Advocatetanmoy Law Library
67. The Constitution (Sixty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1990—The three year period in the case of
proclamation issued on 11th May 1987 with respect to the State of Punjab was extended to three years
and six months by the Constitution (Sixty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1990. This Act further amends
clause (4) of Article 356 so as to further extend the period upto a total period of four years.
68. The Constitution (Sixty-eighth Amendment) Act, 1991—The three year period in the case of
proclamation issued on 17th May 1987 with respect to the State of Punjab was earlier extended to
four years by the Constitution (sixty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1990. This Act further amends clause
(4) of Article 356 so as to further extend the period upto a total period of five years.
69. The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991—The Government of India appointed on
24th December 1987 a Committee to go into various issues connected with the administration of
Delhi and to recommend measures, inter alia, for the streamlining of the administrative set up. After
detailed inquiry and examination, it recommended that Delhi should continue to be a union territory
and may be provided with a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers responsible to such
assembly with appropriate powers to deal with matters of concern to the common man. The
Committee also recommended that with a view to ensuring stability and permanence, arrangements
should be incorporated in the constitution to give the national capital a special status among the union
territories. This act has been passed to give effect to the above recommendations.
70. The Constitution (Seventieth Amendment) Act, 1992—While considering the (Seventy-fourth
Amendment) Bill, 1991 and the Government of National Capital Territory Bill, 1991 views were
expressed in both the Houses of Parliament in favour of including also the elected members of the
legislative assemblies of union territories in the electoral college for the election of the President
under Article 54 of the Constitution.
At present Article 54 relating to the election of the President provides for an electoral college
consisting of only the elected Members of Parliament as well as the legislative assemblies of the
states (not of union territories). Similarly, Article 55 providing for the manner of such election also
speaks of legislative assemblies of states.
Accordingly, an Explanation was inserted in Article 54 to provide that reference to ‘State’ in
Article 54 and 55 would include the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of
Puducherry for constituting the electoral college for election of the President. This would enable the
elected members of the Legislative Assembly created for the Union Territory of Puducherry under the
provisions of Article 239A and of the proposed Legislative Assembly of the National Capital
Territory of Delhi under Article 239AA to be included in the electoral college.
