Special Provisions and Schedules – NDA Polity Notes

Why the Constitution Has Schedules

Every Constitution contains two kinds of content. The first kind is constitutional principles, broad statements about rights, powers, duties, and structures. The second kind is operational detail: the specific names, numbers, lists, and classifications that make those principles work in practice.

India’s Constitution uses Articles for principles and Schedules for details. Article 1 says India shall be a “Union of States,” but the list of those States and their territories belongs in the First Schedule, not in Article 1. Article 246 distributes legislative powers between Union and States: but the three lists of specific subjects belong in the Seventh Schedule. This separation keeps the Constitution readable, principled, and amendable: updating a list of languages (Eighth Schedule) does not require amending the Articles that establish the constitutional principle of recognising languages.

For NDA, this is a chapter of precision. four of seven PYQs test Schedule identification, and the same Schedule numbers appear as both correct answers and distractors across different papers. The most important skill is accurate number-to-content matching. The chapter rewards systematic learning: every student who knows all twelve Schedules and their contents will answer all four Schedule-identification questions correctly.

Part 1: The Twelve Schedules: Master Reference and Disambiguation

Group	Schedules	Unifying Theme
Group I: Constitutional Foundations	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th	The basic building blocks: who the actors are (States, office-holders, their oaths and salaries), and how the upper house is composed
Group II: Power and Administration	5th, 6th, 7th	How power is distributed: tribal administration (two geographic models) and the three legislative lists
Group III: Constitutional Protection	8th, 9th, 10th	What is protected: linguistic diversity (recognised languages); certain laws (from judicial review); and parliamentary democracy (from defection)
Group IV: Democratic Decentralisation	11th, 12th	The third tier of government: subjects for Panchayats (rural) and Municipalities (urban)

Complete Twelve-Schedule Master Reference Table

This table is the most important reference in the chapter. Know every row. Four NDA questions test Schedule identification: and the same numbers appear as both right answers and distractors.

Schedule	Content	Key Notes / NDA Relevance
First	Names of States and Union Territories; their territorial extents	28 States + 8 UTs (after 2019); updated when Parliament creates or reorganises States under Article 3. UTs with Legislatures: Delhi (NCT), Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry.
Second	Salaries, allowances, privileges, and conditions of service of constitutional office-holders	Office-holders covered: President; Vice President; Governors; Speakers and Deputy Speakers (Lok Sabha and State Assemblies); Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen (Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils); SC and HC Judges; CAG. NDA 2016-I: Second Schedule ≠ oaths and affirmations (that is the Third Schedule).
Third	Forms of oaths and affirmations taken by constitutional office-holders on assuming office	Used when Presidents, PMs, Ministers, Judges, and other constitutional office-holders take oath. NOT salaries (that is the Second Schedule). NDA 2016-I confirmed this: “Second Schedule: Forms of oaths” = INCORRECTLY matched pair.
Fourth	Allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)	Specifies how many Rajya Sabha seats each State and UT gets. NOT tribal areas (5th/6th); NOT three lists (7th); NOT languages (8th). NDA 2015-II and 2016-I both confirmed Fourth = Rajya Sabha seats.
Fifth	Administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in mainland States	Does NOT apply to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram (those four NE States are under Sixth Schedule). Fifth Schedule States include: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh. NDA 2019-II tested this boundary.
Sixth	Administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram	ONLY these four NE States. Creates autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils with legislative, judicial, and executive powers. NOT applicable to any other State: all other tribal areas are under Fifth Schedule. NDA 2019-II confirmed this.
Seventh	Three Legislative Lists: Union List (List I), State List (List II), Concurrent List (List III)	The legislative division of powers between Parliament and State Legislatures. NOT tribal areas (5th/6th); NOT languages (8th); NOT anti-defection (10th). The most-tested Schedule: confirmed NDA 2015-I and 2016-I.
Eighth	22 languages recognised by the Constitution	Original Constitution: 14 languages. Current: 22 languages. Key additions: Sindhi (21st Amendment, 1967); Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (71st Amendment, 1992); Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (92nd Amendment, 2003). NOT legislative lists (7th).
Ninth	Acts and Regulations protected from judicial review	Added by 1st Amendment (1951) to protect land reform laws. I.R. Coelho (2007): Acts added to 9th Schedule after 24 April 1973 are subject to basic structure review. NOT anti-defection (10th). NDA 2024-II used 9th Schedule as distractor.
Tenth	Anti-defection law: disqualification on grounds of defection	Added by 52nd Amendment (1985). Disqualifies MPs and MLAs who defect from their party. Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha) decides disqualification. NOT protected laws (9th); NOT Panchayat subjects (11th). NDA 2016-I and 2024-II both confirm Tenth = anti-defection.
Eleventh	29 subjects that may be devolved to Panchayati Raj Institutions	Added by 73rd Amendment (1992). Agriculture, land improvement, education (primary/secondary), health, roads, libraries: all included. Higher education = NOT included. NOT anti-defection (10th). Cross-reference P15.
Twelfth	18 subjects that may be devolved to Municipalities	Added by 74th Amendment (1992). Urban planning, water supply, public health, roads, fire services, urban poverty alleviation: all included. Urban counterpart of the Eleventh Schedule. Cross-reference P15.

