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Article 275

Statutory Grants-in-Aid from the Union to Deficit and Tribal States

Official heading: “Grants from the Union to certain States”

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Source edition
The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
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Part XII, Article 275, printed pages 161–163
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1. In One Sentence

Authorizes parliamentary grants-in-aid charged on the Consolidated Fund of India to States in financial need, with mandatory capital grants for tribal welfare and Scheduled Areas.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 275 is the primary constitutional mechanism for horizontal fiscal equalization, providing revenue deficit grants and targeted development assistance to States.

Clause (1) empowers Parliament to make grants-in-aid to such States as Parliament determines to be in need of assistance, charged directly on the Consolidated Fund of India (non-voted expenditure).

Under clause (2), these grants are fixed by the President by order after considering the recommendations of the Finance Commission under Article 280.

The first proviso to clause (1) creates a mandatory constitutional commitment: the Union must provide grants to pay for state welfare schemes undertaken with central approval for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes or raising the level of administration of Scheduled Areas.

The second proviso mandates specific grants to the State of Assam for Sixth Schedule tribal areas and autonomous districts.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A hill State or economically disadvantaged State faces a structural post-devolution revenue deficit after receiving its share of divisible taxes.

Core takeaway: Under Article 275(1), the Finance Commission recommends a Post-Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant charged on the Consolidated Fund of India to balance the state budget.
Illustrative Notice: Grants under Article 275 are statutory and unconditional, distinct from discretionary executive transfers made under Article 282 for Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 275 ensures horizontal fiscal justice and targeted tribal development.

  • Charged expenditure: Paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India without annual parliamentary voting.
  • Finance Commission guidance: Grounded in the objective financial assessments of the Finance Commission.
  • Constitutional tribal guarantee: Mandatory capital and recurring grants for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Areas.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) Such sums as Parliament may by law provide shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India in each year as grants-in-aid of the revenues of such States as Parliament may determine to be in need of assistance, and different sums may be fixed for different States: Provided that there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as grants-in-aid of the revenues of a State such capital and recurring sums as may be necessary to enable that State to meet the costs of such schemes of development as may be undertaken by the State with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes in that State or raising the level of administration of the Scheduled Areas therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State: Provided further that there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as grants-in-aid of the revenues of the State of Assam sums, capital and recurring, equivalent to— (a) the average excess of expenditure over the revenues during the two years immediately preceding the commencement of this Constitution in respect of the administration of the tribal areas specified in Part I of the table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule; and (b) the costs of such schemes of development as may be undertaken by that State with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of raising the level of administration of the said areas to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State. (1A) On and from the formation of the autonomous State under article 244A— (i) any sums payable under clause (a) of the second proviso to clause (1) shall, if the autonomous State comprises all the tribal areas referred to therein, be paid to the autonomous State, and, if the autonomous State comprises only some of those tribal areas, be divided between the State of Assam and the autonomous State as the President may, by order, determine; (ii) there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as grants-in-aid of the revenues of the autonomous State sums, capital and recurring, equivalent to the costs of such schemes of development as may be undertaken by the autonomous State with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of raising the level of administration of that State to that of the administration of the rest of the State of Assam. (2) Until provision is made by Parliament under clause (1), the powers conferred on Parliament under that clause shall be exercisable by the President by order and any order made by the President under this clause shall have effect subject to any provision so made by Parliament: Provided that after a Finance Commission has been constituted no order shall be made under this clause by the President except after considering the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata
  • •
    Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
    Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XII, Article 275, printed pages 161–163 • 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.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource

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