What is Article 384 of Indian constitution

www.hinsoli.com July 11, 2025

What is Article 384 of indian constitution

Article 384 of the Indian Constitution

Title: Provisions as to existing laws and their adaptation in relation to Part B States

❗️Status:

Article 384 has been repealed.
It was a transitional provision and was omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956.

🧾 Original Purpose (Before Repeal):

Article 384 provided for the continuation and adaptation of existing laws in Part B States after the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.

🔍 Simplified Explanation:

Before 1950, Part B States (former princely states) had their own laws and systems.
Article 384 allowed:
- These existing laws to continue temporarily.
- The President or the Governor to adapt or modify these laws to align them with the Constitution of India.

📌 Key Features:

Aspect	Details
Applies To	Part B States
Subject	Existing laws in those states
Provision	Existing laws remain in force temporarily
Modification Allowed	Laws could be adapted or modified by President or Governor
Purpose	Align local/state laws with the Constitution of India
Ends When	Laws are replaced, repealed, or adapted by competent authority
Repealed By	7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956

🗂️ Background – Part B States Included:

Hyderabad
Jammu & Kashmir
Mysore
Madhya Bharat
Rajasthan
Saurashtra
Travancore-Cochin
PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union)

✅ Why Article 384 Was Important (and Then Repealed):

Ensured legal continuity in former princely states after joining the Indian Union.
Prevented a legal vacuum while new laws were being framed.
Became obsolete after the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, when all states were brought under a uniform legal and constitutional framework.

Here is a comparison of Articles 380 to 384 of the Indian Constitution — all of which were transitional provisions for Part B States (former princely states) and were later repealed by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956.

🆚 Comparison Table: Article 380 to Article 384

Article	Subject	Purpose	Who/What It Applied To	Ends When	Repealed By
380	Constitution of Legislatures in Part B States	To provide temporary legislative bodies in Part B States	Former princely state legislatures (Part B States)	When elected legislatures were constituted	7th Amendment Act, 1956
381	Governor of Part B States	Allowed Rajpramukhs to act as Governors temporarily	Rajpramukh (ruler) of Part B States	When a new Governor was appointed under Article 155	7th Amendment Act, 1956
382	Council of Ministers in Part B States	Allowed existing ministers to continue in office temporarily	Ministers serving under Rajpramukh	When new Council of Ministers was formed	7th Amendment Act, 1956
383	Legislative functions of Governors in Part B States	Allowed Governor to make laws when there was no legislature	Governors of Part B States	When a legislature was constituted	7th Amendment Act, 1956
384	Adaptation of laws in Part B States	Allowed existing laws to continue and be adapted to fit the Constitution	Existing laws in Part B States	When laws were adapted/replaced/repealed	7th Amendment Act, 1956

🧾 Summary Points:

All 5 articles (380–384) were:
- Meant for Part B States (former princely states).
- Transitional in nature, ensuring smooth integration into the Republic of India.
- Repealed once the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 unified India’s state structure.

Here is a timeline of Articles 380 to 384 of the Indian Constitution, showing their purpose and eventual repeal:

📅 Timeline: Articles 380–384 – Transition & Repeal

Date	Event
15 Aug 1947	India becomes independent. Princely states begin integrating into the Indian Union.
26 Jan 1950	Constitution of India comes into force.
	Articles 380 to 384 come into effect as transitional provisions for Part B States.
	- Article 380: Temporary legislatures in Part B States
	- Article 381: Rajpramukhs act as Governors
	- Article 382: Existing ministers continue
	- Article 383: Governors exercise legislative power temporarily
	- Article 384: Existing laws of Part B States continue
1950–1956	- Part B States gradually form legislatures, appoint governors, and reform laws
1 Nov 1956	States Reorganisation Act, 1956 comes into force.
	- Part A, B, C state classification abolished
	- Part B States merged or reorganized into new states
	- Uniform governance introduced for all states
1 Nov 1956	7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 repeals Articles 380 to 384

✅ Key Outcome:

These articles served their purpose during India's transition from princely states to a unified republic.
Repealed once democratic, constitutional structures were fully implemented in all states.