Article 385

Provisional Legislatures in Former Princely States (Omitted)

Official heading: “[Provision as to provisional Legislatures in States in Part B of the First Schedule.]”

Historical / Omitted Provision

Article 385 provided that the legislative bodies or Rajpramukhs functioning in princely state unions (such as Mysore, Travancore-Cochin, and Rajasthan) would serve as provisional legislatures until fresh assemblies were elected in 1952. It was omitted by the Seventh Amendment in 1956 when Part B States were abolished.

Amendment: Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956 (s. 29 and Sch.)Effective Date: 01-11-1956Modern Constitutional Status: Omitted from the operative Constitution. Provided that legislative bodies in former princely states (Part B States) continued as provisional state legislatures until 1952.

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part XXI, Article 385, printed page 251
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Article 385 formerly continued legislative bodies in Part B princely states, and was omitted in 1956.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 385 provided temporary legislative authority for former princely state unions that lacked British provincial assemblies.

Existing interim legislative councils or Rajpramukhs functioned as provisional legislatures until the 1952 elections.

The article was omitted when Part B States were abolished by the Seventh Amendment in 1956.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

In 1951, the interim legislative assembly of Travancore-Cochin passed state agricultural tenancy laws under Article 385.

Core takeaway: Article 385 ensured legal continuity across newly integrated princely territories.

Illustrative Notice: The article is omitted; all state legislatures are governed by uniform provisions in Part VI.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 385 was an interim legislative provision for princely states.

Part B state coverage: Governed former princely state unions.
Omitted in 1956: Repealed by the Seventh Amendment.
Abolished classification: Part B state categories ceased on 1 November 1956.

5. Historical constitutional wording — not operative

[Provision as to provisional Legislatures in States in Part B of the First Schedule.]—Omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1956).

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

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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 385, printed page 251 • 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