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Home The Constitution Part XXI

Part XXI: Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions

Articles 369–392 · A long Part mixing one-time transitional rules from 1950 (many now spent and effectively historical) with an important, still-very-relevant set of special provisions for individual states — from Nagaland's protection of customary law to Jammu & Kashmir's now-altered special status.

Key Articles

The provisions in this Part cited most often

With landmark Supreme Court cases that shaped how they're actually applied.

Art. 370

Temporary provisions for Jammu and Kashmir

Originally gave J&K a special constitutional status with its own Constitution and limited applicability of the Union Constitution — substantially ended in practice by a Presidential Order in August 2019 that extended the full Constitution to J&K and led to its reorganisation into two Union Territories.

In Re: Article 370 of the Constitution(2023) SC — The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the 2019 abrogation, holding J&K never retained any residual sovereignty after acceding to India in 1947, and that Article 370 was always intended as a temporary, transitional provision. Verify this case
Art. 371A

Special provisions for Nagaland

One of the strongest state-specific protections in the Constitution — Parliament cannot legislate on Naga religious/social practices, customary law, or ownership/transfer of land and resources in Nagaland, without the state Assembly's consent.

Every Article In This Part

All of Articles 369–392

Grouped by subject so related provisions stay together — every article number in this Part is covered below.

Art. 369
Temporary power for certain State List matters

An early transitional provision letting Parliament legislate on some State List subjects for a limited initial period — long spent.

Art. 370
Temporary provisions for Jammu and Kashmir

Originally granted special status; substantially rendered inoperative by the August 2019 Presidential Order, upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2023.

Art. 371
Special provisions for Maharashtra and Gujarat

Lets the President provide for separate development boards for regions like Vidarbha and Saurashtra/Kutch, and equitable allocation of funds and opportunities.

Art. 371A
Special provisions for Nagaland

Protects Naga customary law, religious/social practices, and land/resource ownership from Parliament's ordinary law-making power without the state Assembly's consent.

Art. 371B
Special provisions for Assam

Allows the President to provide for a special committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly for tribal areas.

Art. 371C
Special provisions for Manipur

Allows a special committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly for the state's Hill Areas.

Art. 371D
Special provisions for Andhra Pradesh/Telangana

Directs equitable opportunities in public employment and education across different regions of the (undivided, and now divided) state.

Art. 371E
Central University in Andhra Pradesh

Authorised Parliament to establish a Central University in Andhra Pradesh.

Art. 371F
Special provisions for Sikkim

Special arrangements following Sikkim's 1975 merger into India, including protecting existing Sikkimese laws and assembly seats.

Art. 371G
Special provisions for Mizoram

Protects Mizo customary law, religious/social practices, and land ownership; central laws on these subjects need the state Assembly's consent.

Art. 371H
Special provisions for Arunachal Pradesh

Gives the Governor a special personal responsibility for law and order, exercised in consultation with the Council of Ministers.

Art. 371-I
Special provisions for Goa

Fixes a minimum size for the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Art. 371J
Special provisions for Karnataka

Allows a separate development board for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and reservation in education/state jobs for that region — added by the 98th Amendment, 2012.

Art. 372
Continuance of existing laws

Pre-1950 laws continue in force automatically; the President had a one-time power to adapt their wording to the new Constitution.

Art. 372A
Power of the President to adapt laws

A further one-time adaptation power connected to the major 1956 States Reorganisation.

Art. 373
President's power re: preventive detention (1-year, spent)

Let the President exercise, by order, powers Article 22 normally reserves for Parliament, for one year.

Art. 374
Judges of the Federal Court

Sitting Federal Court judges automatically became Supreme Court judges; pending cases transferred too.

Art. 375
Courts, authorities and officers to continue functioning

Every existing court and official kept functioning under the new Constitution without a reappointment process.

Art. 376
Judges of High Courts

Sitting provincial High Court judges automatically became judges of the corresponding State's High Court.

Art. 377
Comptroller and Auditor-General

The sitting Auditor-General automatically became the new CAG under Article 148.

Art. 378
Public Service Commissions

Sitting Commission members automatically transitioned to the corresponding new Union/State Commission.

Art. 378A
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly's first term (spent)

Fixed the exact term duration for AP's first Assembly following 1956 reorganisation.

Art. 379
(Repealed) Provisional Parliament

The Constituent Assembly sat as an interim Parliament until the first general election.

Art. 380
(Repealed) Application of constitutional provisions to the Provisional Parliament

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 381
(Repealed) Provisional Parliament's powers between sessions

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 382
(Repealed) Provisions as to the Provisional Parliament's membership

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 383
(Repealed) Provisional Parliament's rules of procedure

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 384
(Repealed) Provisional Parliament's officers and secretariat

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 385
(Repealed) President and Vice-President during the transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 386
(Repealed) Power to remove difficulties re: provincial autonomy transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 387
(Repealed) Public Service Commission during the transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 388
(Repealed) CAG during the transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 389
(Repealed) President's financial powers during the transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 390
(Repealed) Definition of 'Article' for the transitional provisions

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 391
(Repealed) Partial operation of the Constitution during the transition

Spent transitional provision, part of the 1950–52 interim-government chapter.

Art. 392
Power of the President to remove difficulties

A one-time transitional power letting the President adapt or modify the Constitution's text to smooth its early implementation — no longer in effect.

See This In Practice

Related rights categories

Land & Property Rights

Encroachment, land grabbing, mutation, and how to prove ownership.

Voting & Political Rights

Enrolment, EVM/VVPAT, election complaints, and NOTA.

Fundamental Rights

The Constitution's promises to every citizen — and how to invoke them.

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about this Part

Does Article 370 still exist in the Constitution's text?
The Article number remains, but its substantive special-status effect was ended by the President's August 2019 Order (extending the full Constitution to J&K) and the state's reorganisation into two Union Territories — a move the Supreme Court unanimously upheld in December 2023.
Why do some states have such different special provisions?
Most (Articles 371A–371J) reflect specific historical circumstances of how that region joined or was reorganised within India — protecting local customary law, land rights, or ensuring balanced development for regions that had genuine concerns about being absorbed into a larger state.
← PreviousPart XX: Amendment of the Constitution Next →Part XXII: Short Title, Commencement, Authoritative Text, Repeals

This is a plain-language guide to Part XXI of the Constitution of India for general educational purposes, not a substitute for the bare text of the Constitution or professional legal advice. Article numbering and content reflect amendments up to 2026; always cross-check the authoritative text at india.gov.in or legislative.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter.