First Amendment to the Indian Constitution

Recently, the Supreme Court has agreed to examine a PIL challenging changes made to the right to freedom of speech and expression by the first amendment to the Constitution in 1951.

Criticisms of the First Amendment Act: Power under Article 31(A) - Under Article 31(A), the government has been provided broad powers to acquire any estate, and these acts cannot be challenged for violating Articles 14 and 19 of the Indian Constitution. This led to the creation of wide powers within the government and became a subject of criticism.

• Misuse of the Ninth Schedule: The Ninth Schedule was inserted with the objective of land reforms, and progressing the economic and social development of the agricultural sector. The Ninth Schedule contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in courts. Currently, 284 such laws are shielded from judicial review.