Armed Forces in Part B States (Omitted)
Official heading: “Armed Forces in States in Part B of the First Schedule”
Article 259 originally permitted Part B States (former princely states and unions) possessing their own armed forces before 1950 to continue maintaining them as part of the Armed Forces of the Union subject to presidential orders, until Parliament provided otherwise. With the reorganization of States and the unification of categories under the Seventh Amendment in 1956, Article 259 was omitted.
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part XI, Article 259, printed page 154
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1. In One Sentence
Article 259 formerly regulated princely state armed forces in Part B States, and was omitted upon state reorganization in 1956.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
At the commencement of the Constitution in 1950, several princely states and unions (like Hyderabad, Gwalior, and Travancore) maintained their own regional armed forces.
Article 259 provided a transitional arrangement: these troops could be maintained as part of the Armed Forces of the Union, subject to general or special directions from the President, until Parliament enacted permanent laws.
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, and the 7th Constitutional Amendment eliminated the distinction between Part A and Part B States and integrated all state armed forces into the Indian Armed Forces, rendering Article 259 obsolete.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
A military historian researches the integration of the State Forces of Hyderabad or Mysore into the Indian Army in the 1950s.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 259 was a historical transitional provision for princely military integration.
- Transitional arrangement: Managed princely troops between 1950 and 1956.
- Omitted in 1956: Deleted by the Seventh Amendment.
- Unified military: Solidified exclusive Union authority over all military and armed forces.
5. Historical constitutional wording — not operative
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 XI, Article 259, printed page 154 • 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.