Home The Constitution Part VI Article 162

Art. 162 Part VI: The States

Extent of Executive Power of State

Exact text — Constitution of India

Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive power of a State shall extend to the matters with respect to which the Legislature of the State has power to make laws: Provided that in any matter with respect to which the Legislature of a State and Parliament have power to make laws, the executive power of the State shall be subject to, and limited by, the executive power expressly conferred by this Constitution or by any law made by Parliament upon the Union or authorities thereof.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article defines a state's executive power scope — generally matching its own legislative competence (State List and, with the proviso's qualification, Concurrent List matters), while making clear that on Concurrent List subjects, the state's executive power is subordinate to any specific Union executive power the Constitution or Parliament has established.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is the state-level counterpart to Article 73, maintaining the same basic principle that executive power generally tracks legislative competence, while preserving the Union's priority on shared (Concurrent List) subjects even at the executive action level.

Read alongside this one

Art. 73 — Extent of Executive Power of the Union

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 162

Can a state government take executive action on a Concurrent List matter freely?

Generally yes, but subject to any specific Union executive power the Constitution or a Parliamentary law has established over that same matter — the Union's position takes priority where there's a genuine conflict.

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The text above reproduces Article 162 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.