Article 4

Laws made under articles 2 and 3 to provide for the amendment of the First and the Fourth Schedules and supplemental, incidental and consequential matters

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part I, Article 4
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

Open official PDF at this article Report a text or source error

AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.

1. In One Sentence

Clarifies that laws creating new states or redrawing boundaries are passed by an ordinary parliamentary majority and do not require a constitutional amendment under Article 368.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

When Parliament creates a new state or changes state boundaries under Article 2 or Article 3, corresponding administrative updates must take place: the First Schedule (which lists all States and Union Territories) and the Fourth Schedule (which allocates seats in the Rajya Sabha) must be modified.

Article 4 authorizes Parliament to make these updates automatically as part of the state reorganization law, along with incidental matters such as setting up High Courts, distributing assets and debts, and establishing state legislative seats.

Crucially, Article 4(2) declares that such a reorganization law "shall not be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368". This means state reorganization laws can be passed by a simple majority present and voting in Parliament, avoiding the complex two-thirds majority and state ratification hurdles of formal constitutional amendments.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

When the state of Uttarakhand was created from Uttar Pradesh in 2000, seats in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha had to be apportioned between the two states.

Core takeaway: Under Article 4, the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 amended the First and Fourth Schedules directly and was passed by an ordinary majority in Parliament.

Illustrative Notice: Although an Article 4 law amends constitutional schedules, it is treated as ordinary legislation and cannot be used to bypass constitutional requirements for non-territorial amendments.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Ensures seamless administrative adjustments when states are admitted or reorganized without invoking Article 368.

Automatic schedule adjustments: Mandates updating the First Schedule (territory list) and Fourth Schedule (Rajya Sabha representation).
Simple legislative majority: Reorganization laws require only a simple majority in both Houses of Parliament.
Covers incidental matters: Permits Parliament to provide for representation, division of assets, High Court jurisdiction, and civil services.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) Any law referred to in article 2 or article 3 shall contain such provisions for the amendment of the First Schedule and the Fourth Schedule as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the law and may also contain such supplemental, incidental and consequential provisions (including provisions as to representation in Parliament and in the Legislature or Legislatures of the State or States affected by such law) as Parliament may deem necessary. (2) No such law as aforesaid shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368.

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
Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part I, Article 4 • Human source-link check pending
Official consolidated text of the Constitution published by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice.
•
Assembly RecordConstituent Assembly Debates (Official Report)Source or archive portal
Lok Sabha Secretariat (Parliament of India / Lok Sabha Secretariat) • Volume VII, 18 November 1948 • Human source-link check pending
Official verbatim record of Constituent Assembly proceedings published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

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