Article 243L and Article 243M of the Constitution of India

Articles 243L and 243M form part of Part IX of the Constitution, which deals with Panchayats. Article 243L explains how Part IX applies to Union Territories, while Article 243M identifies areas and States to which Part IX does not ordinarily apply and provides mechanisms for extending it in specified cases.

Updated: 19 September 2026

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Article 243L - Application to Union Territories

Definition and purpose: Article 243L adapts the Panchayat provisions in Part IX for Union Territories. Where Part IX refers to the Governor of a State, the reference operates as a reference to the Administrator of the Union Territory appointed under Article 239. For a Union Territory having a Legislative Assembly, references to a State Legislature or Legislative Assembly operate as references to that Legislative Assembly.

Text of Article 243L

243L. Application to Union territories. The provisions of this Part shall apply to the Union territories and shall, in their application to a Union territory, have effect as if the references to the Governor of a State were references to the Administrator of the Union territory appointed under article 239 and references to the Legislature or the Legislative Assembly of a State were references, in relation to a Union territory having a Legislative Assembly, to that Legislative Assembly:

Provided that the President may, by public notification, direct that the provisions of this Part shall apply to any Union territory or part thereof subject to such exceptions and modifications as he may specify in the notification.

The proviso therefore gives the President power, through a public notification, to apply Part IX to a Union Territory or part of it with specified exceptions or modifications.

Article 243M - Part not to apply to certain areas

Definition and purpose: Article 243M creates constitutional exceptions to the general Panchayat framework in Part IX. It protects specified Scheduled Areas, tribal areas, States and hill areas from automatic application of Part IX, while clause (4) provides constitutional routes by which Part IX may be extended in specified circumstances.

Text of Article 243M

243M. Part not to apply to certain areas.

(1) Nothing in this Part shall apply to the Scheduled Areas referred to in clause (1), and the tribal areas referred to in clause (2), of article 244.

(2) Nothing in this Part shall apply to -
(a) the States of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram;
(b) the hill areas in the State of Manipur for which District Councils exist under any law for the time being in force.

(3) Nothing in this Part -
(a) relating to Panchayats at the district level shall apply to the hill areas of the District of Darjeeling in the State of West Bengal for which Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council exists under any law for the time being in force;
(b) shall be construed to affect the functions and powers of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council constituted under such law.

(4) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution -
(a) the Legislature of a State referred to in sub-clause (a) of clause (2) may, by law, extend this Part to that State, except the areas, if any, referred to in clause (1), if the Legislative Assembly of that State passes a resolution to that effect by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting;
(b) Parliament may, by law, extend the provisions of this Part to the Scheduled Areas and the tribal areas referred to in clause (1) subject to such exceptions and modifications as may be specified in such law, and no such law shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368.

Important: The wording above follows the current official constitutional text. Article 243M(4)(b) expressly permits Parliament to extend Part IX to the Scheduled Areas and tribal areas referred to in clause (1), subject to exceptions and modifications specified by law.

Meaning and legal effect of Articles 243L and 243M

1. General application to Union Territories

Article 243L makes Part IX workable in the Union Territory framework by substituting the appropriate Union Territory constitutional authorities for corresponding State authorities. It also permits tailored application through a Presidential notification.

2. Constitutional exclusions under Article 243M

Article 243M(1) excludes the Scheduled Areas and tribal areas described in the Constitution through Article 244. Clause (2) separately addresses Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and specified hill areas of Manipur. Clause (3) contains the constitutional text concerning the hill areas of Darjeeling.

3. Extension of Part IX

Under Article 243M(4)(a), the Legislature of a State named in clause (2)(a) may extend Part IX in accordance with the special majority stated in the Article. Under clause (4)(b), Parliament may extend Part IX to the Scheduled Areas and tribal areas referred to in clause (1), with statutory exceptions and modifications. Such a law is not treated as a constitutional amendment for the purposes of Article 368.

4. Connection with the Seventy-third Amendment

Articles 243L and 243M were inserted as part of the constitutional scheme for Panchayats introduced by the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992. They should be read with the other provisions of Part IX, including Articles 243 to 243O.