Under which Schedule of the Constitution of India is the anti-defection law, dealing with disqualification of legislators on grounds of defection, contained?

Introduction / Context:
The anti defection law was introduced in India to curb political defections that destabilise governments and undermine the mandate of the electorate. This law is incorporated into the Constitution through a specific Schedule. Many examination questions ask which Schedule contains these provisions, so remembering the correct schedule number is essential for scoring well on polity topics.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question asks specifically about the Schedule that contains the anti defection law provisions.
- The options mention the Second, Tenth, Third and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution of India.
- The student is expected to recognise which Schedule was added by the Fifty Second Amendment Act, 1985, for this purpose.
- It is assumed that the student is familiar with the role of Schedules in the Constitution.

Concept / Approach:
The anti defection law was added to the Constitution by the Fifty Second Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985 and later strengthened by the Ninety First Amendment. These provisions are not in the main body of the Articles but are placed in the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution. The Tenth Schedule lays down the grounds for disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of defection. The approach is therefore to recall the link between the anti defection law and the Tenth Schedule, while knowing that the other Schedules are devoted to different topics such as salaries, forms of oath or allocation of seats.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the anti defection law is commonly referred to as the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Step 2: Remember that the Tenth Schedule was introduced by the Fifty Second Amendment Act of 1985 to address the problem of political defections. Step 3: Recognise that the Second Schedule deals with emoluments and allowances of certain constitutional office holders, the Third Schedule deals with forms of oaths and affirmations, and the Fourth Schedule relates to allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha. Step 4: Since only the Tenth Schedule is associated with the anti defection law, it must be chosen from the options. Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer is the Tenth Schedule.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity references always mention the anti defection law as being contained in the Tenth Schedule, and discussions of the Fifty Second Amendment repeatedly use the phrase Tenth Schedule to denote the portion of the Constitution dealing with defections. No reference associates this law with the Second, Third or Fourth Schedules, which are reserved for different topics. Even newspaper articles and commentaries on defections in legislatures often informally refer to action under the Tenth Schedule, reinforcing the association.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Second Schedule) is wrong because it covers salaries, allowances and privileges of certain constitutional functionaries, not defection.
Option C (Third Schedule) is wrong because it contains the forms of oaths or affirmations for various constitutional offices and members, not rules on defecting from parties.
Option D (Fourth Schedule) is wrong because it deals with the allocation of seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to different States and Union Territories, not with the disqualification of members for defection.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical pitfall is to mix up the numbering of Schedules, especially because some of them are frequently mentioned together in exam preparation. Candidates may remember that the anti defection law was added by an amendment but forget which Schedule number it created. Others may confuse it with the Second Schedule because that one is also often discussed in the context of constitutional offices. To avoid such mistakes, it helps to memorise simple associations, such as linking Tenth Schedule with defection, Third Schedule with oaths and Second Schedule with salaries and allowances.

Final Answer:
The anti defection law is contained in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.