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The Constitution of India is the pride of our nation. It is the supreme law of India and nobody in India even the President has the power to do something that violates the constitutional rule. Did you know that the Constitution of India is the longest constitution in the world? It gives the people their fundamental rights and sets rules and guidelines that the government must follow. Read this article till the end to know everything about our Constitution.
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Constitution of India
As you might know, the Constitution of India lays down an important framework that demarcates the structure of the political system, powers, and duties of government institutions and gives the people their fundamental rights and duties towards the country. The main aim of the constitution is to protect the fundamental rights of the people. On 26 November 1949, the constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India. Although it came into effect on 26 January 1950.
Since the constitution was created by the constituent assembly it communicates constitutional supremacy rather than parliamentary supremacy. The Constitution of India from start to end is made by the Indians only. It replaces the Government of India Act 1935 and functions as the country’s fundamental governing document.
The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic. It ensures that all the citizens of this country will get equality, liberty and justice.
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Story Behind its Formation
The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 and consisted of members of the provincial assemblies. In total there were 299 members. The President of this Assembly was Dr Rajendra Prasad. To design the constitution a Drafting Committee was formed. Dr B. R. Ambedkar who is regarded as the ‘Father of the Constitution of India’ was the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
It took the committee three years to draft the constitution, holding eleven sessions over 165 days. This is because India is a big country with so many cultures and religions. The committee wanted to make sure that they make a constitution that leads the country to success.
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Components of the Indian Constitution
The Indian constitution is the longest in the world. It consists of a preamble and 470 articles which are categorised into 25 parts. This is not the end, it also has 12 schedules and 5 appendices. Even after its enactment, the constitution has been amended 104 times, the latest one came on 25 January 2020.
The Preamble
The Preamble is the heart of the constitution. This is because it beautifully lays down the country’s core values and what it stands for. Originally it was not a part of the constitution but was added much later on. The Preamble promotes justice, liberty, and equality for every Indian. It wants to maintain the unity and integrity of the country.
The Preamble declares India ‘sovereign’ which means the country is an independent authority and it is not a dominion of any other external power. It also says that India is ‘secular’ which means that all the citizens have the right to practise their religion. The introductory document further says that India embraces social and economic democracy.
It provides every Indian with equality of status and opportunity. According to the Preamble, every citizen must promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood. Most importantly, it states that the country is ‘democratic’ which means that the citizens have the right to choose the members of the government.
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Fundamental Rights
The constitution gives every citizen 6 fundamental rights. These are as follows:
Right to Equality
Right to equality means every citizen will get equal rights in every field irrespective of their colour, caste, religion and gender. It ensures that everyone will get equal job opportunities and citizens shouldn’t follow orthodox practices such as untouchability and give equal respect to everyone.
Right to Freedom
India is a democratic country where the constitution guarantees freedom to every Indian. Under this several rights are given such as:
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of expression
- Freedom to reside in any part of the country
- Freedom of association
- Freedom of assembly without arms
- Freedom to practise any profession
Right Against Exploitation
This right prohibits child labour, and human trafficking and states that forcing children to work under the age of 14 in factories, mines or under any hazardous conditions is strictly not allowed. This right also states that the government does not have the power to discriminate against anyone based on caste, religion, gender or colour.
Right to Freedom of Religion
This right implies that India is a secular country where the citizens can fearlessly follow their religion or culture.
Cultural and Educational Rights
All religions, cultures and linguistic minorities have the right to preserve their heritage and culture. The State has no official religion. The government does not have the right to discriminate against any educational institution just because the minority group is operating it.
Right to Constitutional Remedies
This right ensures that the government cannot violate anyone’s rights. If citizens feel that their right is taken away then they can go to the court and demand justice.
Conclusion
As you can see the drafting committee has paid attention to minor details to make sure that they make a constitution that gives the citizens every right possible and makes India a powerful country.
The Constitution of India embraces the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. It tells the Indians to spread harmony and respect everyone. The government must provide equal opportunities to everyone and make sure that everyone gets justice.
