22, that receive official recognition.

The Eleventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 29 subjects that may be devolved to Panchayats, added by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

The First Amendment most commonly denotes the first formal alteration to a national constitution, though its content differs sharply between the Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and American systems.

The First Amendment to the Indian Constitution (1951) added Articles 31A, 31B and the Ninth Schedule and amended Articles 15, 19 and 31 to validate land reform and restrict free speech.

A five-year period is the standard fixed term for the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and India's medium-term economic plans under the planning framework.

Fundamental Duties are the moral and civic obligations of Indian citizens enumerated in Article 51A of Part IVA of the Constitution.

Fundamental Rights are justiciable basic freedoms guaranteed to individuals under Part III (Articles 12–35) of the Indian Constitution, enforceable against the State.

Golak Nath v. State of Punjab (1967) was a Supreme Court case holding that Parliament cannot amend Part III to abridge fundamental rights.

The Government of India Act 1858 abolished the East India Company's rule and transferred the governance of India directly to the British Crown.

The GST Council is a constitutional federal body created by Article 279A that recommends rates, exemptions and procedures for India's Goods and Services Tax.

A high-yield retention list is a curated set of frequently-tested, high-return facts and concepts that a candidate consolidates for rapid revision before competitive examinations.

The Indian Independence Act 1947 was a British Parliament statute that partitioned British India into the two independent dominions of India and Pakistan effective 15 August 1947.

An Instrument of Accession was the legal document by which the ruler of a princely state acceded to either India or Pakistan after the lapse of British paramountcy in 1947.

The Inter-State Council is a constitutional advisory body established under Article 263 to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest between the Union and States and among States.

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) is the Supreme Court verdict that established the basic structure doctrine, limiting Parliament's power to amend the Constitution under Article 368.

Union of India v. Mohit Minerals (2022) is the Supreme Court judgment holding that GST Council recommendations are not binding on the Union and States and striking down IGST on ocean freight.

The National Commission for Backward Classes is a constitutional body under Article 338B that examines grievances and welfare safeguards of socially and educationally backward classes in India.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is a constitutional body under Article 338 that safeguards the rights and interests of Scheduled Castes in India.

A right or provision is non-justiciable when it cannot be enforced through a court of law, leaving its fulfilment to the conscience of the legislature and executive.

The Official Languages Act, 1963 is the Indian statute that provides for the continued use of English alongside Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and in Parliament.

An ordinance is a temporary law promulgated by the President or a Governor when the legislature is not in session, carrying the same force as an Act of Parliament or State Legislature.

Panchayati Raj is India's three-tier system of constitutionally mandated rural local self-government operating at the village, intermediate, and district levels.

A source or pronouncement that a court or authority may consider and be influenced by but is not legally obliged to follow.

Pitt's India Act, 1784 established dual control over the East India Company by creating a Board of Control to supervise the Company's civil, military and revenue affairs in India.

The Preamble of India is the introductory statement to the Constitution that declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and sets out the document's guiding objectives.

President's Rule is the suspension of a state government under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, placing the state under the direct administration of the Union.

The Punchhi Commission was the Commission on Centre-State Relations, constituted by India in 2007 under retired Chief Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi, which submitted its report in 2010.

The Rajya Sabha is the upper, indirectly elected, permanent second chamber of India's bicameral Parliament, representing the states and union territories.

The Sarkaria Commission was a three-member body constituted by the Government of India in 1983 to examine and recommend reforms in Centre–State relations.

The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution distributes legislative powers between the Union and the States through three Lists: the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List.

Single citizenship is the constitutional principle whereby every person in India holds only one nationality—Indian citizenship—with no separate citizenship of individual States.

"Six months" is a recurring constitutional time-limit in Indian polity governing ordinance lapse, non-member ministers, and the maximum gap between two sessions of a legislature.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India provides for autonomous administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram through Autonomous District and Regional Councils.

Stability is the capacity of a political system to maintain orderly governance, predictable institutions, and continuity of authority despite internal pressures and leadership change.

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reconstituted India's internal boundaries on a linguistic basis, creating 14 States and 6 Union Territories and abolishing the Part A/B/C/D classification.

Telangana is the 29th state of the Indian Union, carved out of Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The Twelfth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists eighteen functional items that may be devolved to urban local bodies, added by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

A two-thirds majority is a supermajority threshold requiring at least 66.67 percent of votes, used in constitutions to entrench grave decisions against simple majorities.

A writ is a formal written order issued by a constitutional court commanding a public authority or person to perform or refrain from a specified act.

The Zila Parishad is the apex (third) tier of the Panchayati Raj system at the district level, constituted under Part IX of the Constitution as inserted by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992.