★ IMPORTANT  NDA has tested Schedules 4, 7, 8, and 10 most frequently. Schedule 2 was tested as a misconception (incorrectly matched with oaths). Schedule 5 was tested against Schedule 6 (the NE States boundary). Schedules 11 and 12 were tested as distractors for Schedule 10. Know all twelve: and know the five dangerous confusion pairs.

Five Dangerous Confusion Pairs

Most-Confused Schedules: Five Dangerous Confusion Pairs Confusion 1: Second vs Third: 2nd = SALARIES and emoluments of constitutional office-holders | 3rd = OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS | “Second ≠ Oaths”: NDA 2016-I tested this as the incorrectly matched pair  [NDA 2016-I] Confusion 2: Fourth vs Fifth vs Sixth: 4th = RAJYA SABHA SEAT ALLOCATION | 5th = TRIBAL AREAS (mainland States) | 6th = TRIBAL AREAS (Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram ONLY) | Three adjacent numbers; three completely different subjects  [NDA 2015-II | 2019-II] Confusion 3: Seventh vs Eighth: 7th = THREE LEGISLATIVE LISTS (Union, State, Concurrent) | 8th = 22 RECOGNISED LANGUAGES | “Seventh ≠ Languages”: NDA 2015-I offered languages as the distractor for Seventh  [NDA 2015-I] Confusion 4: Ninth vs Tenth: 9th = LAWS PROTECTED FROM JUDICIAL REVIEW (added 1st Amendment 1951) | 10th = ANTI-DEFECTION LAW (added 52nd Amendment 1985) | “Ninth ≠ Anti-defection”: NDA 2024-II offered 9th as distractor  [NDA 2024-II] Confusion 5: Tenth vs Eleventh vs Twelfth: 10th = ANTI-DEFECTION (1985) | 11th = 29 PANCHAYAT SUBJECTS (1992, 73rd Amendment) | 12th = 18 MUNICIPALITY SUBJECTS (1992, 74th Amendment) | Three recent additions with completely different subjects  [NDA 2024-II]

Part 2: Constitutional Foundations (Schedules 1–4)

First Schedule: States and Union Territories

The First Schedule lists every State and Union Territory of India and their territorial extents. After the 2019 reorganisation that created two new Union Territories from the former State of Jammu and Kashmir, India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories. The First Schedule is updated whenever Parliament creates a new State or reorganises existing States under Article 3.

Of the 8 Union Territories, three have their own Legislatures: Delhi (National Capital Territory), Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry. The other five UTs (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep) do not have their own Legislatures and are directly administered by the Centre through Lieutenant Governors or Administrators.

