Home The Constitution Part III Article 18

Art. 18 Part III: Fundamental Rights

Abolition of Titles

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State.

(2) No citizen of India shall accept any title from any foreign State.

(3) No person who is not a citizen of India shall, while he holds any office of profit or trust under the State, accept without the consent of the President any title from any foreign State.

(4) No person holding any office of profit or trust under the State shall, without the consent of the President, accept any present, emolument, or office of any kind from or under any foreign State.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

A deliberately anti-aristocratic provision — the Constitution bars the State from creating hereditary or honorific titles (like the old British 'Sir' or 'Rai Bahadur' titles), reflecting the framers' rejection of a titled nobility in independent India. Military and academic distinctions (like gallantry awards or a 'Dr.' from a university) are specifically excluded from the ban. It also restricts citizens from accepting titles from foreign states, to prevent divided loyalties or undue foreign influence on public figures.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is exactly why India's civilian honours (Bharat Ratna, Padma awards) are legally NOT 'titles' in the constitutional sense — they've been upheld by courts as recognition of merit, not a title that can be prefixed to a name like nobility, and recipients can't use them as a title (e.g., you can't add 'Padma Shri' before your name on an official document the way you would 'Dr.').

Landmark Cases

How courts have interpreted this Article

Balaji Raghavan v. Union of IndiaAIR 1996 SC 770 — Upheld the constitutionality of National Awards like the Bharat Ratna and Padma awards, holding they are not 'titles' under Article 18 as long as they aren't used as a prefix/suffix to a recipient's name. Verify this case

Read alongside this one

Art. 19 — Protection of Six Freedoms

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 18

Can I call myself 'Padma Shri [Name]' officially?

No — courts have specifically held these awards can't be used as a title attached to your name (unlike 'Dr.'), precisely to keep them compliant with Article 18's ban on titles.

Can an Indian citizen accept a knighthood or similar foreign honour?

Not without running into Article 18(2)'s restriction — Indian citizens are generally barred from accepting titles from a foreign State.

← PreviousArticle 17: Abolition of Untouchability Next →Article 19: Protection of Six Freedoms

The text above reproduces Article 18 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.