What is Constitution of India?

The Constitution of India is a written document that lays out a set of rules and regulations for the government and the citizens equally. It ensures the maintenance of law and order while working toward creating a secular state. The candidates can download the constitution of India UPSC notes for upgrading their level of preparation.

Which is the longest constitution in the world?

The constitution of India is the longest written constitution in the world with more than 1 lakh words. The salient features of the Indian constitution have been inspired by various constitutional features of different countries.

Is the constitution of India federal?

Yes, the constitution of India provides for it to be a federal state. Federalism in India is displayed through the relationship between the central and the respective state governments of the country. A federal state refers to a union of states which is India. Citizenship in Indian Constitution Constitutional Bodies Constitutional Morality

Who is the father of the Indian constitution?

The father of the constitution of India is Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He was the one to introduce the final draft of the constitution in the Constituent Assembly being the Law Minister at the time.

Is the constitution of India flexible or rigid?

The constitution of India is flexible in nature . It allows amendments and modifications to its structure as and when required. There is no such complicated process to be followed if a new law needs to be enforced in the country in a time of need.

What is the importance of the constitution of India?

The constitution of India is an important instrument in creating a balanced and equal society. It aims to provide all the fundamental rights to its citizens and guides the government on how to function while implementing necessary measures.

Is the constitution of India handwritten?

The constitution of India is handwritten by Prem Behari Narayan Raizada in an italic style. He possessed extraordinary calligraphy skills and was given this responsibility by the drafting committee.

What are the salient features of Indian Constitution?

The main features of the Indian constitution are the presence of a proper Preamble , Fundamental rights & duties, Directive Principles of State Policy, Federal state, Parliamentary form of government, and flexibility with rigidity.

When Indian Constitution was adopted?

The constitution of India was adopted on 26th November 1949 . The draft constitution was presented by the Drafting Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. B.R Ambedkar. The draft was accepted & adopted by the Constituent Assembly .

Why Indian Constitution is known as bag of borrowing?

The Indian constitution is called the bag of borrowing owing to its various features that have been inspired & borrowed from the constitution of many different countries in the world. It has its features taken from the constitutions of France, the USA, Germany, the UK, Japan, etc .

How Indian Constitution is rigid and flexible?

The Indian constitution is both rigid and flexible at the same time . The constitution of India mentions precise jurisdictions for the centre and the states. At the same time, it possesses certain provisions that can be amended & can change the Federal structure of the government. This is why it is known to be both flexible and rigid.

What are the fundamental rights provided by the Constitution of India?

There are 6 fundamental rights provided by the Indian constitution to the citizens. These rights are the basic human rights that provide civic liberties to the people of the country. Right to Equality Right to Freedom Cultural and Educational Rights Right to Constitutional Remedies Right against Exploitation Right to Freedom of Religion

Why is the Constitution of India called a living document?

The Constitution of India is called a living document as it is not as rigid as other constitutions of the world. It is always open to modifications and is dynamic in nature. It changes according to the circumstances and acts as per the need of the hour .

How many languages are recognized by the Constitution of India?

A total of 22 languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India . The official languages have been covered under the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Earlier there were 14 languages but now they have been increased to 22 official languages.

How many articles are there in the Constitution of India?

The original constitution when it was adopted in 1949, contained 395 articles along with 22 parts and 8 schedules of Indian Constitution . At present, the number of articles has increased to 448 after 104 amendments were made to the Indian constitution.

Why are amendments made to the Constitution of India?

Several amendments are made to the Constitution of India depending on the needs and the circumstances . The provisions that exist in the original constitution need to be changed at times as they are no longer apt for today’s scenario. The constitution should be able to serve the people of the nation in a rightful manner.

Why constitution of India is called quasi-federal?

The Indian constitution is called quasi-federal as it is not completely federal in nature. It also supports the idea of a unitary state along with supporting the federal structure. It incorporates the positive features of both a federation and a unitary state. K.C.Wheare was the one who called the Indian constitution quasi-federal .

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Constitution of India – Introduction to Constitution, Ideological Basis

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

The constitution of India is a distinctive document containing 470 articles. The articles have been summed up in 25 parts & 12 schedules. But it contained a total of 1,45,000 words making it the lengthiest constitution in the world. It was adopted in 1949 & the final draft of the constitution of India was introduced in the Constituent Assembly by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He is considered the father of the Indian constitution. The constitution of India came into effect on 26th January 1950.

Since the constitution of India was adopted in the year 1949, it is said to have undergone amendments 105 times. A total of 126 Amendment Bills have been introduced in the Parliament so far including the 7th Amendments, the 42nd, 44th, 73rd & 74th amendments.

Table of content

1. Constitution of India
2. Introduction to the Constitution of India: Preamble
3. About Indian Constitution: Important Amendments
4. List of Amendments in Indian Constitution
5. Salient Features of Indian Constitution
6. Who has Written the Constitution of India?
7. Significant Provisions of the Indian Constitution
8. Structure of the Indian Constitution
9. Constitution of India UPSC

Constitution of India

The Constitution of India is a unique blend of all the fundamental principles that guide a country’s administration. It lays down all the rules and guidelines outlining the duties and rights of the government as well as the citizens of the country. The constitution of India has been inspired by the constitution of various countries, which is why it is also sometimes referred to as a ‘Bag of Borrowing’.

