Both are branches of public law; the distinction is one of degree, scope and focus, not of water-tight separation. Prof. Holland called constitutional law the law that regulates the organs of the State while at rest, and administrative law the law that regulates them while in motion.
| Point | Constitutional Law | Administrative Law |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Deals with the structure of the State and distribution of powers. | Deals with the exercise of those powers in day-to-day administration. |
| Scope | Wider — includes Fundamental Rights, DPSP, federalism, elections. | Narrower — focused on administrative authorities, procedures and remedies. |
| Source | Primarily the Constitution. | Statutes, delegated legislation, judicial decisions, conventions. |
| Flexibility | Rigid; amendment procedure stringent. | Flexible; evolves with judicial decisions and executive practice. |
| Position of Individual | Guarantees rights. | Protects rights through judicial review. |
| Illustration | Composition and powers of Union Executive (Arts. 52–78). | Civil service recruitment, departmental procedure, delegated legislation. |
Overlap: Articles 32, 226, 300, 311, 323A/B, 309 are provisions of constitutional law that are also fundamental to administrative law. Thus administrative law is now considered a sub-branch or specialised offshoot of constitutional law.
Holland: Constitutional law = State at rest; Administrative law = State in motion.