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Article 370

Temporary Provisions Regarding Jammu and Kashmir and Constitutional Application Order (C.O. 273)

Official heading: “Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir”

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Source edition
The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
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Part XXI, Article 370, printed pages 230–231
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1. In One Sentence

Originally established a transitional constitutional relationship for Jammu and Kashmir, rendered inoperative in August 2019 by Presidential Order C.O. 273, making the entire Constitution fully applicable.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 370 was drafted as a "temporary provision" reflecting the unique historical circumstances of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India under the 1947 Instrument of Accession.

Originally, under clause (1), parliamentary law-making was limited to defense, external affairs, communications, and ancillary matters, with other constitutional provisions applying only through Presidential Orders issued with the concurrence of the State Government.

Clause (3) empowered the President to declare Article 370 inoperative or operative with modifications on the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State.

On 5–6 August 2019, the President, on the recommendation of Parliament, issued Constitution Orders C.O. 272 and C.O. 273 under Article 370(1) and 370(3). C.O. 273 declared that all clauses of Article 370 ceased to be operative and substituted a single operative provision declaring that all provisions of the Constitution of India apply to Jammu and Kashmir without exception or modification.

In a historic unanimous judgment in In Re Article 370 (2023), a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of C.O. 273 and the full constitutional integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union of India, affirming that Article 370 was always an asymmetric, temporary feature designed to achieve progressive integration.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A citizen purchases residential property or applies for public employment in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir under uniform national citizenship laws.

Core takeaway: Under C.O. 273 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling, the Constitution of India applies in full to Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating special dual citizenship or separate state constitutional restrictions.
Illustrative Notice: The historical text of Article 370(1)–(3) is preserved in official editions for legislative history, while C.O. 273 reflects operative law.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 370 represents a major constitutional transition from asymmetric federalism to full constitutional parity.

  • Temporary nature: Formulated as a transitional provision in Part XXI; confirmed as temporary by the Supreme Court in 2023.
  • C.O. 273 effect: Declared all original clauses inoperative from 6 August 2019, applying the full Constitution of India.
  • Judicial confirmation: Unanimously upheld in In Re Article 370 (2024) 4 SCC 1 as a valid exercise of presidential constituent power.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,— (a) the provisions of article 238 shall not apply in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir; (b) the power of Parliament to make laws for the said State shall be limited to— (i) those matters in the Union List and the Concurrent List which, in consultation with the Government of the State, are declared by the President to correspond to matters specified in the Instrument of Accession governing the accession of the State to the Dominion of India as the matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws for that State; and (ii) such other matters in the said Lists as, with the concurrence of the Government of the State, the President may by order specify. (c) the provisions of article 1 and of this article shall apply in relation to that State; (d) such of the other provisions of this Constitution shall apply in relation to that State subject to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify: Provided that no such order which relates to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession shall be issued except in consultation with the Government of the State: Provided further that no such order which relates to matters other than those referred to in the last preceding proviso shall be issued except with the concurrence of that Government. (2) If the concurrence of the Government of the State referred to in paragraph (ii) of sub-clause (b) of clause (1) or in the second proviso to sub-clause (d) of that clause be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon. (3) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify: Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification. [Operative status note pursuant to C.O. 273, dated 6 August 2019: In exercise of powers under article 370(3) read with clause (1), the President, on the recommendation of Parliament, declared that all clauses of article 370 shall cease to be operative except the following: "370. All provisions of this Constitution, as amended from time to time, without any modifications or exceptions, shall apply to the State of Jammu and Kashmir notwithstanding anything contrary contained in article 152 or article 308 or any other article of this Constitution or any other provision of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir or any law, document, judgment, ordinance, order, by-law, rule, regulation, notification, custom or usage having the force of law in the territory of India, or any other instrument, treaty or agreement as envisaged under article 363 or otherwise."].
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 XXI, Article 370, printed pages 230–231 • 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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