---
title: "44th Amendment Act 1978: Key Changes | Model Diplomat"
description: "The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 reversed authoritarian changes from the Emergency, reinforcing protections against executive abuse in India."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/forty-fourth-amendment-act-1978"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 reversed key authoritarian provisions of India's Emergency-era 42nd Amendment and strengthened safeguards against executive abuse.
- How did the 44th Amendment change the grounds for declaring a national emergency?
- What is the difference between the 42nd and 44th Amendments?
- Why is the right to property no longer a fundamental right in India?
- Can Articles 20 and 21 be suspended during an emergency?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 25 June 1975

   The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 was enacted by the Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Morarji Desai to dismantle the most damaging fea…

2. 30 April 1979

   Introduced as the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Bill, it received presidential assent on , though several of its provisions were brought into force o…

3. 20 June 1979

   Introduced as the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Bill, it received presidential assent on 30 April 1979, though several of its provisions were brought…

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Example

In 2017, the Supreme Court in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India overruled the 1976 ADM Jabalpur judgment, affirming the 44th Amendment's guarantee that Article 21 cannot be suspended even during an emergency.

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