Constitution of Bharat: 1st Amendment: Part II

 The First Amendment to the Constitution of India, enacted in 1951, introduced several significant changes to the original text. Here are the provisions in detail:

1. Amendment of Article 15

• Original Provision: Article 15 prohibited discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.

• Amendment: Added Clause (3) to Article 15, allowing the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

2. Amendment of Article 19

• Original Provision: Article 19 guaranteed the right to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence, and profession.

• Amendment: Added Clause (2) to Article 19, allowing the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of these rights in the interests of public order, security of the State, relations with foreign countries, and incitement to an offense.

3. Insertion of Article 31A

• Provision: Article 31A was inserted to save laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc., and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

4. Insertion of Article 31B

• Provision: Article 31B provided that any law included in the Ninth Schedule would not be deemed void on the ground that it takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by Part III (Fundamental Rights).

5. Insertion of the Ninth Schedule

• Provision: The Ninth Schedule was added to protect land reform and other laws included in it from judicial review.

6. Amendment of Article 85

• Provision: Article 85 was amended to clarify the procedure for summoning and proroguing the sessions of Parliament.

7. Amendment of Article 87

• Provision: Article 87 was amended to clarify the procedure for proroguing the Houses of Parliament.

8. Amendment of Article 174

• Provision: Article 174 was amended to clarify the procedure for summoning and proroguing the sessions of State Legislatures.

9. Amendment of Article 176

• Provision: Article 176 was amended to clarify the procedure for proroguing the sessions of State Legislatures.

10. Amendment of Articles 341, 342, 372, and 376

• Provision: These articles were amended to address minor procedural and administrative issues.

The First Amendment was primarily aimed at addressing judicial decisions that had struck down various public safety laws, press-related laws, and criminal provisions deemed incompatible with the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. It also aimed to secure the constitutional validity of land reforms and other laws.