Find your way: the Parts and Schedules
The Constitution of India is arranged in Parts, which hold the numbered articles, and Schedules, which are lists placed at the end. In this lesson you will learn the main addresses: which Part holds which subject, and what the main Schedules list.
Guess first
A friend said: "The Fundamental Rights are in the Seventh Schedule." Is she right?
Guess first: where in the Constitution are the Fundamental Rights?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Part III of the Constitution is titled FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS. Rights are articles in a Part, not entries in a Schedule.
Option B: The Seventh Schedule holds the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List, not the rights.
Option C: Part IV holds the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Option D: The Eighth Schedule lists Languages.
Hint: Rights are written as articles, and articles live in Parts.
Your friend mixed up a Part with a Schedule. That is the first rule of this lesson: articles live in Parts; lists live in Schedules.
An everyday picture
Think of the Constitution as a large school building.
The Constitution is a building:
Floors Parts
each floor holds one department, such as Part III for Fundamental Rights
Rooms Articles
numbered in order through the building, such as Article 17
Notice boards at the exit Schedules
lists kept at the end, such as the Seventh Schedule's Union List
Building plan date as on 10 September 2026
our copy of the text is as on this date
The analogy helps with one more thing: a room number tells you the floor. Article 17 is between 12 and 35, so it is on the Part III floor.
See it: the map
The Parts you will meet in this course:
| Part | Subject | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Part I | The Union and its Territory | begins at Article 1 |
| Part II | Citizenship | Articles 5 to 11 |
| Part III | Fundamental Rights | Articles 12 to 35 |
| Part IV | Directive Principles of State Policy | Articles 36 to 51 |
| Part IVA | Fundamental Duties | Article 51A only |
| Part V | The Union: it opens with the President | begins at Article 52 |
| Part XVIII | Emergency Provisions | Articles 352 to 360 |
| Part XX | Amendment of the Constitution | Article 368 |
| Part XXII | Short title, commencement, Hindi text, repeals | Articles 393 to 395 |
The Schedules, as listed in our copy (as on 10 September 2026):
| Schedule | What it holds |
|---|---|
| First Schedule | The States and the Union territories |
| Third Schedule | Forms of Oaths or Affirmations |
| Seventh Schedule | Union List, State List, Concurrent List (Article 246) |
| Eighth Schedule | Languages: 22 entries, as on 10 September 2026 |
| Ninth Schedule | Validation of certain Acts and Regulations; added by the First Amendment, 1951 |
| Tenth Schedule | Disqualification on ground of defection; added by the 52nd Amendment, 1985 |
| Eleventh Schedule | Panchayats; added by the 73rd Amendment, 1992 |
| Twelfth Schedule | Municipalities; added by the 74th Amendment, 1992 |
How to find an address:
- Ask: is it an article (a rule) or a list?
- For an article, find its Part from the article number: 12 to 35 is Part III, 36 to 51 is Part IV.
- For a list, think of the Schedules: the Seventh Schedule for the three Lists, the Eighth Schedule for languages.
Try it on paper. Write Article 1, Article 5, Article 12, Article 36 and Article 52 in a column. Next to each, write the Part it opens and that Part's subject. Check yourself against the table.
Find the rule
Three quick checks, each on one address.
Which Part of the Constitution deals with Citizenship?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Part II is titled CITIZENSHIP and begins with Article 5, "Citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution".
Option B: Part I is The Union and its Territory.
Option C: Part III is Fundamental Rights.
Option D: Part IVA is Fundamental Duties.
Hint: Citizenship comes right after the Union and its Territory.
The Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List are in which Schedule?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The Seventh Schedule (Article 246) holds List I, the Union List; List II, the State List; and List III, the Concurrent List.
Option B: The Eighth Schedule lists Languages.
Option C: The Tenth Schedule is about disqualification on ground of defection.
Option D: The Eleventh Schedule is about Panchayats.
Hint: The three lists of law-making subjects share a Schedule.
Part IVA has only one article. Which one?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The contents list Part IVA, FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES, with a single article: "51A. Fundamental duties."
Option B: Article 51, on international peace and security, is the last article of Part IV.
Option C: Article 50, on separation of judiciary from executive, is in Part IV.
Option D: Article 52, "The President of India", opens Part V.
Hint: The letter A in Part IVA is a clue to the article number.
