ConstitutionThe schedules of the Constitution
A schedule is a list or table attached to the Constitution. It holds details that would make the articles too long, such as the names of the states or the forms of oaths.
| Schedule | What it contains |
|---|---|
| First | Names of the states and union territories and their territories. |
| Second | Salaries and allowances of the President, Governors, Speakers, judges and the Comptroller and Auditor General. |
| Third | Forms of oaths and affirmations for ministers, members of legislatures, judges and others. |
| Fourth | Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and union territories. |
| Fifth | Administration and control of scheduled areas and Scheduled Tribes in most states. |
| Sixth | Administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram through autonomous district councils. |
| Seventh | The three lists that divide law-making powers: Union List, State List and Concurrent List. |
| Eighth | The languages recognised by the Constitution: 22 at present. |
| Ninth | Laws, mostly on land reform, protected from challenge in court. Added by the 1st Amendment, 1951. Laws placed in it after 24 April 1973 can be reviewed if they damage the basic structure. |
| Tenth | Disqualification of members on the ground of defection (the anti-defection law). Added by the 52nd Amendment, 1985. |
| Eleventh | The 29 subjects that may be entrusted to panchayats. Added by the 73rd Amendment, 1992. |
| Twelfth | The 18 subjects that may be entrusted to municipalities. Added by the 74th Amendment, 1992. |
From eight to twelve
The Constitution began in 1950 with eight schedules. Four were added later:
- the Ninth by the 1st Amendment (1951), to protect land reform laws;
- the Tenth by the 52nd Amendment (1985), the anti-defection law;
- the Eleventh by the 73rd Amendment (1992), for panchayats;
- the Twelfth by the 74th Amendment (1992), for municipalities.
The schedules that matter most in daily life
The Seventh Schedule decides who can make a law on a subject. Defence and railways are in the Union List, so only Parliament legislates on them; police and public health are in the State List; education and forests are in the Concurrent List, where both can act. When people ask whether a matter is "a state subject", they are asking about this schedule.
The Tenth Schedule is the anti-defection law. A member of Parliament or of a state legislature who gives up the membership of his or her party, or votes against the party's direction without permission, can be disqualified. The decision is taken by the Speaker or Chairman of the house.
The Eighth Schedule lists the 22 languages recognised by the Constitution: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
A memory aid
Students often remember the first eight with the made-up phrase TEARS OF OLD PM, extended for the later ones: Territories (1), Emoluments (2), Affirmations (3), Rajya Sabha seats (4), Scheduled areas (5), Other tribal areas (6), Federal lists (7), Official languages (8), Land reforms (9), Defection (10), Panchayats (11), Municipalities (12).
This page explains the Constitution in simple words for students and general readers. It is not the official text and is not legal advice. The official text is published by the Legislative Department, Government of India (legislative.gov.in). Last checked: 11 November 2026.