Articles 202 to 237 of the Constitution of India

Articles 202 to 237 form an important part of Part VI of the Constitution of India. They deal principally with State financial procedure, legislative procedure, the Governor's ordinance-making power, High Courts for the States, and the subordinate judiciary.

Current constitutional position: Article 232 no longer operates as a separate provision; it was omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956. The sequence therefore proceeds from Article 231 to Article 233. Article 224A and Article 233A remain part of this range.

State Finance and Legislative Procedure: Articles 202 to 213

These provisions regulate the State budget and legislative financial procedure. In brief, Article 202 concerns the annual financial statement; Articles 203 and 204 govern estimates, grants and appropriation; Articles 205 and 206 address supplementary or excess grants and votes on account, votes of credit and exceptional grants; Article 207 concerns Financial Bills; Articles 208 to 212 deal with legislative procedure, language, restrictions on discussion and judicial non-interference in legislative proceedings; and Article 213 confers ordinance-making power on the Governor when the constitutional conditions for its exercise are satisfied.

High Courts for the States: Articles 214 to 231

Articles 214 to 231 establish the constitutional framework for State High Courts. They address the existence and composition of High Courts, appointment and service conditions of judges, oath, post-retirement practice, salaries, transfer, acting and additional judges, retired judges sitting in High Courts, existing jurisdiction, writ jurisdiction, superintendence, transfer of constitutional cases, High Court staff, jurisdiction over Union territories and common High Courts.

Articles 214, 215 and 216 - High Courts, courts of record and constitution

High Courts for States, High Courts as courts of record and constitution of High Courts

Articles 217 and 218 - High Court judges

Appointment and conditions of office of a High Court Judge and application of specified Supreme Court provisions

Articles 219, 220 and 221 - Oath, practice and salaries

Oath or affirmation, restriction on practice after permanent judgeship and salaries of judges

Articles 222, 223 and 224 - Transfer and acting or additional judges

Transfer of High Court judges, acting Chief Justice and additional or acting judges

Articles 224A and 225 - Retired judges and existing jurisdiction

Retired judges sitting in High Courts and jurisdiction of existing High Courts

Articles 226 and 227 - Writ jurisdiction and superintendence

Power of High Courts to issue writs and power of superintendence over courts and tribunals

Articles 228 and 229 - Constitutional cases and High Court establishment

Transfer of certain cases to the High Court; officers, servants and expenses of High Courts

Articles 230 and 231 - Union territories and common High Courts

Extension of High Court jurisdiction to Union territories and establishment of a common High Court

Subordinate Courts: Articles 233 to 237

Chapter VI of Part VI governs the subordinate judiciary. Article 233 concerns appointment, posting and promotion of district judges; Article 233A validates specified appointments and judgments despite identified defects; Article 234 governs recruitment of persons other than district judges to the State judicial service; Article 235 places control over district and subordinate courts in the High Court; Article 236 defines expressions used in the Chapter; and Article 237 permits application of the Chapter to specified classes of magistrates by gubernatorial notification.

Articles 233 and 233A - District judges

Appointment of district judges and validation of certain appointments and judgments

Articles 234 and 235 - Judicial service and control over subordinate courts

Recruitment to judicial service below district judge level and High Court control over subordinate courts

Articles 236 and 237 - Definitions and application to magistrates

Interpretation of district judge and judicial service; application to specified classes of magistrates

Meaning of Important Constitutional Terms

Annual financial statement: the State's constitutional statement of estimated receipts and expenditure for each financial year under Article 202.

Appropriation: legislative authority for withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund of the State for grants and charged expenditure, subject to Article 204.

Writ jurisdiction: under Article 226, every High Court may issue directions, orders or writs, including the constitutional writs named in the Article, for enforcement of fundamental rights and for other purposes within the constitutional limits of its jurisdiction.

Court of record: Article 215 declares every High Court to be a court of record and confers power to punish for contempt of itself.

Judicial service: Article 236 defines the expression for Chapter VI as a service consisting exclusively of persons intended to fill the post of district judge and other civil judicial posts inferior to the post of district judge.

This page is an explanatory index. For authoritative constitutional text, amendments and footnotes, consult the official Government of India sources linked on this page.