Historical Context on the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

The historical events that paved the way for Delhi to emerge as an important center are as follows:

  • The British defeated Marathas in the Battle of Delhi in 1803.
  • During, the revolt of 1857, the British captured the city as it was the main center of the revolt.
  • In 1911, the capital of India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
  • In 1927, Delhi was renamed as New Delhi.
  • When India became independent, New Delhi was declared to be the capital of India.
  • 7th CAA and States Reorganization Act of 1956 carved Delhi from the Chief Commissioner’s Province of Delhi.
  • 69th CAA designated Delhi as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
  • Today Delhi is known as the National Capital Region of Delhi.

69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution: The Parliament of India has been given the power to amend the constitution of India under Article 368. With the exercise of this power, the Parliament of India, during the tenure of PV Narasimha Rao’s government, passed the 69th Constitution Amendment Act (69th CAA), 1991. The 69th Amendment Act accorded a special status to Delhi and made it the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Hence, the 69th Amendment is popularly called as Delhi Reorganization Act. The 69th Amendment Act of 1991 brought about significant changes in the status and governance structure of Delhi, transforming it into the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Under this Delhi Special Status Amendment, Delhi was granted special status. It established a legislative assembly consisting of 70 members and a council of ministers comprising 7 members to govern the territory.

In this article, we shall discuss the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution in detail including its history, need for the act, provisions, criticism, articles 239AA and 239BB

Table of Content

  • What is 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution
  • Historical Context on the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution
  • Need for the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution
  • What is Article 239A?
  • Provisions of 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution
  • Criticism of 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution
  • Judicial Interventions by 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

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What is 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

69th Amendment Act of 1991 is a constitutional amendment act that accorded a special status to Delhi. It put the state of Delhi under the joint control of the lieutenant governor and chief minister in various matters. It also added Article 239AA of Indian Constitution. This Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 also kept the matters like land, police, and, public order out of the purview of the state legislature of Delhi....

Historical Context on the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

The historical events that paved the way for Delhi to emerge as an important center are as follows:...

Need for the 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

A need was felt to grant the NCT (national capital territory) status to Delhi and make it a state. Various factors that contributed to the enactment of the 69th Amendment of Indian Constitution, 1991 were:...

What is Article 239A?

Article 239AA of Indian Constitution deals with the special provisions related to the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It provides for the creation of a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers for Delhi, granting it a special status among Union Territories in India. This Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 conferred a degree of autonomy and self-governance to Delhi...

Provisions of 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

This act made the following provisions:...

Criticism of 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

69th amendment act has faced criticism due to various reasons such as:...

Judicial Interventions by 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

Central Government of India introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which aims to hand over the power regarding the administrative affairs of the Delhi to the LG of Delhi instead of the elected government or the Delhi Legislative Assembly. This matter was bought before the Supreme Court of India. SC ruled that the bill was not valid and upheld the right of Delhi government over the administrative affairs of the Delhi except the matters of public order, police and land. Recently in 2023, President of India issued an ordinance to bypass the rulings of the SC which took away the rights of Delhi government over the issue of administration and placed it in the hands of National Capital Civil Services Authority which consists of CM, chief secretary of Delhi and principal home secretary of Delhi. This Delhi Ordinance Bill was passed in both the houses of the Parliament....

Summary – 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

In recent times, 69th Amendment of Indian Constitution, 1991 has faced several criticisms and has been in the news due to frequent conflicts between the LG and the CM which led to the expedition of matter before the Supreme Court. It has resulted in loss of law and order in the region but still the amendment has its own significance. Presence of two governments can ensure the division of the work between them. It can also lead to healthy discussions which will benefit the people eventually. LG and state government should collaborate and cooperate with each other to make developments in the region and follow good governance practices instead of blaming each other for the issues and political agendas....

FAQs on 69th Amendment of the Indian Constitution

1. When was 69th Amendment of Indian Constitution passed?...

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