Name it: Parts for articles, Schedules for lists
The rule: an article has a home Part, and its number tells you which. A Schedule is a list at the end of the Constitution. The Seventh Schedule is where the three Lists live; the Eighth Schedule is where the languages live.
A letter marks an article or Part inserted later between two old ones. Part IVA sits between Part IV and Part V, and its only article is Article 51A, after Article 51. Its footnote says Part IVA was inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
Worked, half-done, solo
Question
Which Schedule lists the languages, and how many entries does it have?
Solution
- Look for the Schedule titled Languages
The contents list "EIGHTH SCHEDULE-- Languages."
- Count its numbered entries in our copy
They run from Assamese to Urdu: 22 entries.
- Say when the count holds
Our copy is as on 10 September 2026; an amendment can add entries.
Answer: The Eighth Schedule, with 22 entries as on 10 September 2026.
Watch out: the Seventh Schedule has the three Lists, not the languages.
Now finish one that is half done.
Half done: in the Seventh Schedule, List I is the Union List and List II is the State List. What is List III?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The Seventh Schedule's List III is the Concurrent List.
Option B: The Union List is List I.
Option C: The State List is List II.
Option D: Panchayats are the subject of the Eleventh Schedule, not a List of the Seventh Schedule.
Hint: The third list is shared by the Union and the States.
And one on your own.
As on 10 September 2026, how many Schedules does the Constitution of India have?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The contents list the Schedules from the First Schedule to the Twelfth Schedule: 12 in all, as on 10 September 2026.
Option B: 11 is one short: the list goes up to the Twelfth Schedule.
Option C: 13 is one too many: there is no Schedule after the Twelfth Schedule.
Option D: 22 is the number of entries in the Eighth Schedule (Languages), not the number of Schedules.
Hint: Find the last Schedule in the contents and read its name.
The traps
- Part for Schedule: the Fundamental Rights are in Part III; the Seventh Schedule has the three Lists.
- Seventh for Eighth: the Seventh Schedule has the Union, State and Concurrent Lists; the Eighth Schedule has the languages.
- 51 for 51A: Article 51 is international peace and security, in Part IV; Article 51A is the Fundamental Duties, in Part IVA.
- Eleventh for Twelfth: the Eleventh Schedule is Panchayats (73rd Amendment); the Twelfth Schedule is Municipalities (74th Amendment).
- A count without a date: counts such as 22 languages and 12 Schedules are as on 10 September 2026.
Anil wrote: "The Tenth Schedule lists the languages." Which Schedule should he have written?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The Eighth Schedule is titled Languages. The Tenth Schedule is about disqualification on ground of defection.
Option B: That is what he wrote. The Tenth Schedule is about disqualification on ground of defection.
Option C: The Seventh Schedule holds the Union, State and Concurrent Lists.
Option D: The Twelfth Schedule is about Municipalities.
Hint: The languages Schedule comes right after the Lists Schedule.
Mixed check
In lesson 1 you met Article 394, "Commencement". It sits in the Part titled SHORT TITLE, COMMENCEMENT, AUTHORITATIVE TEXT IN HINDI AND REPEALS. Which Part is that?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Part XXII is titled SHORT TITLE, COMMENCEMENT, AUTHORITATIVE TEXT IN HINDI AND REPEALS and begins with Article 393, "Short title".
Option B: Part XX is Amendment of the Constitution, with Article 368.
Option C: Part XVIII is Emergency Provisions.
Option D: Part I is The Union and its Territory.
Hint: Commencement belongs with the closing provisions, in the last Part.
Quick reference
The map of the Constitution
- Part I
- The Union and its Territory begins at Article 1
- Part II
- Citizenship Articles 5 to 11
- Part III
- Fundamental Rights Articles 12 to 35
- Part IV
- Directive Principles of State Policy Articles 36 to 51
- Part IVA
- Fundamental Duties Article 51A only
- Part XVIII
- Emergency Provisions Articles 352 to 360
- Part XX
- Amendment of the Constitution Article 368
- Seventh Schedule
- Union List, State List, Concurrent List Article 246
- Eighth Schedule
- Languages 22 entries, as on 10 September 2026
- Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Schedule
- defection; Panchayats; Municipalities 52nd, 73rd, 74th Amendments
Why it works: articles live in Parts and their numbers give the Part; lists live in Schedules.
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