Definition of "State" in Part VI
Official heading: “Definition.”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part VI, Article 152, printed page 70
- Last human source-link check
- Not yet checked
- Last human legal review
- Not yet reviewed
AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.
1. In One Sentence
Article 152 defines the expression "State" for the purposes of Part VI, historically excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir prior to reorganization.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Article 152 provides the interpretative baseline for Part VI of the Constitution, which governs the constitutional machinery of the States, including the Governor, Council of Ministers, State Legislature, High Courts, and Subordinate Courts.
Originally enacted to apply to Part A States under the Constitution of 1950, it was amended by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, to exclude the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which was then governed by its own separate State Constitution under Article 370.
Following the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and constitutional orders relating to Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was reconstituted into Union Territories; however, the verbatim historical text in the official Legislative Department edition continues to reflect the 1956 formulation.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
A law student reads Part VI to understand the executive and legislative framework governing States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, or West Bengal.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 152 defines the territorial and institutional application of Part VI.
- Defines "State" specifically for Part VI of the Constitution.
- Reflects the historical exclusion of Jammu and Kashmir prior to the 2019 reorganization.
- Distinguishes standard State constitutional frameworks from Union Territories governed under Part VIII.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part VI, Article 152, printed page 70 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.