V. N. Shukla’s Constitution of India has proved itself, over eleven editions, to be the most authoritative and respected academic book on Indian Constitution. Its outstanding reputation has established it in the foremost rank of classic legal textbooks.

About the Author:

Mahendra Pal Singh (born 15 July 1940), popularly known as M.P. Singh, is a constitutional law scholar of India. He is best known amongst students of Constitution of India for being the revising author of V.N. Shukla's Constitution of India a standard textbook for lawyers on Constitution of India. Internationally however, he is more famous amongst scholars of comparative constitutional law and comparative administrative law for his work, German Administrative Law in Common Law Perspective.

Professor Singh has laid especial emphasis in making legal education more meaningful to Indian society by making the top law schools more accessible to the students from less privileged background. At NUJS, and since, he has been leading an effort called IDIA, or 'Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access', which involves an engagement with school going children from different parts of semi-urban and rural India and to encourage and help them enter the top law schools of the country. Towards the same end, he has also been heading a group of academicians, called the Legal Education and Research Society or 'LEARS' as it is popularly referred to. He has also been running a school in his village Jitholi for the children of the nearby places. Students from NUJS and volunteers from IDIA have often visited and interacted with the kids of this school

"Professor Singh is to be congratulated in maintaining the impetus of research and revision necessary for successive editions of a book which is extremely useful for the purposes of reference and teaching."

- Cambridge Law Journal, U.K.

"I have already found it useful for references to authorities on particular articles."

- International and Comparative Law Quarterly, U.K.

"Precise and yet lucid accounts of the rationale in scores of leading decisions of the Supreme Court of India is the chief strength of this text."

- Malayan Law Review, Singapore

"It is a lawyer's book as well. The scholars of multi-disciplines may be tempted to have it in view of its lucid style and valuable and detailed information. The present reviewer has no hesitation in saying that today the book has attained the status of one of the leading commentaries on the Constitution of India.''

- Journal of the Indian Law Institute

"Considered opinions of academic men standing aloof from political ideologies or emotions given in a purely detached spirit on these and other questions are bound to carry respect and weight. Dr. Shukla, as a scholar and Professor of Law has the necessary credentials. Justice Kidwai in his Foreword has observed that in view of the fact that the life, liberty and property of every citizen of India is vitally affected by the provisions of the Constitution it is necessary that every effort should be made to make the provisions easily comprehensible and that Mr. Shukla's book has fulfilled the need admirably."

- Madras Law Journal

Introduction

Preamble

Part I The Union and its Territory

Part II Citizenship

Part III Fundamental Rights

Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy

Part IV-A Fundamental Duties

Part V The Union

Part VI The States

Part VII The States in Part B of the First Schedule

Part VIII The Union Territories

Part IX The Panchayats

Part IX-A The Municipalities

Part IX-B The Co-operative Societies

Part X The Scheduled and Tribal Areas

Part XI Relations Between the Union and the States

Part XII Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits

Part XIII Trade, Commerce and Intercourse Within the Territory of India

Part XIV Services Under the Union and the States

Part XIV-A Tribunals

Part XV Elections

Part XVI Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes

Part XVII Official Language

Part XVIII Emergency Provisions

Part XIX Miscellaneous

Part XX Amendment of the Constitution

Part XXI Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions X CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

Part XXII Short Title, Commencement, Authoritative Text in Hindi and Repeals

Schedules

First Schedule

Second Schedule

Third Schedule—Forms of Oaths or Affirmations

Fourth Schedule—Allocation of Seats in the Council of States

Fifth Schedule—Provisions as to the Administration andControl of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes

Sixth Schedule—Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

Seventh Schedule—Union List

Eighth Schedule—Languages

Ninth Schedule

Tenth Schedule—Provisions as to Disqualification on Ground of Defection

Eleventh Schedule

Twelfth Schedule

Appendix: Extracts From Recent Constitution Amending Acts

Subject Index