Part XIV & XIVA - Services and Tribunals • Article

Article 308 Simplified: Interpretation

Article 308 (Interpretation) contains the official definitions and rules of interpretation for terms used throughout the Constitution, serving as the official glossary to prevent legal confusion and disputes in court.

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 rule is like a dictionary entry. It says that in this chapter about government jobs, when we say the word 'State', it historically didn't include Jammu and Kashmir because they had their own special job rules.

Student Mode

Article 308 is the definition clause for Part XIV (Services under the Union and the States). It restricts the definition of the word 'State' for the purposes of this Part, historically excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which maintained its own civil services framework. Following the 2019 reorganization, this exclusion is no longer in effect.

Example

For a real constitutional problem about interpretation, Article 308 gives the starting rule and connects it to the wider system of public service rules.

Key Takeaway

Article 308 anchors interpretation within India's constitutional system.

FAQs

Why did Article 308 historically exclude Jammu and Kashmir from the definition of 'State'?

Jammu and Kashmir had a special status under Article 370, which included its own separate constitution, civil services, and recruitment rules.

What is the current status of the J&K exclusion in Article 308?

Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, all-India service laws and Part XIV apply uniformly to Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory.

Quiz

For which part of the Constitution does Article 308 provide the definition of 'State'?

Answer: Part XIV (Services under the Union and States)

Which state was historically excluded from the definition of 'State' in Article 308?

Answer: Jammu and Kashmir