Which of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts added the 10th Schedule to the Indian Constitution?

The correct answer is 52nd Amendment Act.

Key Points

• The 52nd Amendment Act of 1985 added the 10th Schedule to the Indian Constitution.
• The 10th Schedule is commonly known as the Anti-Defection Law.
• The Anti-Defection Law lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection.
• This amendment aimed to address the issue of political defections by legislators, which were becoming a common problem in Indian politics.

Additional Information

• Defection:
  • Defection refers to the act of a member of a legislative body leaving their political party to join another.
  • The Anti-Defection Law was introduced to prevent such political defections.
• Disqualification:
  • The 10th Schedule outlines the grounds for disqualification of legislators on the grounds of defection.
  • A legislator can be disqualified if they voluntarily give up the membership of their party or disobey the party's directives.
• Exceptions:
  • The law allows for certain exceptions, such as mergers between parties.
  • If a party merges with another and two-thirds of its legislators agree, they are not considered to have defected.
• Authority:
  • The presiding officer of the house (Speaker or Chairman) is the authority to decide on disqualification matters under the 10th Schedule.
  • However, the decision of the presiding officer is subject to judicial review.