With reference to the Indian polity, consider the following statements:
- I.An Ordinance can amend any Central Act.
- II.An Ordinance can abridge a Fundamental Right.
- III.An Ordinance can come into effect from a back date.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) I and III only
Statements I and III are correct; Statement II is wrong. An Ordinance has the same force as an Act of Parliament, so it can amend Central Acts and can be given effect from an earlier date, but it is void if it goes beyond what Parliament may enact, and Parliament cannot make a law that abridges a Fundamental Right.
- ✓ I Article 123(2) gives an Ordinance 'the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament'. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Ordinance, 2016, for example, amended the Enemy Property Act, 1968 and another Central Act.
- ✗ II Article 123(3) makes an Ordinance void if it contains anything Parliament cannot enact. Article 13(3)(a) says 'law' includes an Ordinance, and Article 13(2) bars the State from making any law that takes away or abridges a Fundamental Right.
- ✓ III An Ordinance can carry a retrospective date. The 2016 Enemy Property Second Ordinance, promulgated on 2 April 2016, was itself deemed to have come into force on 7 January 2016.
Remember · Ordinance (Art. 123) = same force as an Act, can amend Acts and be retrospective, but cannot go beyond Parliament's powers or abridge Fundamental Rights (Art. 13).
Sources
- Constitution of India, Article 123 (Legislative Department, 2024 edition) ↗ “An Ordinance promulgated under this article shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament … If and so far as an Ordinance under this article makes any provision which Parliament would not under this Constitution be competent to enact, it shall be void. … The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.”
- Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Ordinance, 2016 (Ministry of Law and Justice, reproduced in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette) ↗ “This Ordinance may be called the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Ordinance, 2016. (2) Save as otherwise provided, it shall be deemed to have come into force on the 7th day of January, 2016.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·