Lesson 1 of 4 | Polity / Constitution basics
Constitution basics
1 practice test
Constitution basics
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of the country. It was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day).
Key points
- Constituent Assembly: first met on 9 December 1946; Dr. Rajendra Prasad was its President and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee.
- Preamble: declares India a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic; "Socialist", "Secular" and "Integrity" were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976).
- Structure: originally 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 8 Schedules; today it has 12 Schedules.
- Fundamental Rights (Part III, Articles 12–35): justiciable; Article 32 (constitutional remedies) was called the "heart and soul" of the Constitution by Ambedkar.
- Directive Principles (Part IV) and Fundamental Duties (Part IVA, Article 51A): non-justiciable guides for governance and citizenship.
- Borrowed features: parliamentary system (UK), Fundamental Rights (USA), DPSP (Ireland), federation with a strong Centre (Canada).
Example
Q. Which Amendment added Fundamental Duties to the Constitution? Answer: The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 (on the Swaran Singh Committee's recommendation).
Tip: Memorise Part numbers with their Article ranges — UPSC frequently asks such pairings.
Analogy
Analogy: The rules of a cricket tournament
Think of the Constitution as the official rulebook of a national cricket tournament:
- The Constituent Assembly is the committee that sat together (1946–49) and wrote the rulebook; Dr. Ambedkar was the chief drafter.
- The Preamble is the tournament's spirit on the first page — fair play (justice), freedom, equal chances and team spirit (fraternity).
- Fundamental Rights are the players' guaranteed rights — if violated, a player can go straight to the third umpire (Supreme Court, Article 32).
- Directive Principles are the organisers' goals, such as better pitches for everyone — desirable, but no player can sue if they are delayed.
- Fundamental Duties are the players' code of conduct.
- Borrowed features are like good rules copied from other leagues (UK, USA, Ireland, Canada).
- Amendments are rule changes, like the 42nd Amendment adding new words to the first page.