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Last-Minute Polity

Highest-yield polity facts for final revision: key Articles, the rights, constitutional bodies, and amendments in compact tables

CAPF wiki3 min read7 sections
At a glance
SubjectPolity

One screen per section. Cover the right column and test yourself.

Key Articles to memorise

Article What it is
14 Equality before law
19 Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession)
21 Protection of life and personal liberty
21A Right to education (6 to 14 years)
32 Right to constitutional remedies (Supreme Court writs); "heart and soul"
33 Parliament may restrict rights of armed and public-order forces (CAPF relevance)
44 Uniform Civil Code (Directive Principle)
51A Fundamental Duties
72 / 161 Pardoning power of President / Governor
110 Money Bill definition
112 Annual Financial Statement (Budget)
123 / 213 Ordinance power of President / Governor
226 High Court writ power (wider than Art 32)
280 Finance Commission
312 All India Services
352 / 356 / 360 National / State / Financial Emergency
368 Amendment of the Constitution

The six Fundamental Rights

# Right Articles
1 Right to Equality 14 to 18
2 Right to Freedom 19 to 22
3 Right against Exploitation 23 to 24
4 Right to Freedom of Religion 25 to 28
5 Cultural and Educational Rights 29 to 30
6 Right to Constitutional Remedies 32

Right to Property removed from Part III by 44th Amendment, 1978; now a legal right under Art 300A.

The five writs

Writ Meaning
Habeas Corpus Produce the body (against unlawful detention)
Mandamus Command to a public authority to do its legal duty
Prohibition Stop a lower court exceeding its jurisdiction
Certiorari Quash or transfer an order of a lower court
Quo Warranto By what authority do you hold this office

Constitutional and statutory bodies

Body Type Anchor
Election Commission Constitutional (Art 324) Conducts elections
UPSC Constitutional (Art 315) Central recruitment
Finance Commission Constitutional (Art 280) Every 5 years, tax devolution
CAG Constitutional (Art 148) Audit
Attorney General Constitutional (Art 76) Government's chief law officer
NHRC Statutory (PHR Act, 1993) Human rights; chair is ex-CJI or SC judge
CVC, CIC, Lokpal Statutory Vigilance, information, anti-corruption
NITI Aayog Executive (resolution) Replaced Planning Commission in 2015

High-yield amendments

Amendment Subject
1st (1951) Added Ninth Schedule, reasonable restrictions on speech
42nd (1976) "Mini-Constitution"; added Fundamental Duties, "Socialist Secular" to Preamble
44th (1978) Right to Property out of Part III; protected Art 20, 21 in emergency
52nd (1985) Anti-defection, Tenth Schedule
61st (1989) Voting age 21 to 18
73rd and 74th (1992) Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies
86th (2002) Right to Education (Art 21A)
101st (2016) Goods and Services Tax
103rd (2019) 10 percent EWS reservation

Fast facts

  • Preamble keywords added by 42nd Amendment: Socialist, Secular, Integrity.
  • DPSP in Part IV (Art 36 to 51), borrowed from Ireland; not enforceable.
  • Fundamental Duties: 11 now (originally 10; 11th added by 86th Amendment).
  • Basic structure doctrine: Kesavananda Bharati (1973).
  • National Emergency (Art 352): approval within one month, by special majority.

Cross-references

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