THE PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE
What does this mean?
Parliament can provide grants-in-aid to States in need, with specific provisions concerning Scheduled Tribes and certain areas. The Article is a constitutional funding framework rather than a current grant-amount table.
Taxes, government funds, financial sharing, property, borrowing, contracts and legal proceedings.
Why is this provision here?
Public finance needs rules identifying lawful revenues, financial responsibility and government-to-government arrangements. This provision sets the particular allocation, safeguard or procedure described above.
Historical evidenceThis Article number belongs to the original constitutional framework, but its present wording may include later amendments or substitutions. A provision-specific original Assembly debate has not been verified here. The explanation of function above is editorial inference from the text, not an attributed single motive of the framers. The original draft-making archive is a research resource, not proof of a particular historical reason. The later amendment records linked below document changes affecting this Article; their Bill statements explain those proposals, not necessarily every original clause or the complete present legal outcome.
The explanation of purpose is an editorial reading of the provision. A drafting motive is attributed only where a linked historical source supports it.
Limits, exceptions & reading carefully
Educational summary of the linked source text. Exceptions, provisos, implementing laws and applicable judgments must be read before applying it to a real case.
Read the official constitutional text
275. Grants from the Union to certain States.—(1) Such sums as
Parliament may by law provide shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of
India in each year as grants-in-aid of the revenues of such States as Parliament
may determine to be in need of assistance, and different sums may be fixed for
different States:
Provided that there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as
grants-in-aid of the revenues of a State such capital and recurring sums as may
be necessary to enable that State to meet the costs of such schemes of
development as may be undertaken by the State with the approval of the
Government of India for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the Scheduled
Tribes in that State or raising the level of administration of the Scheduled Areas
therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State:
Provided further that there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of
India as grants-in-aid of the revenues of the State of Assam sums, capital and
recurring, equivalent to—
(a) the average excess of expenditure over the revenues during the
two years immediately preceding the commencement of this Constitution
in respect of the administration of the tribal areas specified in [Part I] of
the table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule; and
(b) the costs of such schemes of development as may be
undertaken by that State with the approval of the Government of India for
the purpose of raising the level of administration of the said areas to that
of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State.
[(1A) On and from the formation of the autonomous State under article
244A,—
(i) any sums payable under clause (a) of the second proviso to
clause (1) shall, if the autonomous State comprises all the tribal areas
referred to therein, be paid to the autonomous State, and, if the
autonomous State comprises only some of those tribal areas, be
apportioned between the State of Assam and the autonomous State as the
President may, by order, specify;
(ii) there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as
grants-in-aid of the revenues of the autonomous State sums, capital and
recurring, equivalent to the costs of such schemes of development as may
be undertaken by the autonomous State with the approval of the
Government of India for the purpose of raising the level of administration
of that State to that of the administration of the rest of the State of Assam.]
(2) Until provision is made by Parliament under clause (1), the powers
conferred on Parliament under that clause shall be exercisable by the President
by order and any order made by the President under this clause shall have effect
subject to any provision so made by Parliament:
Provided that after a Finance Commission has been constituted no order
shall be made under this clause by the President except after considering the
recommendations of the Finance Commission.
Extracted from the Legislative Department’s May 2026 edition. Page footnotes may refer to neighbouring provisions; check their markers in the PDF. Inclusion in this edition does not by itself establish commencement or judicial effect.
