The Indian Constitution had 395 articles when it was adopted in 1949, in 22 parts and 8 schedules. After decades of amendments it now contains about 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules, though the last-numbered article is still 395. CLAT Coaching Delhi explains the count and lists them.
Preparing for CLAT? Indian polity and legal GK are scoring sections. CLAT Coaching Delhi can help. WhatsApp us or call +91 8750581505.
How many articles are in the Indian Constitution?
When the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949, it had 395 articles, arranged in 22 parts with 8 schedules. That made it the longest written constitution in the world even on day one. Since then, decades of amendments have added and removed provisions, so the number of articles of constitution of india today is larger than the original 395.
The figure most commonly used for the current total is about 448 articles, in 25 parts and 12 schedules. So if you are asked how many articles are in indian constitution, the accurate answer names both numbers: 395 originally, and roughly 448 now.
At a glance, here is how the Constitution has grown from its adoption to today.
Feature | At adoption (1949) | Today |
Articles | 395 | About 448 |
Parts | 22 | 25 |
Schedules | 8 | 12 |
Amendments | None yet | 106 |
The Indian Constitution: by the numbers
These figures are current and are the ones CLAT Coaching Delhi teaches for the polity and legal GK sections.
Figure | What it means |
395 | Articles when the Constitution was adopted in 1949, in 22 parts and 8 schedules |
448 | Articles commonly counted today, in 25 parts and 12 schedules |
21A, 51A | Examples of articles added by amendment with letter suffixes, which is why the count grew without the last number changing |
106 | Times the Constitution has been amended so far, the latest in 2023 |
26 January 1950 | The day the Constitution came into force, now celebrated as Republic Day |
Why the number of articles is confusing
Here is the part most pages get wrong. New articles are not added by continuing past 395. Instead they are inserted with letter suffixes, so the Right to Education became Article 21A and the Fundamental Duties became Article 51A. A few articles have also been repealed. Because of this, the last article is still numbered 395, while the real total, counted by hand, comes to about 448.
This is also why you will see different figures online, from 448 to over 470. They are all counting the same document, but treating suffixed and repealed articles differently. For a clean answer in an exam, state 395 originally and about 448 currently, and add that the count is not officially fixed. You can read the full text at the Constitution of India project.
Articles of the Indian Constitution by topic
Rather than memorising all articles, it helps to learn them by topic. The table below groups the key articles by subject, including those on the President, Parliament and the Supreme Court.
Topic | Key articles |
Fundamental Rights | Articles 12 to 35 (Part III) |
Directive Principles of State Policy | Articles 36 to 51 (Part IV) |
Fundamental Duties | Article 51A (Part IVA) |
The President and Union executive | Articles 52 to 78 (Part V) |
Parliament | Articles 79 to 122 (Part V) |
The Supreme Court | Articles 124 to 147 (Part V) |
Emergency provisions | Articles 352 to 360 (Part XVIII) |
Amendment of the Constitution | Article 368 (Part XX) |
Important articles of the Indian Constitution
If you are searching for the important articles of constitution of india, these are the ones that come up most often in exams and in public debate. The Fundamental Rights in Part III are especially heavily tested.
Article | What it covers |
Article 14 | Equality before the law |
Article 19 | Freedom of speech and expression, and other freedoms |
Article 21 | Protection of life and personal liberty |
Article 21A | Right to education |
Article 32 | Right to constitutional remedies |
Article 44 | Uniform Civil Code (a Directive Principle) |
Article 51A | Fundamental Duties of citizens |
Article 356 | President’s Rule in a state |
Article 368 | Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution |
Article 370 | Former special status for Jammu and Kashmir, revoked in 2019 |
Want the full list of articles as exam-ready notes? CLAT Coaching Delhi gives every batch structured polity material. WhatsApp us or call +91 8750581505 for free counselling.
Parts and schedules of the Indian Constitution
The 25 parts group the articles into themes, from Fundamental Rights to emergency provisions. The 12 schedules hold the supporting lists and tables. The Constitution grew from 22 parts and 8 schedules to 25 parts and 12 schedules as amendments added new topics, while one part was repealed.
The twelve schedules are set out below.
Schedule | Subject |
First | The states and union territories |
Second | Salaries of top office holders such as the President and judges |
Third | Forms of oaths and affirmations |
Fourth | Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to the states |
Fifth | Administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes |
Sixth | Administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram |
Seventh | The Union, State and Concurrent Lists that divide powers |
Eighth | The official languages, currently 22 |
Ninth | Laws shielded from certain judicial review (added in 1951) |
Tenth | Anti-defection provisions (added in 1985) |
Eleventh | Powers of Panchayats (added in 1992) |
Twelfth | Powers of Municipalities (added in 1992) |
How the article count has grown: key amendments
The Constitution is a living document, amended 106 times so far. The first amendment in 1951 added the Ninth Schedule. The 42nd Amendment of 1976, often called the mini-Constitution, added the Fundamental Duties. The 101st Amendment of 2016 introduced the Goods and Services Tax. The most recent, the 106th Amendment of 2023, reserved one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
How to learn this for CLAT and other law exams
Indian polity and the Constitution sit inside the current affairs, general knowledge and legal reasoning sections of CLAT, so the number of articles, the important articles and the structure are worth knowing cold. The trick is not to memorise all articles of constitution of india, but to learn them by topic and to practise past questions. Dr B. R. Ambedkar and the Drafting Committee built the document theme by theme, and that is exactly how to study it.
This is where CLAT Coaching Delhi fits in. Our batches turn polity into scoring marks with structured notes, weekly current affairs and full length mocks. If you are still in school, start with our guide to preparing for CLAT from Class 11, test yourself with CLAT previous year question papers, check the CLAT exam pattern, and see the beswyt laers in India the Constitution helped shape. Explore our CLAT coaching in Delhi NCR, part of the wider Law Prep Tutorial network.
See CLAT 2027 batches. WhatsApp us at wa.me/918750581505 or call +91 8750581505. 1310+ NLU selections since 2009, best All India Rank of 1, five Delhi NCR centres and online batches.
About the author and reviewer
This guide was written by the CLAT Coaching Delhi editorial team and reviewed for accuracy against current public records. Anand Sharma, who reviewed it, is Director and Academic Mentor at CLAT Coaching Delhi and an alumnus of NLIU Bhopal (B.A. LL.B.). CLAT Coaching Delhi has guided aspirants to more than 1310 NLU selections since 2009.
If you are preparing for CLAT, explore these useful resources for coaching, exam updates, preparation, and study materials
Frequently Asked Questions
The Indian Constitution had 395 articles when it was adopted in 1949. After amendments it is commonly counted today as about 448 articles, arranged in 25 parts and 12 schedules. The last-numbered article is still 395.