Article 248 — Article 248 — Residuary Powers of Legislation

(1) Parliament has exclusive power to make any law with respect to any matter not enumerated in the Concurrent List or State List. (2) Such power shall include the power of making any law imposing a tax not mentioned in either of those Lists.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Constituent Assembly's decision to vest residual power in the Centre rather than the states was deliberate, contrasting with the American model (where the 10th Amendment reserves residual power to states). The framers, influenced by the partition experience and the need for national integration, wanted to ensure that emerging subjects (such as cyber law, space law, and nuclear energy) would automatically fall under Central authority.

• Article 245
• Article 246
• Article 249

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026