5.3. Types of Amendment

The procedure of amendment makes the Constitution of India neither totally rigid nor totally flexible, rather a curious mixture of both. Some provisions can be easily changed and for some others, special procedures are to be followed. Despite the fact that India is a federal state, the proposal for amending the Constitution can be initiated only in either of the Houses of Parliament, and the state legislatures have no such power.

In case of ordinary legislation, if both the houses of Parliament disagree, a joint session is convened. But, in case of amendment of constitutional articles, unless both the houses separately agree, it cannot materialize, as in such cases there is no provision for convening the joint session of both the Houses of Parliament.

In fact, there are three methods of amending the Constitution. But, Article 368 of the Constitution, which lays down the procedure for amendment, mentions two methods.

However, the Constitution can be amended in the following three ways: