Schedule

noun; verb (transitive)

/ˈʃɛdjuːl/ (British) or /ˈskɛdʒuːl/ (American)

An appendix to the Constitution of India containing detailed provisions on specific subjects — such as allocation of Rajya Sabha seats, division of legislative powers, or anti-defection rules — that supplement the main Articles; the Constitution currently has 12 Schedules.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution confers a distinct administrative architecture on tribal areas, and any move to amend it must be scheduled only after exhaustive consultation with the Autonomous District Councils.

Synonyms

timetableagendaitineraryrostercalendarprogramme

Antonyms

improvisationdisorderrandomness

🌱 Word Family

scheduled (adj), scheduling (v pres.p), scheduler (n), unscheduled (adj), reschedule (v)

🔡 Root

Late Latin schedula = papyrus strip, diminutive of scheda; from Greek skhédē = papyrus leaf; via Old French cedule

📜 Etymology

From late Middle English cedule, via Old French from Late Latin schedula ("papyrus strip"), diminutive of Latin scheda, from Greek skhédē ("papyrus leaf").

🧠 Memory Hook

Think "SCHEDULE = SHED + RULE": inside the SHED you keep a RULEd timetable telling you exactly when to do each task. (Root link: Greek skhede, a leaf of papyrus on which lists were written.)

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2025 — Parliament
Prelims 2025 — Parliament
Prelims 2024 — Constitutional Schedules
Prelims 2022 — Federalism
Prelims 2020 — Directive Principles of State Policy
Mains 2014 · GS4 · 20 marks — Civil Service Ethics / Sexual Harassment / Integrity
Mains 2013 · GS3 · 10 marks — Security

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Schedule” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚖️ Polity & Constitution 📖 Seen in: Constitutional Amendments, Schedules &...

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