Home The Constitution Part XII Article 295

Art. 295 Part XII: Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits

Succession to Property, Assets, Rights, Liabilities and Obligations in Other Cases

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) As from the commencement of this Constitution—(a) all property and assets which immediately before such commencement were vested in any Indian State corresponding to a State specified in Part B of the First Schedule shall vest in the Union, if the purposes for which such property and assets were held immediately before such commencement will thereafter be purposes of the Union relating to any of the matters enumerated in List I in the Seventh Schedule, and in any other case, in the corresponding State...

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article handled the parallel succession question for property that had belonged to former INDIAN princely states (rather than directly to the British Crown) — determining whether such property and associated legal obligations transferred to the Union or to the corresponding new state, generally based on whether the property's purpose aligned with Union or State List matters.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

Together with Article 294, this Article completed the comprehensive legal transfer of ALL pre-1950 government-connected property and obligations (whether from British colonial administration or from the numerous former princely states) into India's new constitutional framework, ensuring no gaps in legal title or governmental responsibility.

Read alongside this one

Art. 294 — Succession to Property in Certain Cases

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 295

Why were two separate Articles (294 and 295) needed for this succession?

Because India's territory in 1950 came from two quite different sources — directly British-administered territory, and territory from hundreds of formerly separate princely states — each requiring its own specific succession rule tailored to that different starting legal position.

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The text above reproduces Article 295 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.