Second Schedule: Salaries and Emoluments

The Second Schedule contains provisions relating to the salaries, allowances, privileges, and conditions of service of constitutional office-holders: President and Vice President; Governors of States; Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies; Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils; Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts; and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Second Schedule IS: Salaries, allowances, privileges, and conditions of service of constitutional office-holders. ✗ Second Schedule IS NOT: Forms of Oaths and Affirmations (those are in the THIRD Schedule). NDA 2016-I: “Second Schedule: Forms of oaths and affirmations” = the INCORRECTLY matched pair.  [NDA 2016-I]

Third Schedule: Forms of Oaths and Affirmations

The Third Schedule contains the forms of oaths and affirmations that constitutional office-holders must take when assuming office. These include: the oath of office for the President; the oath of secrecy for the President and Ministers; the oath of office for judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts; and oaths for Members of Parliament and State Legislatures. The Third Schedule is the constitutional text of the actual words spoken at constitutional oath-taking ceremonies.

Fourth Schedule: Rajya Sabha Seat Allocation

The Fourth Schedule specifies the number of seats allocated to each State and Union Territory in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). It establishes the numerical distribution of Rajya Sabha representation across India’s States and UTs. [NDA 2015-II | NDA 2016-I]

Fourth Schedule IS NOT: (a) provisions on tribal areas [those are 5th/6th Schedule]; (b) Union/State/Concurrent Lists [that is 7th Schedule]; (c) recognised languages [that is 8th Schedule]. NDA 2015-II and 2016-I both used tribal areas, three lists, and languages as distractors for the Fourth Schedule.

Part 3: Power and Administration (Schedules 5–7)

Why Two Different Mechanisms for Tribal Administration?

India’s tribal populations have historically maintained distinct cultural identities, land relationships, and governance traditions that differ significantly from non-tribal communities. The Constitution needed to protect these communities while integrating them into the national framework. Two different constitutional mechanisms were created for two different geographic contexts: the Fifth Schedule for mainland tribal areas and the Sixth Schedule for the tribal areas of four northeastern States.

Dimension	Fifth Schedule: Mainland India	Sixth Schedule: Four NE States
Geographic coverage	All States with Scheduled Areas EXCEPT the four NE States covered by Sixth Schedule	ONLY Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram: and only their tribal areas
Institutional mechanism	Tribal Advisory Councils (TACs): advisory bodies that advise the Governor on tribal matters; Governor has regulatory power over Scheduled Areas	Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils: self-governing bodies with legislative, judicial, and executive powers within their areas
Powers of the body	TAC: advisory only; Governor regulates; Acts of Parliament may be made inapplicable by Governor	District/Regional Councils: can make laws on specified subjects; have their own courts for minor offences; considerable autonomy
Fifth Schedule States (mainland)	Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh	Not applicable: these States are under Fifth Schedule
Sixth Schedule States (NE)	Not applicable: Fifth Schedule does NOT apply here	Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram: the same four NE States excluded from Part IX Panchayati Raj (Article 243-M)
NDA tested	NDA 2019-II: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha are NOT outside the Fifth Schedule: they are COVERED by it	NDA 2019-II: Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram ARE outside the Fifth Schedule: covered by the Sixth Schedule instead

★ IMPORTANT  NDA 2019-II answer: (c) 2 and 3 only. Assam and Tripura (Option 2) + Meghalaya and Mizoram (Option 3) are outside the Fifth Schedule. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha (Option 1) are NOT outside: they ARE covered by the Fifth Schedule.  [NDA 2019-II]

PESA 1996: Bridge Between Panchayats and Fifth Schedule Areas

The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) created a legislative bridge between Part IX of the Constitution (Panchayati Raj, covered in P15) and the Fifth Schedule tribal areas. Since Part IX Panchayati Raj was not directly applicable to Scheduled Areas (Fifth Schedule), PESA extended a modified form of Panchayati Raj to these areas: recognising tribal communities’ traditions and giving Gram Sabhas special powers over natural resources, minor forest produce, and dispute resolution. PESA represents the legislative accommodation of tribal self-governance within the broader democratic decentralisation framework.

