Ratification by States

For some provisions of the Constitution, even special majority in Parliament is not considered a strong enough form of consent. When a proposed amendment would change an article dealing with the distribution of powers between the States and the central government, or with representation, the Constitution requires that the States themselves must be consulted and must agree.

This requirement exists because India has a federal Constitution, and federalism means the powers of the States cannot be left at the mercy of the central government alone. So, in addition to special majority in Parliament, such an amendment must also be passed — by a simple majority — in the legislatures of at least half of the States before it can take effect. …