The Indian Constitution has
undergone many amendments since its adoption in 1950. These amendments have
been made to update the Constitution and to meet the changing needs of society.
Here are some important amendments in the Indian Constitution that are relevant
for UPSC Indian Polity:
1. 1st Amendment (1951): It added
the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution, which allowed the government to add
laws to the Schedule and protect them from judicial scrutiny.
2. 7th Amendment (1956): It
reorganized the states on a linguistic basis and created new states and Union
Territories.
3. 26th Amendment (1971): It lowered
the voting age from 21 to 18 years.
4. 42nd Amendment (1976): It is also
known as the "Mini Constitution" and made significant changes to the
Constitution during the Emergency period. It introduced the Fundamental Duties
of citizens, made education a concurrent subject, and gave more powers to the
central government.
5. 44th Amendment (1978): It undid
some of the changes made by the 42nd Amendment and restored the power of the
judiciary and limited the power of the central government during emergency.
6. 52nd Amendment (1985): It added
the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, which is also known as the
"Anti-Defection Law." This law prevents elected representatives from
switching political parties after their election.
7. 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992):
These amendments provided for the establishment of Panchayati Raj institutions
and urban local bodies, respectively. They aimed to strengthen the local
self-government system in the country.
8. 86th Amendment (2002): It made
education a fundamental right for all children between the ages of six and
fourteen years.
9. 97th Amendment (2011): It added
cooperative societies to the Concurrent List, which means that both the central
and state governments can make laws on cooperatives.
10.
101st
Amendment (2016): It introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a unified tax
system for the entire country.
11.
124th
Amendment (2019): It provided for 10% reservation for economically weaker
sections (EWS) in educational institutions and government jobs.
These amendments have played a significant role in
strengthening the democratic system in the country, promoting social justice,
and ensuring the rights of citizens. It is essential to have a good
understanding of these amendments for the UPSC Indian Polity exam.