INDIAN CONSTITUTION DAY
On November 26 every year, Constitution Day is observed across the country. This is the day Constituent Assembly adopted the Indian Constitution in the year 1949. The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly and was enforced on January 26, 1950.
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Constitution Day of India 2022
Constitution Day of India 2022: Every year on November 26th, India celebrates Constitution Day which is also referred to as “Samvidhan Divas,” to mark the adoption of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and it became effective on January 26, 1950. The B. R. Ambedkar-written Constitution has been referred to as “first and foremost a social document” by American historian Granville Seward Austin.
What is Constitution Day?
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 19th November 2015 notified the decision of the Government of India to celebrate the 26th day of November every year as Constitution Day of India to promote Constitution values among citizens. The day was previously celebrated as National Law Day.
Constitution Day of India 2022: Every year on November 26th, India celebrates Constitution Day which is also referred to as “Samvidhan Divas,” to mark the adoption of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and it became effective on January 26, 1950. The B. R. Ambedkar-written Constitution has been referred to as “first and foremost a social document” by American historian Granville Seward Austin.
What is Constitution Day?
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 19th November 2015 notified the decision of the Government of India to celebrate the 26th day of November every year as Constitution Day of India to promote Constitution values among citizens. The day was previously celebrated as National Law Day.
CONSTITUTION DAY 2022
Indian Constitution Day Background |
Author from KiiT |
A Constituent Assembly constituted as part of the Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946 drafted the Indian Constitution. On December 9, 1946, the Assembly convened for the first time, electing Dr. Sachhidanand Sinha, its oldest member, as its provisional president. The Assembly elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad to serve as its permanent Chairman on December 11, 1946.
A Drafting Committee led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was one of the 13 committees established by the Constituent Assembly to draft the constitution. A seven-member Drafting Committee prepared the Constitution based on the reports of these committees. The Constitution’s primary guardians are the people of India. They are the ones who have sovereignty, and the Constitution was ratified in their honour. The Constitution gives the citizen power, but the citizens also give the Constitution power by upholding it, sticking to it, protecting it, and working diligently to increase its significance via words and acts. The Constitution belongs to everyone and to no one in particular. Despite having Part III for fundamental rights, the Constitution did not include any provision regarding fundamental duties to citizens when it was ratified in 1949. On the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, which the government appointed, the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1976, adding the Fundamental Duties of Citizens to it. The Committee recommended that actions be made to make sure that the person did not neglect his responsibilities while exercising his fundamental rights. |
Fundamental duties are meant to serve as a constant reminder to every citizen that while the constitution specifically granted them certain Fundamental Rights, it also required citizens to observe certain basic norms of democratic behaviour and conduct because rights and duties are related to one an other.
Courtesy: https://www.studyiq.com/ |
Preamble to the Constitution
Salient Features of the Constitution
- Single Constitution for both Union and States: India has a single Constitution for Union and all the States. The Constitution promotes the unity and convergence of the ideals of nationalism. The single Constitution empowers only the Parliament of India to make changes in the Constitution. It empowers the Parliament even to create a new state or abolish an existing state or alter its boundaries.
- Sources of the Constitution: The Indian Constitution has borrowed provisions from various countries and modified them according to the suitability and requirements of the country. The structural part of the Constitution of India has been derived from the Government of India Act, 1935. The provisions such as the Parliamentary System of Government and Rule of Law have been adopted from the United Kingdom.
- Rigidity and Flexibility: The Constitution of India is neither rigid nor flexible. A Rigid Constitution means that the special procedures are required for its amendments whereas a Flexible Constitution is one in which the constitution can be amended easily.
- Secular State: The term secular state means that all the religions present in India get equal protection and support from the state. In addition; it provides equal treatment to all religions by the government and equal opportunities for all religions.
- Federalism in India: The Constitution of India provides for the division of power between the Union and the State governments. It also fulfils some other features of federalism such as the rigidity of the constitution, written constitution, a bicameral legislature, independent judiciary, and supremacy of the constitution. Thus, India has a Federal System with unitary bias.
- Parliamentary Form of Government: India has a Parliamentary Form of Government. India has a Bicameral Legislature with two houses named Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the Parliamentary Form of Government; there is no clear cut separation of powers of Legislative and Executive organs. In India; the head of the government is Prime Minister.
- Single Citizenship: Constitution of India provides for single citizenship to every individual in the country. No state in India can discriminate against an individual of another state. Moreover, in India, an individual has the right to move to any part of the country or live anywhere in the territory of India except certain places.
- Integrated and Independent Judiciary: The Constitution of India provides for an integrated and independent judicial system. The Supreme Court is the highest court of India with authority over all the other courts in India followed by high courts, district courts, and lower courts. To protect the Judiciary from any influence, the Constitution has laid down certain provisions such as Security of Tenure and Fixed Service Conditions for judges, etc.
- Directive Principles of State Policy: Part IV (Articles 36 to 50) of the Constitution mentions the Directive Principles of State Policy. These are non-justifiable in nature and are broadly classified into Socialistic, Gandhian, and Liberal-intellectual.
- Fundamental Duties: These were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act (1976). A new Part IV-A was created for the purpose and 10 duties were incorporated under Article 51-A. The provision reminds the citizens that while enjoying rights, they should also perform their duties.
- Universal Adult Franchise: In India, every citizen who is above the age of 18 years has the right to vote without any discrimination on the ground of caste, race, religion, sex, literacy etc. The universal adult franchise removes social inequalities and maintains the principle of political equality for all citizens.
- Emergency Provisions: The President is empowered to take certain steps to tackle any extraordinary situation to maintain the sovereignty, security, unity, and integrity of the nation. The states become totally subordinate to the Central Government when an emergency is imposed. According to the need; an emergency can be imposed in parts or the whole of the country.
Courtesy: https://www.jagranjosh.com/
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