Seventh Schedule: The Three Legislative Lists

The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution is the constitutional instrument that divides legislative powers between Parliament and State Legislatures. It contains three lists: the Union List (List I): subjects on which Parliament legislates exclusively; the State List (List II): subjects on which State Legislatures legislate (normally exclusively); and the Concurrent List (List III): subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate, with Union law prevailing in case of conflict. The Seventh Schedule is the core of India’s constitutional federalism: it is the instrument of the legislative division of powers discussed extensively in P12. [NDA 2015-I | NDA 2016-I]

Seventh Schedule IS NOT: (a) Tribal areas: that is Fifth and Sixth Schedules; (b) Recognised languages: that is Eighth Schedule; (c) Anti-defection provisions: that is Tenth Schedule. NDA 2015-I offered all three as distractors for the Seventh Schedule.

Part 4: Constitutional Protection (Schedules 8–10)

Eighth Schedule: 22 Recognised Languages

The Eighth Schedule contains the list of 22 languages recognised by the Constitution of India. Languages in the Eighth Schedule receive official recognition, including the right to be used in representations to the Union, development of the language by central institutions, and recognition in official communications.

Twenty-Two Languages of the Eighth Schedule	—
Assamese | Bengali | Bodo | Dogri | Gujarati | Hindi | Kannada | Kashmiri	Konkani | Maithili | Malayalam | Manipuri | Marathi | Nepali | Odia | Punjabi
Sanskrit | Santhali | Sindhi | Tamil | Telugu | Urdu	—

The original Constitution (1950) had 14 languages. Key additions: Sindhi added by 21st Amendment (1967); Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali added by 71st Amendment (1992); Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali added by 92nd Amendment (2003): bringing the total to the current 22.

Ninth Schedule: Laws Protected from Judicial Review

The Ninth Schedule was inserted by the 1st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951 to protect certain land reform laws from judicial review. Courts were striking down State land reform legislation as violative of the right to property: the Ninth Schedule was Parliament’s constitutional response, placing listed Acts beyond judicial reach.

The Supreme Court in I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) significantly limited this protection. A nine-judge bench held that Acts added to the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 (the date of the Kesavananda Bharati judgment) are subject to judicial review if they violate the *basic structure* of the Constitution. This means: Acts included in the Ninth Schedule before 24 April 1973 retain full protection; Acts added after that date can be reviewed for basic structure compliance. This connects the Ninth Schedule directly to the Basic Structure Doctrine from P10 and P14.

Ninth Schedule = Laws protected from judicial review (added 1st Amendment, 1951). Ninth ≠ anti-defection (that is Tenth). Post-1973 additions to the Ninth Schedule are subject to basic structure review (I.R. Coelho, 2007). NDA 2024-II used the Ninth Schedule as the primary distractor for the anti-defection Schedule.

Tenth Schedule: Anti-Defection Law

The Tenth Schedule was inserted by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985 and contains provisions for the disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures on grounds of defection from their political party. A member is disqualified if they: voluntarily give up membership of their party; vote contrary to the party whip without permission; join another party after being elected as an independent. [NDA 2016-I | NDA 2024-II]

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha (or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, or the Speaker of State Assembly) is the *deciding authority* for disqualification questions under the Tenth Schedule. This connects directly to the Speaker’s constitutional functions covered in P7.

Tenth Schedule IS NOT: (a) Protected laws (that is the NINTH Schedule); (b) 29 Panchayat subjects (that is the ELEVENTH Schedule); (c) Tribal administration (that is the SIXTH Schedule). NDA 2024-II offered the Ninth and Eleventh Schedules as distractors.  [NDA 2016-I | NDA 2024-II]

Part 5: Democratic Decentralisation (Schedules 11–12)

Schedules 11 and 12 are the constitutional foundation of India’s third tier of government, local self-government. They represent the operational manifestation of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992, which were covered in depth in P15. Here, they are presented in their constitutional schedule context.

