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| What is Article 373 of Indian constitution |
📜 Article 373 of the Indian Constitution
Title: Power of President to make order in respect of persons under preventive detention in certain cases
🔎 Summary of Article 373 (Simplified):
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Grants the President the power to make orders related to preventive detention of certain individuals after the Constitution comes into force. |
| Applicability | Applies only until Parliament enacts a law regarding preventive detention. |
| Scope | Allows the President to extend or modify the detention period of individuals detained under laws in force before the Constitution commenced (i.e., before 26 Jan 1950). |
| Limitation | This is a transitional provision, meant to operate temporarily until Parliament makes a suitable law. |
💡 Context:
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Preventive detention was practiced during British rule.
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Article 373 ensured that the existing detention laws (like the Bengal Regulation III of 1818) could temporarily continue under the President’s supervision until Parliament made new laws.
🏛️ Related Law:
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Parliament later passed the Preventive Detention Act, 1950, which made Article 373 practically obsolete.
-
The provision is now mostly redundant but remains in the Constitution for historical reasons.
Here is a flowchart of Article 373 of the Indian Constitution in a simple, visual format:
📊 Flowchart: Article 373 – Preventive Detention Power of President (Temporary)
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Article 373: Preventive Detention Power │
│ of the President (Temporary) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Before Constitution: Preventive detention laws │
│ existed under British rule (e.g., Bengal Regulation│
│ III of 1818, Defence of India Rules, etc.) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Constitution Commenced on 26 January 1950 │
│ Transitional phase began │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Article 373 empowers President to issue orders │
│ related to preventive detention │
│ (modifying, extending, continuing existing detentions)│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ This power continues **only until Parliament** │
│ enacts new preventive detention law │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Parliament enacts **Preventive Detention Act, 1950**│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Article 373 becomes redundant but remains as a │
│ transitional historical provision in the Constitution│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Here is a timeline of Article 373 of the Indian Constitution, showing key events and its transitional role in preventive detention:
📅 Timeline: Article 373 – Preventive Detention Power of President
| Year / Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Before 1947 | British-era preventive detention laws in force, such as: • Bengal Regulation III of 1818 • Defence of India Acts & Rules |
| 15 August 1947 | India gains independence. Existing colonial laws continue under the Indian Independence Act, 1947. |
| 26 January 1950 | Constitution of India comes into effect. • Article 373 empowers the President to continue or modify preventive detention orders from earlier laws. • This is a temporary measure until Parliament passes its own law. |
| February 1950 | Parliament passes the Preventive Detention Act, 1950, replacing colonial-era detention laws. |
| 1950–1969 | Preventive Detention Act remains in force. Article 373 becomes functionally obsolete after this point. |
| Present | Article 373 remains in the Constitution as a historical transitional provision, no longer used. Preventive detention now governed by modern laws like the National Security Act (NSA), 1980. |
✅ Key Takeaway:
Article 373 was a temporary bridge to ensure legal continuity in preventive detention immediately after independence, until Parliament took over with new legislation.
Here is a comparison of Article 373 with Article 22 (which also deals with preventive detention):
📊 Comparison: Article 373 vs Article 22
| Feature / Aspect | Article 373 | Article 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Power of President to make order in respect of preventive detention in certain cases | Protection of certain rights regarding arrest and detention |
| Part of Constitution | Part XXI – Temporary and Transitional Provisions | Part III – Fundamental Rights |
| Nature | Temporary provision for transition period | Permanent provision with constitutional safeguards |
| Came into force on | 26 January 1950 | 26 January 1950 |
| Purpose | Allowed President to continue/modify existing preventive detentions under pre-Constitution laws | Provides legal rights and safeguards for individuals arrested or detained |
| Who has power? | President of India | Police & detaining authorities, with legal safeguards |
| Scope | Applies only until Parliament enacts preventive detention law | Applies to all cases of arrest and preventive detention |
| Limitations | Expired after Preventive Detention Act, 1950 was enacted | Still in force and applicable today |
| Key Provisions | - Continue pre-Constitution detentions- Modify existing orders | - Right to be informed of grounds- Right to consult lawyer- Maximum 3 months without Advisory Board |
| Current Status | Obsolete, historical use only | Active, governs detention procedure today |
🧾 Conclusion:
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Article 373 was a transitional tool used just after independence to ensure continuity in detentions.
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Article 22 is a permanent fundamental right ensuring protection and legal safeguards during preventive or punitive detention.
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