Q98
Indian PolityConstitutional Amendments
Which amendment of Indian Constitution is related to the Anti-defection law?
- a.51st amendment
- b.52nd amendment
- c.53rd amendment
- d.54th amendment
Answer: (B) 52nd amendment
The 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, passed under Rajiv Gandhi's government, added the Tenth Schedule, which disqualifies legislators who defect; the Speaker or Chairman decides such cases, subject to judicial review (Kihoto Hollohan case, 1992). The 91st Amendment (2003) removed the exemption for "splits" and capped the Council of Ministers at 15% of the House. As for the other options, the 51st Amendment (1984) dealt with reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes in some north-eastern States, the 53rd (1986) made special provisions for Mizoram (Article 371G) and the 54th (1986) raised the salaries of Supreme Court and High Court judges.