Part VI - The States • Article

Article 152 Simplified: Definition

Article 152 defines the term 'State' for Part VI of the Constitution, which regulates state-level governance. Historically, this definition excluded the State of Jammu and Kashmir because it had its own separate constitution under Article 370. Note that post-2019 developments have integrated J&K as a Union Territory, meaning this historical exclusion is no longer active in practice.

Official Text

In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, the expression “State” [does not include the State of Jammu and Kashmir].

Simple Meaning

Explain Like Ten

This is a definition rule. It explains that in this part of the Constitution, the word 'State' originally meant all states except Jammu and Kashmir, because Jammu and Kashmir had its own special rules. Today, J&K is a Union Territory under the direct rules of the country.

Student Mode

Provides the interpretation clause for Part VI (The States). It historically excluded the State of Jammu and Kashmir from the definition of a 'State' under this Part because J&K possessed its own constitution (under Article 370). With the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the modification of Article 370, this exclusion is now of historical interest, as J&K became a Union Territory.

Example

When reading about state legislatures, executive powers, or High Courts in Part VI, the rules originally did not apply to Jammu and Kashmir, which instead followed its own state constitution for internal governance.

Key Takeaway

Article 152 historically defined the scope of Part VI by excluding Jammu and Kashmir from the general rules governing other Indian States.

FAQs

Why was Jammu and Kashmir historically excluded in Article 152?

Under Article 370, J&K had its own separate constitution and state-level administrative setup, meaning the general rules in Part VI of the Indian Constitution did not apply to it.

Does the exclusion in Article 152 still apply in practice today?

No. Since the 2019 Reorganisation Act, Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status was altered, and it is now administered as a Union Territory, making the Part VI state definition exclusion obsolete.

Quiz

Which State was historically excluded from the definition of 'State' in Part VI by Article 152?

Answer: Jammu and Kashmir

The exclusion in Article 152 was due to which other article of the Constitution?

Answer: Article 370