First Amendment Act, 1951

• Empowered the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and economically backward classes.
• Added Ninth Schedule to protect the land reform and other laws included in it from the judicial review.
• Added three more grounds of restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, viz., public order, friendly relations with foreign states, and incitement to an offense. Also, made the restrictions “reasonable” and thus, justiciable in nature.
• Provided that state trading and nationalization of any trade or business by the state is not to be invalid on the ground of violation of the right to trade or business.

Note:

• The Constitution was first amended for the welfare of scheduled castes, tribes, and backward classes.
• It inserted the provisions of fully securing the constitutional validity of zamindari abolition laws in general and certain specified State Acts in particular.