Article 4 of the Indian Constitution is connected to the first two Articles and talks about the amendments in Schedule 1 and 4. It states that after the changes and determination of boundaries made under Articles 2 and 3, necessary modifications should also be made in the Constitution wherever required, such as in Schedule 1 and Schedule 4.
Article 4 – Laws made under Articles 2 and 3 to provide for the amendment of the First and the Fourth Schedules and supplemental, incidental and consequential matters
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Any law referred to in Article 2 or Article 3 shall contain such provisions for the amendment of the First Schedule and the Fourth Schedule as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the law and may also contain such supplemental, incidental and consequential provisions (including provisions as to representation in Parliament and in the Legislature of the State or States affected by such law) as Parliament may deem necessary.
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No such law as aforesaid shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of Article 368.
Explanation of Article 4
Article 4 of the Constitution is divided into two parts. We already know that Article 2 talks about the inclusion of new states in the country, and Article 3 talks about internal changes in the states. Article 4 discusses how, after the implementation of Articles 2 and 3, some other necessary adjustments need to be made. For this, Schedule 1 of the Constitution, which lists the names of all the states and union territories, and Schedule 4, which deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), must be amended accordingly. Article 4 makes provisions for these changes.
Let’s understand both parts of Article 4:
4(1)
This clause says that once Articles 2 and 3 have been used to create new states, alter boundaries, or make any other changes, then some further changes become necessary — such as the division of Rajya Sabha seats, new administrative rules, rules for government offices, employee transfers, court jurisdictions, and so on.
Here, three important terms are used in the Constitution:
A. Supplemental provisions:
These support the law. For example, if a new state is created, then until a regular government is formed, how will the state function? How will it be run? For this, internal rules and administrative regulations are made.
B. Incidental provisions:
These relate to matters that are indirectly affected due to the primary law — such as the transfer of government employees, ensuring the availability of government offices, and many other things.
C. Consequential provisions:
These are about the direct outcomes after the main law is applied. For instance, if a new state is created, the allocation of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats must be adjusted, and all official records and documents must be updated accordingly.
4(2)
This clause states that any laws made under Articles 2 and 3 do not require a constitutional amendment under Article 368. In other words, these changes can be made through a simple majority and do not require the special procedure meant for constitutional amendments.
Importance of Article 4
Article 4 is important because it addresses how to handle the consequences and necessary changes that arise after implementing Articles 2 and 3. Additionally, by stating that no constitutional amendment under Article 368 is required, it simplifies the process. This makes sense, as it would be unnecessary to go through a lengthy amendment procedure for such changes.
"Understanding the First Schedule: States and Union Territories of India"
. "Article 5 Explained: The Foundation of Indian Citizenship"
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