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Abstract
ARTICLE 356 is one among the nine Articles, beginning from Art. 352 and ending with Art. 360, known as
Emergency Provisions, enumerated in Chapter XVIII of the Constitution. Art. 356 was introduced as Draft Article
278, on August 3, 1949 by the Union Law Minister, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Under Article 356, the President can dismiss a State Government or dissolve a State Assembly or keep it under
suspended animation in the event of a failure of the constitutional machinery in that State. The Article owes its
genesis to Section 93 of the Government of India Act 1935, a section which essentially dealt with the "taking power
of the Provincial Government by the Governor."
Keywords: Emergency, Role of President, Reason for Imposition of State Emergency, Consequences, Misuse of Art
356
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under Article 21 is to prevent encroachment upon in a tight mould of federalism. No matter what the
personal liberty and deprivation of life except circumstances, it cannot change its form and shape. It
according to procedure established by law. Right to can never be Unitary. On the other hand, the
life means the right to lead meaningful, complete and Constitution of India can be unitary as well as
dignified life. The fundamental rights are one of the federal according to the requirements of time and
pillars of the Indian Constitution Article 21 being circumstances. In normal times, it is framed to work
core and since then these rights constitute the basic as a federal system. But in times of Emergency, it is
structure so they cannot be distorted or deprived off. so designed as to make it work as though it was a
In a situation like emergency since it is already a unitary system’.
situation difficult to handle these rights seize
temporarily which revive once the proclamation The constitution stimulates three types of
period ends. emergencies:
An emergency due to war, external
Background aggression or armed rebellion (Article 352).
The emergency provisions are contained in part This is popularly known as ‘National
XVIII of the constitution, from Articles 352 to 360. Emergency’. However, the Constitution
The Article owes its genesis article 93 of The employs the expression ‘Proclamation of
Government of India Act 1935, a section which Emergency’ 2to denote an emergency of this
essentially dealt with the taking over of the type.
Provincial Government by the Governor. These An Emergency due to failure of the
provisions enable the Central Government to meet constitutional machinery in the states
any abnormal situation effectively. The rationality (Article 356). This is popularly known as
behind the incorporation of these provisions in the ‘President’s Rule’. It is also known by two
constitution is to safeguard the sovereignty, unity, other names ‘State Emergency’ or
integrity, and security of the country, the democratic ‘Constitutional Emergency’. However, the
political system and the Constitution. Constitution does not use the word
During an emergency, the Central Government ‘emergency’ for this situation.
becomes all powerful and the states go into the total Financial Emergency due to threat to the
control of the Centre. It converts the federal structure financial stability or credit of India. (article
in to Unitary one without the formal amendment of 360)
the Constitution. This kind of transformation of the
political system from federal structure during normal
Meaning Of Failure of Failure of Constitutional
times to unitary during Emergency is a unique feature
Machinery Of State.
of the Indian Constitution. In this context, Dr B.R.
India adopted the Canadian model of federation
Ambedkar observed in the Constituent Assembly
which tilts the balance in favour of the Union. The
that:
‘All federal systems including American are placed
2 M Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, 16.1, (4th ed.2013)
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constitutional provisions empower the Union to give Government may extend its power over the state.
directions to the States in normal times as well, Both the Houses of Parliament must ratify the
because Article 355 enjoins on the Union the duty to proclamation of emergency and if any of the House
protect States against any external aggression and the fails to ratify the proclamation with in two months
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internal disturbance . the emergency may cease to operate. If the
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Aricle 356 and Article 357 incorporated in the Proclamation is ratified, t he emergency will last
constitution of India gives the President , the long for six months.
enormous power to impose president’s rule in any of
the state where he on the receipt of the report from Grounds of Imposition
the governor, or is satisfied that the situation has been The President’s Rule can be proclaimed under Article
arisen where state Government fails to carry on in 356 on two grounds: one mentioned in the Article
accordance with the provisions of the constitution. 356 itself and another in Article 365:
President may by proclamation- 1) Article 356 empowers the President to issue
(a) assume to himself all or any of the functions of a proclamation, if he is satisfied that a
the Government of the State and all or any of the situation has been arisen in which the
powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor or Government of a State cannot be carried on
any body or authority in the State other than the in accordance with the provisions of the
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Legislature of the State ; Constitution6. Notably, State Emergency or
(b) declare that the powers of the Legislature of the President’s Rule can be invoked after a
State shall be exercisable by or under the authority of receipt of report submitted by the Governor
Parliament; of a state to the President. Though Article
(c) make such incidental and consequential 163(1) obliges the Governor to act according
provisions as appear to the President to be necessary to the advice tendered by his Council of
or desirable for giving effect to the objects of the Ministers excepting those matter with
Proclamation, including provisions for suspending in respect to which the Constitution requires
whole or in part the operation of any provisions of him to exercise his discretion, and because
this Constitution relating to any body or authority in the furnishing of a report under Article
the State.[Art 356 (1)]. 356(1) is not so mentioned by the
This is an emergency provision where the Union constitution as a function to be exercised by
him in his discretion, it is obvious that in the
3 Negi Mohita, The Meaning of Breakdown of matter of the Governor reporting to the
Constitutional Machinery in India, available at
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/indian-
President that there has been a breakdown of
constitution/the-meaning-of-breakdown-of- the Constitutional machinery must
constitutional-machinery-in-india/5517 , last visited on
02/02/18 necessarily be a matter in which the
4 Dr. Seema Sharma, Article 356 of the Constitution:
Governor cannot possibly act according to
A Critical Analysis,
available at http://lex-warrier.in/2014/04/article-356-
6 Supra 2, at 16.5.
constitution-critical-analysis/, (04/02/18)
5 Art. 356, the Constitution of India.
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Legislature. State Legislature has a power to change
M.P. Jain, Indian Constitutional Law, 802, Vol
1, (ed.5th 2003 ) .
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these laws.11 The provision which was thought as a safety valve
The President under Article 356(2) is not however proved to be a political weapon of the Centre against
authorized to assume himself the powers vested in the States. The provision which was intended to be
the concerned state High Court or suspend the the dead letter has proved to be the death letter for
provisions of the Constitution pertaining to it. It number of State Government because different
means the constitutional position, status, powers and grounds which were never thought by the framers of
functions of the concerned state high court remain the Constitution have been used for the imposition of
same even during the President’s Rule. Such a Presidents Rule in the States to suit the political
proclamation may be revoked or varied by a interests of the party in power at the Centre.
subsequent proclamation.12
Author :