Notes: Civics
Chapter-12
Constitution:
On 15 August 1947, India won independence from British rule.
The term constitution may be defined as body of fundamental rules and regulations according to
which a country is organized and governed. These rules ans regulations define and clearly mention
the organization, powers and functions of the government and the rights and duties of the people.
Constituent Assembly:
The constitution of India was framed by the constituent assembly. It was an elected body.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the chairman of the constituent assembly.
B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee.
Other important members were Maulana Azad, and Sarojini Naidu.
The first meeting of the constituent assembly was held on 9 December 1946.
The Constituent Assembly took 2 years 11 months and 18 days to complete its task.
The Constitution of India was passed by the constituent assembly on 26 November 1949.
The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950. This day is celebrated as Republic Day.
The Preamble:
The Preamble is an introduction to the Constitution.
It helps us to understand the vision and aspirations of the framers of the constitution.
The Preamble tells us about the source of the Constitution, the nature of the state and its main
objectives.
Source of the Constitution:
We, the people of India: This implies that the source of the Constitution is the people of India.
The authority of the government of India is derived from the people.
The Constitution reflects the wishes of the people.
It is not imposed on us by any foreign power.
The nature of the state:
Sovereign: This implies that India is an independent country, completely free from foreign control. No
outside power can control or interfere in the internal as well as the external affairs of our country.
Socialist: This term was added to the Preamble in 1976 to promote socialism in India. This involves
fair distribution of the country’s wealth among all sections of the people. It means providing equal
opportunities to all in order to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Secular: This term was added to the Preamble in 1976. A secular state does not have an official or
state religion. It does not discriminate against anybody on the grounds of religion. It does not favour
or promote any particular religion. It guarantees the freedom of every individual to profess, practice
and propagate his or her own religion.
Democratic: A democratic government has been described as a ‘government of the people, by the
people and for the people’. The people of India have the power to elect a government of their choice
and govern the country through their elected representatives.
Republic: The head of a republic state is an elected official, not a monarch or a dictator. India has an
elected head, the President, who has a fixed term of 5 years. The post is not hereditary.
Objectives of the constitution:
Justice: All citizens are equal in the eye of law. Justice shall not be denied to anybody on the basis of
place of birth, race, caste, creed, status or religion.
Liberty: Every Indian citizen shall enjoy certain fundamental rights such as the freedom to think and
express oneself and the freedom to follow the religion of one’s choice.
Equality: All citizens are equal before law and will be protected by the laws of the land. The state shall
not discriminate between people on the basis of place of birth, caste, creed, race, religion or wealth.
Fraternity: A democracy can work only if there is a spirit of brotherhood and oneness among the
different sections of society. This is aimed at removing social barriers between Indians belonging to
different communities. We all are Indians. We can remove social evils such as untouchability and
communalism. Harmony will prevail and the country can progress united towards its goal of securing
justice, liberty and equality for all its citizens.