Home The Constitution Part XI Article 252

Art. 252 Part XI: Relations Between the Union and the States

Power of Parliament to Legislate for Two or More States by Consent and Adoption of Such Legislation by Any Other State

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) If it appears to the Legislatures of two or more States to be desirable that any of the matters with respect to which Parliament has no power to make laws for the States except as provided in articles 249 and 250 should be regulated in such States by Parliament by law, and if resolutions to that effect are passed by all the Houses of the Legislatures of those States, it shall be lawful for Parliament to pass an Act for regulating that matter accordingly, and any Act so passed shall apply to such States and to any other State by which it is adopted afterwards by resolution passed in that behalf by the House or, where there are two Houses, by each of the Houses of the Legislature of that State.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article lets states voluntarily invite Parliament to legislate for them on a State List matter — if two or more states pass resolutions requesting this, Parliament can pass a law that applies to those consenting states (and any other state that later chooses to adopt it too). This is a cooperative, consent-based route, quite different from the Article 249/250 mechanisms that don't require state consent.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why some genuinely uniform, cross-state legislation (on subjects that would otherwise be individual states' domain) exists purely because multiple states voluntarily asked Parliament to regulate the matter for them, rather than the Union imposing it unilaterally — a genuinely cooperative federalism mechanism.

Read alongside this one

Art. 3 — Formation of New States

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 252

Can Parliament force this kind of law on a state that hasn't consented?

No — this Article's mechanism is entirely consent-based; a state that hasn't passed a resolution requesting or adopting the law isn't bound by it, distinguishing this sharply from the Article 249/250 override mechanisms.

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The text above reproduces Article 252 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.