Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956

Introduction 

The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, was enacted on November 1, 1956, to fundamentally reorganize India's states and territories. This amendment implemented the States Reorganisation Act, which aimed to create states based on linguistic lines rather than the existing complex system inherited from British rule. 

• Before this amendment, India had a confusing four-part classification of states:  
• Part A states (former British provinces),  
• Part B states (former princely states),  
• Part C states (centrally administered areas), and  
• Part D territories.  

Major Constitutional Changes 

• Simplification of State Structure 
  • The amendment's most significant change was replacing the complex four-part system with a simple two-tier structure:  
    • States and Union Territories.  
  • Article 1 and the First Schedule were completely rewritten to establish 14 states and 6 Union Territories. 
  • This reorganization created linguistically coherent administrative units while maintaining national unity. 
• Parliamentary Representation 
  • The amendment revised Articles 81 and 82, which govern the composition of the Lok Sabha (House of the People). 
  • The new provisions ensured fair representation based on population while establishing clear rules for constituency delimitation.  
  • Union Territories were also given representation in Parliament, with a maximum of 20 seats allocated for this purpose. 
• High Court Reforms 
  • Several important changes were made to the judicial system. The amendment allowed for the appointment of additional and acting judges to High Courts when needed to clear backlogs or fill temporary vacancies. It also relaxed the strict ban on retired High Court judges practicing law, allowing them to practice in the Supreme Court and other High Courts (but not their former court). 
• Executive Powers 
  • Article 298 was rewritten to expand the government's power to engage in trade, business, and commercial activities.  
  • This change recognized the state's growing role in economic development while ensuring legislative oversight remained intact. 

Administrative Innovations 

• Union Territory Governance 
  • The amendment created a comprehensive framework for administering Union Territories under Articles 239 and 240. These territories would be governed directly by the President through appointed administrators. The amendment also allowed state Governors to serve as administrators of neighboring Union Territories when practical. 
• Protection of Linguistic Minorities 
  • Two new articles, 350A and 350B, were added to protect linguistic minorities after state reorganization. Article 350A required states to provide primary education in mother tongues for minority language groups. Article 350B established a Special Officer to monitor and report on linguistic minority rights. 
• Inter-Government Cooperation 
  • Article 258A was inserted to formalize cooperative federalism. This provision allowed state governments to delegate functions to the central government, enabling better coordination on development projects and administrative efficiency. 

Major Changes Made by the Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 

• Articles Completely Substituted/Replaced: 
  • Article 1 and First Schedule - State classification and territories 
  • Articles 81 & 82 - Lok Sabha composition and readjustment 
  • Article 170 - Legislative Assembly composition 
  • Article 220 - Practice restrictions for retired judges 
  • Article 224 - Additional and acting judges 
  • Articles 230, 231, 232 - High Court jurisdiction 
  • Article 298 - Executive power for trade and business 
  • Article 371 - Special provisions for states 
• Articles with Specific Amendments: 
  • Article 80 - Rajya Sabha composition (Union territories added) 
  • Fourth Schedule - Seat allocation in Rajya Sabha 
  • Article 131 - Supreme Court jurisdiction (proviso revised) 
  • Article 153 - Governor appointment (proviso added) 
  • Article 158 - Governor emoluments (new clause 3A) 
  • Article 168 - Bicameral legislatures (Punjab, Mysore, Madhya Pradesh) 
  • Article 171 - Legislative Council strength (1/4 to 1/3) 
  • Article 216 - High Court judge numbers (proviso omitted) 
  • Article 217 - Judge tenure provisions 
  • Article 222 - Judge transfer provisions (compensatory allowance removed) 
• New Articles Inserted: 
  • Article 258A - State-Union function delegation 
  • Article 290A - Devaswom Fund payments 
  • Article 350A - Mother-tongue instruction facilities 
  • Article 350B - Special Officer for linguistic minorities 
  • Article 372A - Presidential power to adapt laws 
  • Article 378A - Andhra Pradesh Assembly duration 
• Major Structural Changes: 
  • Part VIII - Renamed from "Part C States" to "Union Territories" 
  • Part IX - Completely repealed (Part D territories) 
  • Second Schedule - Judge salaries and pension provisions 
  • Seventh Schedule - Legislative list entries modified 
• Consequential Amendments: 
  • Consequential amendments to remove references to "Part A, B, C states," "Rajpramukh," and other obsolete terms throughout the Constitution. 
  • This amendment touched approximately 70+ constitutional provisions, making it one of the most comprehensive constitutional amendments in Indian history.