Dimension	Eleventh Schedule (Rural)	Twelfth Schedule (Urban)
Constitutional basis	Added by 73rd Amendment, 1992 | Part IX of Constitution	Added by 74th Amendment, 1992 | Part IX-A of Constitution
Number of subjects	29 subjects for Panchayati Raj Institutions	18 subjects for Municipalities
Level of governance	Rural: Gram Panchayat/Block/District	Urban: Nagar Panchayat/Municipal Council/Municipal Corporation
Key subjects included	Agriculture; land improvement; non-conventional energy; roads; libraries; primary and secondary education; health and sanitation; poverty alleviation	Urban planning; roads; water supply; public health; fire services; urban forestry; slum improvement; urban poverty alleviation
Key subject NOT included	Higher education (Concurrent List subject: not devolved to Panchayats)  [NDA 2017-II tested in P15]	Defence; income tax; banking: not devolved to Municipalities
NDA relevance	NDA 2017-II: higher education NOT in 11th Schedule; non-conventional energy, roads, libraries ARE included | NDA 2024-II: 11th Schedule used as distractor for anti-defection question	Not yet directly tested in dedicated P16 question: high-probability future territory

★ IMPORTANT  10 = Anti-Defection; 11 = Panchayat Subjects; 12 = Municipality Subjects. NDA 2024-II used 11th Schedule as a distractor for the anti-defection Schedule question. These three recent additions (1985, 1992, 1992) have completely different subjects despite adjacent numbers.

Part 6: Special Constitutional Provisions: Why Some States Are Different

India’s Constitution provides uniform governance frameworks for most States: the same parliamentary system, the same elections, the same fundamental rights. But India’s extraordinary diversity: of history, culture, tribal heritage, linguistic identity, and geographic circumstance: meant that some States could not be fully accommodated by a uniform framework without friction. Special constitutional provisions were the Constitution’s response: formally acknowledging that different States have different constitutional needs while maintaining national unity.

These special provisions take two forms. Article 370 (now abrogated) gave Jammu and Kashmir a constitutionally distinct status. Articles 371 to 371J give eleven other States or regions specific protections or special administrative provisions suited to their circumstances.

Part 7: Article 370: Jammu and Kashmir

Article 370 originally conferred special constitutional status on the State of Jammu and Kashmir, limiting Parliament’s legislative competence over J&K to matters specified in the Instrument of Accession and requiring the J&K Government’s concurrence for the extension of most other central legislation.

NDA 2016-I tested “Jammu and Kashmir has been given special status under Article 370” as a correct statement: at that time (2016), this was constitutionally accurate. In August 2019, Article 370 was effectively abrogated. Any future NDA question must be answered in light of the post-2019 position: Article 370 is no longer operative; J&K is now a Union Territory with a Legislature; Ladakh is a Union Territory without a Legislature.  [NDA 2016-I: tested pre-2019 position; all future questions must reflect post-2019 reality]

Part 8: Article 3: Formation and Reorganisation of States

Can Parliament create new States? Yes, but not through constitutional amendment. Parliament can form new States and reorganise existing ones through ordinary legislation under Article 3. This means a simple majority Bill, not the special majority required by Article 368 for constitutional amendments.

Dimension	Article 3: State Reorganisation
What Parliament can do	Form new States (by separation, union, or merger); increase or diminish State areas; alter State boundaries; alter State names
Type of legislation	Ordinary legislation: a simple majority Bill; NOT a constitutional amendment under Article 368; NOT special majority
Presidential role	The Bill must be recommended by the President before introduction in Parliament; the President first ascertains the State Legislature’s views on the proposed change
State Legislature’s role	The State Legislature’s views are sought but are NOT BINDING on Parliament; Parliament can proceed regardless of the State Legislature’s position; this is “consultation” not “consent”
Notable reorganisations	1956: States Reorganisation Act (linguistic reorganisation); 2000: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand; 2014: Telangana (from Andhra Pradesh); 2019: J&K bifurcated into two UTs (linked to Article 370 abrogation)

★ IMPORTANT  Article 3 (State formation) uses ORDINARY LEGISLATION: simple majority Bill. Article 368 (Constitutional amendment) uses SPECIAL MAJORITY: two-thirds of members present and voting who constitute majority of total membership, in each House. Creating a new State does NOT require amending the Constitution through Article 368. It requires a simple majority Act under Article 3. Consult ≠ Consent: Parliament can proceed even if State Legislature opposes.  [NDA 2016-I]

Part 9: Article 371 Series: Special Provisions by State

Articles 371 to 371J provide special constitutional provisions for specific States. These provisions were inserted at various points in India’s constitutional history to accommodate historical circumstances, protect tribal or cultural identities, or address distinctive regional concerns. They represent the Constitution’s capacity to accommodate difference while maintaining unity.

