Indian Political CompassConstitutional Amendment · Partly overruled
25th Amendment (1971)
Curtailed the right to property, substituting 'amount' for 'compensation' in Article 31 to allow Parliament to set acquisition terms without judicial review.
Why it was passed
Court judgments had interpreted 'just compensation' in Article 31 to require market-rate payment for acquired property, which conflicted with land reform and nationalisation programmes.
Key changes
- Replaced 'compensation' with 'amount' in Article 31(2), removing judicial review of adequacy
- Added Article 31C to protect laws giving effect to Articles 39(b) and 39(c) from challenges under Articles 14, 19, and 31
Controversy and legal challenges
Article 31C was partially struck down in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) insofar as it claimed to exclude judicial review entirely. The Forty-Second Amendment later broadened Article 31C to cover all Directive Principles, but that expansion was struck down in Minerva Mills (1980).
Related articles
Content is editorial draft pending fact-check against official Gazette notifications and Supreme Court judgment texts. Last reviewed: 2026-07-02.
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