What Lead to First Amendment Act
There are some factors that were being faced by the newly Independent Indian government. To resolve the issues which were faced by all Indian states in the early 1950. The factors are discussed below:
- Land Reformation policy: The government of India implemented several numbers of land reform measures. It was aimed to reduce the concentration of land ownership and improve the lives of poor farmers. However, some of these measures were challenged in court on the grounds that these measures violated the rights to property. So this amendment was enacted to give constitutional validity to the land reformation laws and protect them from all legal challenges.
- Communal Tensions: After the independence of India, India faced several communal tensions and riots, particularly in the aftermath of the Partition of India in 1947. The government of India realized that there was a need to place some reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression to prevent the spread of hate speech and incitement to violence.
- Backward Classes: The government of India was committed to the welfare and advancement of socially and educationally backward classes (SC, ST, OBC) of citizens of India. This amendment allowed the state governments to make special provisions for this advancement purpose which was seen as a crucial step towards a more equitable society.
- Judicial Reviews: The judiciary Of India became increasingly assertive in reviewing and striking down laws passed by the Parliament of India. The “Ninth Schedule” was added to the Constitution of India to protect certain laws from judicial review. It was seen as necessary to maintain the balance among the three branches of government.