Removal of Right to Property from Fundamental Rights

The question asks during which Prime Minister's tenure the Right to Property was removed from the list of Fundamental Rights in the Constitution of India.

Understanding the Constitutional Amendment

The Right to Property was initially included as a Fundamental Right under Article 31 of the Indian Constitution.

However, its status as a Fundamental Right was removed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978.

This amendment significantly altered the nature of property rights in India.

Prime Minister's Tenure during the Change

The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978, was enacted during the Prime Ministership of Morarji Desai.

Morarji Desai served as the Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979, heading the Janata Party government when this constitutional change was implemented.

New Status of the Right to Property

Following the 44th Amendment Act, 1978:

• The Right to Property was deleted from Part III (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution.
• It was simultaneously inserted as a new Article, Article 300-A, under the title 'Right to Property'.
• As per Article 300-A, no person shall be deprived of his property except by authority of law. This made the Right to Property a legal or constitutional right, but not a Fundamental Right.

This change aimed to provide the government with more flexibility in acquiring property for public purposes, such as land reforms and development projects.