THE PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE
What does this mean?
Specified categories of laws, including certain land-reform measures, receive protection against challenges based on Articles 14 and 19, subject to the Article's conditions. It is not blanket immunity for every law involving property.
Enforceable constitutional rights, their limits, protective exceptions and the courts' remedies.
Why is this provision here?
Specified land and economic reforms receive a defined protection from particular rights-based challenges so that the covered restructuring can operate under its constitutional conditions.
Historical evidenceArticle 31A was introduced in its present subject framework by Amendment 1 (1951), after the original Constitution. The verified sources are the official edition and the linked Amendment Act and Bill statement. Original 1946–1950 Assembly debates predate this insertion and are not presented as its direct drafting reason. The explanation of function above is editorial; the Bill statement supplies the attributed legislative reasons for the later proposal.
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
[31A. Saving of laws providing for acquisition of estates, etc.—
[(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in article 13, no law providing
for—
(a) the acquisition by the State of any estate or of any rights therein or
the extinguishment or modification of any such rights; or
(b) the taking over of the management of any property by the State for
a limited period either in the public interest or in order to secure the proper
management of the property; or
(c) the amalgamation of two or more corporations either in the public
interest or in order to secure the proper management of any of the
corporations; or
(d) the extinguishment or modification of any rights of managing
agents, secretaries and treasurers, managing directors, directors or
managers of corporations, or of any voting rights of shareholders thereof;
or
(e) the extinguishment or modification of any rights accruing by virtue
of any agreement, lease or licence for the purpose of searching for, or
winning, any mineral or mineral oil, or the premature termination or
cancellation of any such agreement, lease or licence,
shall be deemed to be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with, or takes
away or abridges any of the rights conferred by [article 14 or article 19]:
Provided that where such law is a law made by the Legislature of a State,
the provisions of this article shall not apply thereto unless such law, having been
reserved for the consideration of the President, has received his assent:]
[Provided further that where any law makes any provision for the
acquisition by the State of any estate and where any land comprised therein is
held by a person under his personal cultivation, it shall not be lawful for the State
to acquire any portion of such land as is within the ceiling limit applicable to him
under any law for the time being in force or any building or structure standing
thereon or appurtenant thereto, unless the law relating to the acquisition of such
land, building or structure, provides for payment of compensation at a rate which
shall not be less than the market value thereof.]
(2) In this article,—
[(a) the expression “estate” shall, in relation to any local area, have
the same meaning as that expression or its local equivalent has in the
existing law relating to land tenures in force in that area and shall also
include—
(i) any jagir, inam or muafi or other similar grant and in the States
of [Tamil Nadu] and Kerala, any janmam right;
(ii) any land held under ryotwari settlement;
(iii) any land held or let for purposes of agriculture or for purposes
ancillary thereto, including waste land, forest land, land for pasture or
sites of buildings and other structures occupied by cultivators of land,
agricultural labourers and village artisans;]
(b) the expression “rights”, in relation to an estate, shall include any
rights vesting in a proprietor, sub-proprietor, under-proprietor, tenure-
holder, [raiyat, under-raiyat] or other intermediary and any rights or
privileges in respect of land revenue.]
Source-page notes · may concern neighbouring Articles
4. Ins. by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, s. 4, (with retrospective effect).
5. Subs. by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1955, s. 3, for cl. (1) (with
retrospective effect).
1. Subs. by the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978, s. 7, for "article 14,
article 19 or article 31" (w.e.f. 20-6-1979).
2. Ins. by the Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act, 1964, s. 2(i) (w.e.f. 20-6-1964).
3. Subs. by s.2(ii), ibid., for sub-clause (a) (with retrospective effect).
4. Subs. by the Madras State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1968 (53 of 1968), s. 4, for
"Madras" (w.e.f. 14-1-1969).
1. Ins. by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1955, s. 3 (with retrospective effect).
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.
