Constitution of India · Part XVIII: Emergency Provisions
Article 352: Proclamation of Emergency
(1) If the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security of India or of any part of the territory thereof is threatened, whether by war or external aggression or [armed rebellion], he may, by Proclamation, make a declaration to that effect [in respect of the whole of India or of such part of the territory thereof as may be specified in the Proclamation.] [Explanation.—A Proclamation of Emergency declaring that the security of India or any part of the territory thereof is threatened by war or by external aggression or by armed rebellion may be made before the actual occurrence of war or of any such aggression or rebellion, if the President is satisfied that there is imminent danger thereof.] [(2) A Proclamation issued under clause (1) may be varied or revoked by a subsequent Proclamation.
(3) The President shall not issue a Proclamation under clause (1) or a Proclamation varying such Proclamation unless the decision of the Union Cabinet (that is to say, the Council consisting of the Prime Minister and other Ministers of Cabinet rank appointed under article 75) that such a Proclamation may be issued has been communicated to him in writing.
(4) Every Proclamation issued under this article shall be laid before each House of Parliament and shall, except where it is a Proclamation revoking a previous Proclamation, cease to operate at the expiration of one month unless before the expiration of that period it has been approved by resolutions of both Houses of Parliament:
Provided that if any such Proclamation (not being a Proclamation revoking a previous Proclamation) is issued at a time when the House of the People has been dissolved, or the dissolution of the House of the People takes place during the period of one month referred to in this clause, and if a resolution approving the Proclamation has been passed by the Council of States, but no resolution with respect to such Proclamation has been passed by the House of the People before the expiration of that period, the Proclamation shall cease to operate at the expiration of thirty days from the date on which the House of the People first sits after its reconstitution, unless before the expiration of the said period of thirty days a resolution approving the Proclamation has been also passed by the House of the People.
(5) A Proclamation so approved shall, unless revoked, cease to operate on the expiration of a period of six months from the date of the passing of the second of the resolutions approving the Proclamation under clause (4):
Provided that if and so often as a resolution approving the continuance in force of such a Proclamation is passed by both Houses of Parliament the Proclamation shall, unless revoked, continue in force for a further period of six months from the date on which it would otherwise have ceased to operate under this clause:
Provided further that if the dissolution of the House of the People takes place during any such period of six months and a resolution approving the continuance in force of such Proclamation has been passed by the Council of States but no resolution with respect to the continuance in force of such Proclamation has been passed by the House of the People during the said period, the Proclamation shall cease to operate at the expiration of thirty days from the date on which the House of the People first sits after its reconstitution unless before the expiration of the said period of thirty days, a resolution approving the continuance in force of the Proclamation has been also passed by the House of the People.
(6) For the purposes of clauses (4) and (5), a resolution may be passed by either House of Parliament only by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the Members of that House present and voting.
(7) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing clauses, the President shall revoke a Proclamation issued under clause (1) or a Proclamation varying such Proclamation if the House of the People passes a resolution disapproving, or, as the case may be, disapproving the continuance in force of, such Proclamation.
(8) Where a notice in writing signed by not less than one-tenth of the total number of members of the House of the People has been given, of their intention to move a resolution for disapproving, or, as the case may be, for disapproving the continuance in force of, a Proclamation issued under clause (1) or a Proclamation varying such Proclamation,—
(a) to the Speaker, if the House is in session; or
(b) to the President, if the House is not in session, a special sitting of the House shall be held within fourteen days from the date on which such notice is received by the Speaker, or, as the case may be, by the President, for the purpose of considering such resolution.] [(9) The power conferred on the President by this article shall include the power to issue different Proclamations on different grounds, being war or external aggression or [armed rebellion] or imminent danger of war or external aggression or [armed rebellion], whether or not there is a Proclamation already issued by the President under clause (1) and such Proclamation is in operation.
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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 352
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IN RE : SECTION 6A OF THE CITIZENSHIP ACT 1955 versus
Issue arose as regards the constitutional validity of s.6A of the Citizenship Act; does s.6A offend preambular values like fraternity; s.6A, if ultra vires Part II of the Constitution; does s.6A create an unreasonable…
- In Re: Article 370 of the Constitution v. .
- Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha & Anr. v. The State of Gujarat
- S. Kasi v. State Through the Inspector of Police Samaynallur Police Station Madurai District
- Rojer Mathew v. South Indian Bank Ltd. & Ors.
- Narender Kumar v. Union of India and Others
- Govt. of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India
- Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India & Ors.
- Gunwantlal Godawat v. Union of India & Another
- Krishna Kumar Singh & Anr v. State of Bihar & Ors.
- Nabam Rebia, and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker and Others
- Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (Eevfam) & Anr. v. Union of India & Anr.
- Bipinchandra Gamanlal Chokshi and Another v. State of Gujarat and Others
- Union of India and Others v. Major S.P. Sharma and Others
- State of Punjab and Ors. v. Harbhajan Singh and Anr.
- State of U.P. and Anr. v. Dinkar Sinha
- Rameshwar Prasad and Ors. v. Union of India and Anr.
- Sukhdev Singh Gill v. State of Punjab and Ors.
- Krishna Kumar Singh and Anr. v. State of Bihar
- Naga People'S Movement of Human Rights Etc. v. Union of India
- Rajendra Kumar Gupta and Anr. v. State of U.P. and Ors.
- Chittaranjan Singh Chima and Anr. v. State of Punjab and Ors.
- New Delhi Municipal Council v. State of Punjab Etc. Etc.
- Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala and Anr. v. Surjit Singh Brar
- State of Punjab and Anr. v. Charanji Lal Goel
- Smt. Gangadevi v. Union of India and Anr.
- Hav Bhagat Singh, Etc. v. State of Haryana and Anr. Etc.
- Attorney General for India Etc. Etc. v. Amrratlal Prajivandas and Ors. Etc. Etc.
- S.R. Bommai v. Union of India and Ors.
- S.B. Dogra v. State of Himachal Pradesh and Ors.