| Original Constitution (1950) | Present Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Articles | 395 | ~470 |
| Parts | 22 | 25 |
| Schedules | 8 | 12 |
These changes have occurred through numerous amendments over the years.
- Lengthiest Written Constitution: The Indian Constitution is the most detailed constitution in the world.
- Supremacy of the Constitution: It is the supreme law of the land, and all laws passed by the government must be in conformity with it.
- Blend of Rigidity and Flexibility: Some provisions can be amended by a simple majority, while others require a special majority, making it a mix of rigid and flexible features.
- Federal System with Unitary Bias: India has two governments (Central and State), but the central government holds more power in certain situations.
- Federal Features: Two governments, independent judiciary, division of powers.
- Unitary Features: Emergency provisions, integrated judiciary, All India Services, appointment of governors by the Centre.
- Fundamental Rights: The constitution guarantees six fundamental rights to its citizens, which are protected by the judiciary itself.
- Right to Equality (Art. 14-18)
- Right to Freedom (Art. 19-22)
- Right against Exploitation (Art. 23-24)
- Right to Freedom of Religion (Art. 25-28)
- Cultural and Educational Rights (Art. 29-30)
- Right to Constitutional Remedies (Art. 32)
- Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP): These are guidelines for the government to keep in mind while framing laws and policies.
- Emergency Provisions: During an emergency, the central government can take control over the states.
- National Emergency (Art. 352)
- State Emergency / President's Rule (Art. 356)
- Financial Emergency (Art. 360)
- Integrated Judiciary: India has a single system of courts for both central and state laws, unlike the USA which has separate judicial systems.
- Basic Structure Doctrine: The Supreme Court has ruled that certain core features of the constitution (the "basic structure") cannot be amended by the Parliament.
The concept of a preamble was borrowed from the American Constitution, which was the first to have one. The Preamble serves as an introduction, a mission statement, and an "identity card" of the constitution.
Original Text (1950)
"We the people of India solemnly resolve to constitute a sovereign, democratic, republic to provide equality, liberty and justice to people of India."
The 42nd Amendment (1976)
This amendment added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the preamble.
Current Text
"We the people of India solemnly resolve to constitute a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic of India in order to ensure Justice (Social, Economic, Political), Liberty, Equality (Social, Economic, Political), Integrity and Fraternity."
Key Terms Explained
- We, the people of India: Signifies that the ultimate power lies with the people.
- Sovereign: India is fully independent and not subject to any foreign interference.
- Democratic: It is a rule of the people.
- Republic: The head of the state (the President) is elected, not a hereditary monarch.
- The ideas of Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity originated from the French Revolution.
- The idea of Justice originated from the Russian Revolution.
1. How many Schedules were there in the original Indian Constitution?
2. Which amendment added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the Preamble?
3. The provision for an "Integrated Judiciary" is considered what type of feature in the Indian Constitution?
4. The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in the Preamble were inspired by which revolution?
5. What does the term ‘Republic’ in the Preamble signify?
6. Which article of the Constitution deals with a National Emergency?