{"id":59098,"date":"2026-07-01T12:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=59098"},"modified":"2026-07-02T14:57:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:27:37","slug":"42nd-constitutional-amendment-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/42nd-constitutional-amendment-act\/","title":{"rendered":"42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976, Provisions, Case Law"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<strong> 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976<\/strong> is the most important constitutional amendment and also known as the \u2018<strong>Mini Constitution<\/strong>\u2019 of India. Indira Gandhi was heading the Indian Congress when these changes were implemented. In this article, we are going to cover the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976 and its importance and major changes that were implemented.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976 introduced some major changes in the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Constitution of India<\/strong><\/a>. Also known as the Constitution Act of 1976, this act made the following changes in the constitution:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce the power of the supreme court and the high court<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laid down fundamental duties for citizens<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Terms- socialist, secular and integrity were added to the Preamble\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>42nd Constitutional Amendment Act Provisions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976 altered the basic structure of the Constitution of India. The changes include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 30.2605%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>42nd Constitutional Amendment Act Provisions<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Changes introduced<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Details of the Amendment<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/preamble-of-indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Preamble<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the words \u201cSovereign Democratic Republic\u201d, the words \u201cSovereign<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Socialist Secular Democratic Republic\u201d was substituted<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the words \u201cunity of the Nation\u201d, the words \u201cunity and<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">integrity of the Nation\u201d was substituted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/7th-schedule-of-indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>7th Schedule<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transferred five subjects from the state list to the concurrent list:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Education<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forests<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weights &amp; Measures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protection of Wild Animals and Birds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Administration of Justice<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/fundamental-duties-of-an-indian-citizen\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Article 51A<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 Fundamental Duties added for the citizens. (The <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/fundamental-duties\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Fundamental Duties<\/strong><\/a> of citizens were added upon the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee that was constituted by the government in 1976)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/functions-of-parliament\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Parliament<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Made <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/president-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>President<\/strong><\/a> bound to the advice of the cabinet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowed Centre to deploy central forces in State to deal with the conflicting situations of law and order (Article 257A)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gave special discretionary powers to the speaker of\u00a0 the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/lok-sabha\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lok Sabha<\/strong><\/a> and Prime Minister (Article 329A)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Directive Principles were given precedence over <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/fundamental-rights-of-indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Fundamental Rights<\/strong><\/a> and any law made to this effect by the Parliament was kept beyond the scope of judicial review by the Court<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Powers of HC<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curtailed the judicial review power of the High Courts<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Articles 323A and 323B, Part XIV-A\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part XIV-A added entitled as \u2018Tribunals dealing with Administrative matters\u2019 and \u2018Tribunals for other matters\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30.2605%;\">\n<p>DPSPs\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1383%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three new DPSPs (<a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/directive-principles-of-state-policy-dpsp\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Directive Principles of State Policy<\/strong><\/a>) were added to the existing list of DPSPs and one was amended:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To secure opportunities for the healthy development of children (Article 39)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To promote equal justice and to provide free legal aid to the poor (Article 39 A)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To take steps to secure the participation of workers in the management of industries (Article 43 A)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To protect and improve the environment and to safeguard forests and wildlife (Article 48 A)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong>42nd Constitutional Amendment Act Case Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act faced major judicial review, leading to landmark rulings that restored constitutional balance and judicial powers.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/minerva-mills-v-union-of-india-case\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Minerva Mills v. Union of India Case (1980)<\/strong><\/a>, the Supreme Court became the most important judicial check on the 42nd Amendment and protected the Constitution&#8217;s basic structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court struck down Section 4 of the 42nd Amendment, which gave Directive Principles priority over Fundamental Rights in many cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court invalidated Section 55, which attempted to give Parliament unlimited power to amend the Constitution under <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/part-20-of-indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Article 368<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment reaffirmed that judicial review is a basic feature of the Constitution and cannot be removed by constitutional amendments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court relied on the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kesavananda-bharati-case\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Kesavananda Bharati judgment<\/strong><\/a> and held that Parliament cannot alter the Constitution\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/basic-structure\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>basic structure<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Janata Government reversed several Emergency-era changes, restored powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and replaced &#8220;Internal Disturbance&#8221; with &#8220;Armed Rebellion&#8221; for <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/national-emergency-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Emergency<\/strong><\/a> through 43rd and <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/44th-constitutional-amendment-act\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>44th Amendments<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976, known as India\u2019s \u2018Mini Constitution\u2019, added Fundamental Duties, altered the Preamble, and curtailed judicial review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":59079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[2138],"class_list":["post-59098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-42nd-constitutional-amendment-act","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59098"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108976,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59098\/revisions\/108976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}