Indian Political CompassConstitutional text
No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law.
Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
History and context
The right to property was originally a Fundamental Right under Articles 19(1)(f) and 31, giving citizens the right to acquire, hold, and dispose of property and requiring fair compensation for compulsory acquisition. This clashed with land reform legislation. Constitutional amendments in 1951, 1955, 1964, 1971, and 1976 progressively limited it. The 44th Amendment (1978) deleted Articles 19(1)(f) and 31 entirely, moving property rights to Article 300A as an ordinary constitutional right. As a result, property can now be acquired by state law without requiring fundamental rights-level justification — but the law must still be just, fair, and reasonable.
Key Supreme Court cases
Jilubhai Nanbhai Khachar v. State of Gujarat (1994)
Held that the right to property under Article 300A is a constitutional right but not a fundamental right; ordinary law can deprive persons of property.
K. T. Plantation Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Karnataka (2011)
Held that deprivation of property under Article 300A must be for a public purpose and must be accompanied by an amount that is not illusory.
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Last reviewed: 1 July 2026