Home The Constitution Part XII Article 282

Art. 282 Part XII: Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits

Expenditure Defrayable by the Union or a State Out of Its Revenues

Exact text — Constitution of India

The Union or a State may make any grants for any public purpose, notwithstanding that the purpose is not one with respect to which Parliament or the Legislature of the State, as the case may be, may make laws.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article gives the Union and states flexibility to make grants for genuinely public purposes even outside their normal legislative subject-matter jurisdiction under Article 246 — essentially allowing spending power to extend somewhat more broadly than strict law-making power, as long as it serves a genuine public purpose.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is part of why the central government can fund certain schemes touching areas that might technically be more of a state subject (or vice versa) — spending money for a public purpose has historically been treated with more flexibility than the stricter Union/State/Concurrent List division that governs actual law-making.

Read alongside this one

Art. 246 — Union, State and Concurrent Lists

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 282

Does this mean the Union can spend on literally anything regardless of the Seventh Schedule Lists?

The 'public purpose' qualifier and ongoing judicial and policy debate about the proper limits of this discretionary grant power mean it isn't entirely unlimited, though it has historically been read fairly broadly in practice, particularly for centrally sponsored schemes.

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The text above reproduces Article 282 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.