Article	State(s)	Key Provision
371	Maharashtra and Gujarat	Special responsibilities of Governor for development of certain regions (eastern, western, and Vidarbha in Maharashtra; Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat)
371A	Nagaland	Parliament Acts do not apply to religious/social practices of Nagas, Naga customary law, and land ownership/transfer: UNLESS Nagaland Legislative Assembly passes a resolution agreeing. NDA 2024-I tested the scope of this protection.  [NDA 2024-I]
371B	Assam	Constitution of a committee of members elected from tribal areas of Assam to the State Legislative Assembly; special committee for tribal areas in the Assembly
371C	Manipur	Special committee of members elected from hill areas of Manipur Legislative Assembly; Governor submits annual report to President; Committee of elected MLAs from hill areas
371D and 371E	Andhra Pradesh and Telangana	Equitable opportunities in public employment and education for people of different parts of the State; provision for a Central University in Andhra Pradesh (Article 371E)
371F	Sikkim	Protection of rights and interests of different sections of Sikkim’s people; continuance of existing laws; Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections; special provisions relating to Sikkim’s integration history
371G	Mizoram	Similar to Article 371A for Nagaland: Parliament Acts do not apply to religious/social practices of Mizos, Mizo customary law and procedure: UNLESS Mizoram Legislative Assembly passes a resolution. Natural companion to NDA 2024-I’s 371A question; Article 371G is a high-probability future NDA question.
371H	Arunachal Pradesh	Special responsibility of Governor for law and order; Governor’s individual judgment in certain law-and-order matters; the Governor’s role is more active than in most States
371I	Goa	Legislative Assembly of Goa shall consist of not less than 30 members: ensures a minimum size for Goa’s Assembly despite Goa’s small population
371J	Hyderabad-Karnataka Region	Special development and educational provisions for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region (northern Karnataka); equitable sharing of posts in civil services and educational institutions

★ IMPORTANT  Article 371A (Nagaland) was tested by NDA 2024-I. Article 371G (Mizoram) has the same legal structure as 371A: a natural companion question. Article 371F (Sikkim) connects to the 35th and 36th Amendments (P14). All three receive special emphasis here.

Part 10: Article 371A: Nagaland’s Special Protection

What exactly does Article 371A protect? Article 371A establishes that no Act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland in respect of certain matters: unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland passes a resolution agreeing to the application of that Parliamentary Act. This is a constitutional protection for Naga cultural autonomy: Parliament cannot simply legislate over certain aspects of Naga life without the Nagaland Assembly’s concurrence.

★ IMPORTANT  Article 371A: Scope of Protection (Three Categories + One Exclusion)  [NDA 2024-I] ✓ PROTECTED: Parliament Acts do not apply without Nagaland Assembly resolution: (1) Religious or social practices of the Nagas (2) Naga customary law and procedure (3) Ownership and transfer of land and its resources ✗ NOT PROTECTED by Article 371A: Parliament’s normal domain: Boundaries of Nagaland with other States: State boundaries are determined by Parliament under ARTICLE 3  [NDA 2024-I: answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3 only: State boundaries = NOT protected by Article 371A]

The rationale for the boundary exclusion: State boundaries are a matter of national sovereignty and territorial organisation. They belong to Parliament’s domain under Article 3. Article 371A was designed to protect Naga culture, law, and land: not to freeze Nagaland’s territorial extent in its current form. The distinction between cultural-legal autonomy (protected) and territorial jurisdiction (Parliament’s normal domain) is exactly what NDA 2024-I tested.

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