Preamble & History
Constitution Special · प्रस्तावना और इतिहास · 18 facts
The Preamble begins with 'WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA' — indicating that the source of constitutional authority is the people themselves.
India is described in the Preamble as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic.
The words 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.
The Preamble secures to all citizens: Justice (social, economic, political), Liberty (thought, expression, belief, faith, worship), and Equality (status and opportunity).
The Preamble also aims to promote Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
The Preamble is based on the Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Constituent Assembly on December 13, 1946.
The Preamble is not enforceable in courts — it is not a source of power or limitation. The Supreme Court confirmed this in the Berubari Union case (1960).
However, in Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the Supreme Court held that the Preamble is part of the Constitution and can be used to interpret constitutional provisions.
The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 — this day is observed as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas).
The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950 — this date was chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj declaration of January 26, 1930.
The word 'Republic' in the Preamble means the head of state (President) is elected, not hereditary — unlike a monarchy.
The word 'Sovereign' means India is internally and externally independent — not subject to any foreign power or authority.
The word 'Democratic' means the government derives its authority from the people, expressed through free and fair elections.
The Preamble is often described as the 'key to the Constitution' — it contains the philosophy and guiding principles of the Constitution.
The Constituent Assembly took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to draft the Constitution. It held 11 sessions with 165 days of actual deliberation.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution — he is called the 'Father of the Indian Constitution'.
The Indian Constitution is the world's longest written constitution — it originally had 395 articles, 8 schedules, and 22 parts.
The idea of a Constituent Assembly was proposed by M.N. Roy in 1934, demanded by INC in 1935, and finally constituted in 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan.