Which of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts added the 9th Schedule to the Constitution?

The correct answer is 1st Constitutional Amendment Act.

Key Points

• The 1st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951 added the 9th Schedule to the Indian Constitution.
• This amendment was enacted to protect laws related to land reforms and other related issues from being challenged in courts on the grounds of violation of fundamental rights.
• The 9th Schedule contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in courts and was primarily aimed at safeguarding land reform and redistribution legislation.
• The 1st Amendment Act was introduced by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and was passed by the Parliament on 10 May 1951.

Additional Information

• 9th Schedule:
  • The 9th Schedule was introduced to provide a protective umbrella for certain laws from judicial review, specifically those pertaining to agrarian reforms.
  • Laws placed under the 9th Schedule are immune from being struck down on the grounds that they violate fundamental rights.
  • This schedule was added to promote socio-economic justice by ensuring that land reforms could be implemented without legal impediments.
• Judicial Review:
  • Judicial review is the power of the judiciary to examine the constitutionality of legislative enactments and executive orders of both the Central and State governments.
  • It is a tool for enforcing constitutional discipline over legislative and executive authorities.
  • However, the laws under the 9th Schedule were initially placed beyond the scope of judicial review.
• Constitutional Amendments:
  • A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a nation or a state.
  • In India, constitutional amendments are made under Article 368 of the Constitution.
  • Such amendments are necessary to address contemporary issues and to ensure the Constitution remains relevant.
• Fundamental Rights:
  • Fundamental Rights are a group of rights that have been recognized by the Supreme Court as requiring a high degree of protection from government encroachment.
  • These rights are enshrined in Part III of the Constitution of India.
  • They include rights such as the right to equality, freedom of speech and expression, and the right to constitutional remedies.