Constitutional Amendments and Emergency Provisions
Constitutional Amendments and Emergency Provisions
Article 368 lets Parliament amend the Constitution, and Part XVIII gives the Centre special powers in emergencies. NTPC asks what famous amendments did and in which year, and the article, duration and approval needed for each type of emergency.
1. Amendment Procedure (Article 368)
| Type | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Simple majority (outside Article 368) | Admission of new states, citizenship changes, Rajya Sabha seats |
| Special majority | Majority of total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting in each House |
| Special majority plus state ratification | Also needs ratification by half the state legislatures (for federal provisions) |
The President must give assent to an amendment bill; there is no joint sitting for amendment bills
2. Landmark Amendments
| Amendment (year) | Change |
|---|---|
| 1st (1951) | Added the Ninth Schedule |
| 7th (1956) | Reorganised states on linguistic lines |
| 42nd (1976) | "Mini-Constitution": Socialist, Secular, Integrity in the Preamble; Fundamental Duties |
| 44th (1978) | Right to property removed from Fundamental Rights; "internal disturbance" replaced by "armed rebellion" |
| 52nd (1985) | Anti-defection law, Tenth Schedule |
| 61st (Act of 1988, in force 1989) | Voting age lowered from 21 to 18 |
| 73rd and 74th (1992) | Panchayats and municipalities |
| 86th (2002) | Article 21A, right to education |
| 101st (2016) | GST |
| 103rd (2019) | 10% reservation for economically weaker sections |
| 106th (2023) | One-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies (Nari Shakti Vandan) |
3. Emergency Provisions
| Emergency | Article | Approval and duration |
|---|---|---|
| National emergency | 352 | Grounds: war, external aggression, armed rebellion; approved by Parliament within one month; lasts 6 months, renewable |
| President's Rule (state emergency) | 356 | Failure of constitutional machinery; approved within two months; maximum 3 years |
| Financial emergency | 360 | Never declared so far |
National emergency was proclaimed in 1962, 1971 and 1975
✗ Financial emergency was declared in 1991 | ✓ It has never been declared
✗ The 61st Amendment lowered the voting age to 21 | ✓ It lowered it from 21 to 18
हिंदी नोट: संशोधन प्रक्रिया अनुच्छेद 368 में है। 42वाँ संशोधन (1976) "लघु संविधान" कहलाता है; 61वें संशोधन ने मतदान आयु 21 से 18 की; 101वें संशोधन ने जीएसटी लाया। राष्ट्रीय आपातकाल अनुच्छेद 352, राष्ट्रपति शासन 356 और वित्तीय आपातकाल 360 में है; वित्तीय आपातकाल कभी लागू नहीं हुआ।
Exam Pointer: These patterns had no verified NTPC shift in our check and are tagged syllabus-based. Amendment and emergency questions recur across railway and SSC papers.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Famous amendments
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18?
The 61st Amendment Act, 1988 (in force from 1989).
Answer: 61st Amendment
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which amendment is called the "Mini-Constitution", and which amendment introduced GST?
The 42nd Amendment (1976) and the 101st Amendment (2016).
Answer: 42nd; 101st
Pattern 2: Recent amendments
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which amendment provided 10% reservation for economically weaker sections?
The 103rd Amendment, 2019.
Answer: 103rd Amendment
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which amendment reserved one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, and in which year?
The 106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan), 2023.
Answer: 106th Amendment, 2023
Pattern 3: Amendment procedure
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which article deals with the amendment of the Constitution?
Article 368.
Answer: Article 368
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. What is a special majority, and when must state legislatures also ratify an amendment?
A majority of each House's total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting. Half the state legislatures must ratify amendments that affect federal provisions.
Answer: As above; for federal provisions
Pattern 4: Emergencies
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Under which article is President's Rule imposed in a state?
Article 356.
Answer: Article 356
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. In which years was a national emergency proclaimed, and which type of emergency has never been declared?
1962, 1971 and 1975. Financial emergency (Article 360) has never been declared.
Answer: 1962, 1971, 1975; financial emergency
60-Second Revision
- Art 368; special majority = total majority + two-thirds present and voting.
- 42nd mini-Constitution; 44th property; 61st voting age 18; 101st GST; 103rd EWS; 106th women's reservation.
- Art 352 national (1962, 1971, 1975); 356 President's Rule (max 3 years); 360 financial (never used).
Next Step: Polity done. Practise the polity set in the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; make one card per article number and revise twenty cards a day.