Articles 31-A and 31-B were added to the Constitution of India by the _____________.

The correct answer is Constitution (First) Amendment Act, 1951.

Key Points

• Articles 31-A and 31-B were added to the Constitution of India through the Constitution (First) Amendment Act, 1951.
• The First Amendment was enacted to address issues arising from land reform legislation and to safeguard such laws from being challenged as violating fundamental rights.
• Article 31-A granted protection to laws related to land reforms, ensuring they could not be invalidated on the grounds of contravening fundamental rights.
• Article 31-B introduced the Ninth Schedule, which provided a protective umbrella to certain laws, making them immune to judicial review even if they violated fundamental rights.
• This amendment was aimed at fulfilling the socioeconomic objectives of equitable land distribution and reducing the concentration of land ownership.

Additional Information

• Constitution (First) Amendment Act, 1951
  • It was introduced by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and enacted on 18 June 1951.
  • Besides Articles 31-A and 31-B, it also amended several provisions of the Constitution, including Article 19, to impose reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression.
  • The amendment facilitated the implementation of agrarian reform laws and other socio-economic legislations.
• Ninth Schedule
  • It was introduced through Article 31-B by the First Amendment to protect specific laws from judicial review.
  • Laws placed under the Ninth Schedule are intended to address issues of socio-economic justice, particularly land reforms.
  • However, in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in the I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu case that laws under the Ninth Schedule are still subject to judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.
• Article 31-A
  • It provides protection to laws that relate to the acquisition or requisitioning of estates, or the extinguishment or modification of rights in estates.
  • This article specifically safeguards agrarian reform laws from being declared unconstitutional on the grounds of violating fundamental rights.
• Judicial Review
  • Judicial review is a process under which executive or legislative actions are subject to review by the judiciary.
  • It ensures that laws and actions of the government comply with the Constitution of India.