Union’s Duty to Protect States from Aggression and Maintain Constitutional Governance
Official heading: “Duty of the Union to protect States against external aggression and internal disturbance”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part XVIII, Article 355, printed page 211
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1. In One Sentence
Imposes an active constitutional duty on the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance, and ensure governance complies with the Constitution.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Article 355 is the foundational constitutional duty that justifies federal intervention in state affairs.
It imposes a two-fold duty on the Union Government: first, to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance; and second, to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
In S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court affirmed that Article 355 is not merely an independent emergency power, but the guiding justification and condition precedent for taking measures under Article 356 (President’s Rule).
3. Practical Illustrative Example
Widespread civil unrest overwhelms state law enforcement in a border state, and the central government deploys central paramilitary forces to protect public installations.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 355 establishes the federal protective responsibility of the Union Government.
- Twin obligations: Protects against external threats and internal disturbances, while ensuring constitutional compliance.
- Deployment of central forces: Provides the legal justification for deploying central armed police forces in aid of civil power.
- Gateway to Article 356: Serves as the constitutional preamble and benchmark for invoking President’s Rule.
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 XVIII, Article 355, printed page 211 • 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.