Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India - The Constitution of India 2024 (English Version)↗
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Article 246: Subject-matter of laws made by Parliament and by the Legislatures of States
Distributes legislative power between Parliament and State Legislatures with reference to the Union, State, and Concurrent Lists.
Part XIactive
In this article
What it means
Plain-language explanation
Where you notice it
Daily civic life
How it protects you
Citizen protection
What to remember
Exam and recall pointers
What it means
Simple explanation
Article 246 is a core federalism provision that explains who can make laws on which subjects.
Practical daily-life use
Where citizens notice it
- Helps citizens understand whether a law is made by Parliament or a State Legislature.
- Relevant to education, police, agriculture, taxation, and other subject-list debates.
How it protects you
Citizen protection context
- Creates predictable division of law-making power.
- Supports federal balance between Union and States.
Example situations
General civic examples
- A State law is challenged as outside State legislative power.
- A Concurrent List subject has both Union and State law interaction.
Citizen note
Learning note
Legislative competence questions require reading the relevant list entries and judicial interpretation.
Exam pointers
What to remember
- Article 246 connects to the Seventh Schedule.
- Union List, State List, and Concurrent List are central.
Related articles
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Source references
Verification basis
Supreme Court of India constitutional rights jurisprudence↗
Used only for interpretation notes where courts have shaped the practical reach of constitutional provisions, especially Articles 14, 19, 21, 32, 226, 368, and 370.
Last reviewed against official sources: 2026-05-20.