THE CONSTITUTION (SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1963
Statement of Objects and Reasons
appended to the Constitution
(Sixteenth Amendment) Bill, 1963 which was enacted as the
Constitution
(Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The Committee on National Integration and Regionalism
appointed by the
National Integration Council recommended that article 19
of the
Constitution be so amended that adequate powers become available for
the preservation and maintenance of the integrity, and sovereignty of
the Union. The Committee were further of the
view that every
candidate for the membership of a State Legislature or Parliament, and
every aspirant to, and incumbent of, public office should
pledge
himself to uphold the Constitution and to preserve the integrity and
soverignity of the Union and that forms of oath in the Third Schedule
to the Constitution should be suitably amended for the purpose. It is
proposed to give effect to these recommendations by amending clauses
(2), (3) and (4) of article 19 for enabling the State to make any law
imposing reasonable restrictions on the exercise of
the rights
conferred by sub-clauses (a), (b) and (c) of clause (1)
of that
article in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India.
It is also proposed to amend articles 84 and 173 and forms of oath in
the Third Schedule to the Constitution so as to provide that every
candidate for the memebership of Parliament or State
Legislature,
Union and State Ministers, Members of
Parliament and State
Legislatures, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts and
the
Comptroller and Auditor-General of India should take an oath to uphold
the sovereignty and integrity of India.
2.The Bill seeks to achieve these objects.
NEW DELHI;
A. K. SEN.
The 18th January, 1963.
THE CONSTITUTION (SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1963
[5th October, 1963.]
An Act further to amend the Constitution of India.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fourteenth
year of the Republic of
India as follows:-
1. Short title.-This Act may be
called the Constitution (Sixteenth
Amendment) Act, 1963.
2. Amendment of article 19.-In article 19 of
the Constitution,-
(a) in clause (2), after the words
"in the interests of", the words
"the sovereignty and integrity of India," shall be inserted;
(b) in clauses (3) and (4), after the words "in
the interests of", the
words "the sovereignty and integrity of India or" shall be inserted.
3. Amendment of article 84.-In
article 84 of the Constitution, for
clause (a), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
"(a) is a citizen of India,
and makes and subscribes before some
person authorized in that behalf by the Election Commission an oath or
affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third
Schedule;".
4. Amendment of article 173.-In article
173 of the Constitution, for
clause (a), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
"(a) is a citizen of India,
and makes and subscribes before some
person authorized in that behalf by the Election Commission an oath or
affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the
Third Schedule;".
5. Amendment of Third Schedule.- In the Third
Schedule to the
Constitution,-
(a) In Form I, after the
words "Constitution of India as by law
established.", the words "that I will uphold the
sovereignty and
integrity of India," shall be inserted;
(b) for Form III, the following shall be substituted,
namely:---
`III
A
Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a
candidate for election to
Parliament:--
"I, A.B., having been nominated as a
candidate to fill a seat in the
Council of States (or the House of the People) do swear in the name of
God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of India as by law established and that I will uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India.".
B
Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a member of
Parliament:-
"I, A.B., having been elected (or
nominated) a member of the Council
of States (or the House of the People) do swear in the
name of
God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully
dis-
charge the duty upon which I am about to enter." ';
(c) in Forms IV, V and VIII, after
the words "the Constitution of
India as by law established,", the words "that I will
uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India," shall be inserted;
(d) for Form VII, the following shall be substituted,
namely:-
`VII
A
Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a
candidate for election to
the Legislature of a State:-
"I, A.B., having been nominated as a
candidate to fill a seat in the
Legislative Assembly (or Legislative Council), do swear in the name of
God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of India as by law established and that I will uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India.".
B
Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a
member of the Legislature
of a State:-
"I, A.B., having been
elected (or nominated) a member of the
Legislative Assembly (or Legislative Council), do swear in the name of
God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully
dis-
charge the duty upon which I am about to enter." '.
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