Making of the Constitution and the Preamble
Making of the Constitution and the Preamble
Political science carries about 12 of the Part-III Social Science questions, and this topic opens the block with 2 of them. The Constituent Assembly, the key dates and the wording of the Preamble are all pure recall, so they are the cheapest marks available in the whole subject.
The Constituent Assembly
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed under | The Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 |
| First sitting | 9 December 1946 |
| Permanent Chairman | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Drafting Committee Chairman | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar |
| Constitution adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Came into force | 26 January 1950 |
Two dates are confused more than any others. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 — now observed as Constitution Day — but came into force on 26 January 1950. The date of 26 January was chosen deliberately, because the Congress had declared Purna Swaraj on that day in 1930.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who presided over the Assembly and later became the first President, was from Bihar. That is the state anchor for this topic and it is worth remembering as a link rather than an isolated fact.
✗ Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the President of the Constituent Assembly | ✓ He chaired the Drafting Committee; Dr. Rajendra Prasad presided over the Assembly
The Preamble
The Preamble declares India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic and promises Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to all its citizens.
- Sovereign — free of external control in internal and external matters.
- Socialist and Secular — both added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976, along with the word Integrity.
- Democratic — the government rests on the people's vote.
- Republic — the head of state is elected, not hereditary.
The question set most often is which words were not in the original Preamble. Three were added in 1976: Socialist, Secular and Integrity. The Preamble begins with We, the people of India, which locates the source of the Constitution's authority in the people themselves.
Sources and Salient Features
| Feature | Borrowed from |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary system, rule of law | Britain |
| Fundamental Rights, judicial review | United States |
| Directive Principles | Ireland |
| Fundamental Duties, Concurrent List | USSR and Australia |
| Emergency provisions | Germany |
| Federation with a strong Centre | Canada |
The Constitution is the longest written constitution in the world and is described as partly rigid and partly flexible, because different provisions need different levels of majority to amend.
संविधान अंगीकृत 26 नवंबर 1949, लागू 26 जनवरी 1950 — दोनों तिथियां अलग-अलग हैं।
TRE pointer: Learn the two dates as a pair, not singly. Fix that Socialist, Secular and Integrity came in 1976 and were not in the original text. Keep Ambedkar with the Drafting Committee and Rajendra Prasad with the Assembly. The Bihar link — Rajendra Prasad as both Assembly President and first President of India — is worth carrying, because state-flavoured questions are common in this paper.
60-Second Recap
- The Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad presided; Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee.
- Adopted 26 November 1949, in force 26 January 1950.
- Socialist, Secular and Integrity were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
- The Preamble opens with We, the people of India.
- India's is the longest written constitution, partly rigid and partly flexible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was 26 January chosen as the date of commencement?
Because the Congress had declared Purna Swaraj, or complete independence, on 26 January 1930. Adopting the Constitution on that anniversary carried the symbolism of the demand being fulfilled. The Constitution had already been adopted two months earlier, on 26 November 1949.
Which words of the Preamble were not in the original text?
Socialist, Secular and Integrity. All three were inserted by the Forty-second Amendment in 1976. The rest of the Preamble, including Sovereign, Democratic and Republic and the four promises of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, stood from the beginning.
Was Dr. Ambedkar the President of the Constituent Assembly?
No. He chaired the Drafting Committee, which prepared the text of the Constitution. The permanent Chairman, or President, of the Constituent Assembly was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who went on to become the first President of India and was from Bihar.
What does calling the Constitution partly rigid and partly flexible mean?
It means different provisions need different procedures to amend. Some can be changed by a simple parliamentary majority, most need a special majority, and a few affecting the federal structure need a special majority plus ratification by half the state legislatures.