📜 Article 238 of the Indian Constitution
Title: Application of the provisions of this Constitution to the States specified in Part B of the First Schedule
⚠️ Status:
❌ Article 238 has been repealed.
It was removed by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956.
🧠 Historical Context:
| 🔹 Aspect | 📘 Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose of Article 238 | To apply the provisions of Part VI (State governments) of the Constitution to the Part B States (former princely states) |
| Why was it needed? | Because India originally had different categories of states — Part A, B, C, and D — each with varying governance |
| When was it repealed? | 1956, by the 7th Amendment, which abolished the classification of states |
| What changed? | After 1956, all states were brought under one uniform administrative framework — hence Article 238 became redundant |
🗂️ Original State Categories (Pre-1956):
| 🔤 State Type | 🗺️ Example States | 📌 Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | Bombay, Madras, Bihar | Former British provinces |
| Part B | Hyderabad, Mysore, Jammu & Kashmir | Former princely states |
| Part C & D | Delhi, Manipur, Andaman | Centrally administered |
🔁 Related Constitutional Developments:
| 🏛️ Amendment/Act | 🧾 Effect |
|---|---|
| 7th Amendment Act, 1956 | - Removed Article 238 |
-
Abolished Part A, B, C distinctions
-
Unified all states under a single framework |
| State Reorganization Act, 1956 | Redrew state boundaries based on linguistic lines |
📌 Summary:
-
Article 238 was transitional, meant for princely states post-independence.
-
After the reorganization of states, it was repealed as no longer necessary.
-
Today, India follows a single category of states, all governed under the same structure.
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