Constitution of India · Part XIV: Services Under the Union and the States · Chapter I: Services
Article 312: All-India services
(1) Notwithstanding anything in [Chapter VI of Part VI or Part XI], if the Council of States has declared by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest so to do, Parliament may by law provide for the creation of one or more all India services [(including an all-India judicial service)] common to the Union and the States, and, subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, regulate the recruitment, and the conditions of service of persons appointed, to any such service.
(2) The services known at the commencement of this Constitution as the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service shall be deemed to be services created by Parliament under this article. [(3) The all-India judicial service referred to in clause (1) shall not include any post inferior to that of a district judge as defined in article 236.
(4) The law providing for the creation of the all-India judicial service aforesaid may contain such provisions for the amendment of Chapter VI of Part VI as may be necessary for giving effect to the provisions of that law and no such law shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368.]
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the article 312
- Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India
- Rojer Mathew v. South Indian Bank Ltd. & Ors.
- Govt. of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India
- Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India & Ors.
- Bir Singh v. Delhi Jal Board & Ors.
- State of Punjab v. Saul Sabhlok and Ors.
- Reference Under Article 317 (1) No.2 of 2008 in Re: Mehar Singh Saini, Chairman, Hpsc and Ors. v. --
- Satya Narain Shukla v. Union of Lndia & Ors.
- Raja T Baran Roy Etc. v. State of West Bengal and Ors.
- Gudur Kishan Rao and Ors. v. Sutirtha Bhattacharya and Ors.
- S.R. Bommai v. Union of India and Ors.
- All India Judges, Association and Ors v. Union of India and Ors.
- All India Judges' Association v. Union of India