Many features of the Indian constitution have been inspired by other countries. To understand the various features of the constitution of India that have been inspired by others, read about the comparison of Indian constitution with other countries.

Introduction to the Constitution of India: Preamble

A Preamble is the most important aspect of a constitution. The constitution of India begins with the Preamble followed by the entire guidelines presented in the form of articles, schedules & parts. The idea of the Preamble has been inspired by the constitution of America who was the first one to introduce it.

The Preamble of India has been given by Pandit Nehru as it was based on his ‘Objectives Resolution’ & therefore was passed & introduced by him into the Constituent Assembly.

A Preamble is a set of words that introduces and presents a gist of the constitution of India. Certain amendments have been made to the Preamble as well. The words ‘socialist’, ‘secular’, and ‘integrity’ have been added to it. These additions in the Preamble have been made through the 42nd Amendment of Indian Constitution in 1976.

The Preamble can be divided into four sections that provide for the four major elements of the constitution of India.

The date when the constitution of India was adopted – 26th November 1949.
Mentions the clear objectives of the constitution in the form of ‘justice’, ‘equality’, ‘liberty’, and ‘fraternity’.
Mentions the people of India as the source of power to the constitution.
States India’s nature as a socialist, sovereign, secular, republican, and democratic state.

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About Indian Constitution: Important Amendments

The Constitution of India is a lengthy document that provides for the basic framework of the country by laying down guidelines for the government. In simple words it is a guide that acts as a rule book for the state by stating the laws & principles based on which a state should be governed. Since its adoption, the constitution of India has been amended 105 times to make it suit the needs of the country.

There are three types of amendments that can be made to the Indian constitution. Out of these three, the second and third types are governed by Article 368.

The first type of constitutional amendment is the one that can be passed through a “simple majority” in each of the two houses of Parliament.
The second type of amendment is the one that can be brought into effect by Parliament through a “special majority” in each house.
The third amendment type includes the ones that need validation by minimum half of the state legislatures along with the “special majority” in each house.

List of Amendments in Indian Constitution

As discussed earlier, till date a total of 105 amendments have been made to the Indian constitution. These amendments saw a couple of significant changes. Here are a few important amendments of Indian constitution that were passed to bring certain changes that were required for the good of the country.

Important Amendments of Constitution of India	Year
First Constitutional Amendment Act	1951
Second Amendment Act of Indian Constitution	1952
Fourth Amendment Act	1955
Seventh Amendment Act	1956
Ninth Amendment Act	1960
10th Amendment of Indian Constitution	1961
12th Constitutional Amendment	1962
13th Amendment Act	1962
14th Amendment in Constitution of India	1966
21st Amendment Act	1967
24th Amendment Act	1971
31st Amendment Act	1972
35th Amendment Act	1974
36th Amendment Act	1975
42nd Amendment Act	1976
44th Amendment Act of Constitution of India	1978
61st amendment Act,	1889
74th Amendment Act	1992
86th Amendment Act	2002
92nd Amendment Act	2003
97th Amendment Act	2011
101st Amendment Act	2016
102nd Amendment Act of Indian Constitution	2018
103rd Amendment Act	2019
104th Amendment Act	2020
105th Amendment Act	2021

Salient Features of Indian Constitution

The constitution of India is a famous constitution which is quite flexible in its nature. It provides for a variety of amendments that can be done & have been done to it for various reasons. The document is a mix of the best features inspired from the constitution of different countries in the world. It can be said that there are various sources of Indian Constitution that make it one of the best constitutions today.

The Indian Constituent Assembly tried its best to incorporate the best principles & guidelines that suit the needs of our country. Here are a few salient features of the constitution of India.

Lengthiest Constitution in the world
An insightful Preamble that provides for the goals & objectives of the constitution
Provides for a federal system of government in India but with an exception of a unitary bias. The states can not break away from the federation.
The system of democracy is another feature of the Indian constitution.
Emergency provisions
Parliamentary system of government
States India as a republic
Clearly provides the fundamental rights and duties for the citizens
Directive Principles of State Policy
Single citizenship
Separate judiciary system which is free of Legislature and Executive
Flexible constitution which is open to amendments

Who has Written the Constitution of India?

The constitution of India was written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. He is said to be the main calligrapher of the constitution. The English version of the constitution of India was originally handwritten by Prem Behari in an italic style which was further decorated and enhanced by other artists. These artists were Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nand Lal Bose, both of whom belonged to Shantiniketan.

Raizada was approached by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to write the constitution of India. He belonged to a family of calligraphers and was born in the year 1901. He has credit to his name for writing the longest constitution in the world. It took him almost six months to write the constitution.

The Hindi version of the Indian constitution was written by Vasant Krishnan Vaidya. This version was also further beautified by Nand Lal Bose. The Indian constitution was framed by a Drafting Committee who was headed by Dr B.R. Ambedkar. It is the longest written constitution as it consists of 22 parts, 8 schedules, and 395 articles.

Significant Provisions of the Indian Constitution

The constitution of India is the lengthiest written document and makes space for any such change that is required for the betterment of the country and its citizens. That proves the flexibility of the Indian constitution which plays a very important role in the functioning of a nation. Mentioned below are the significant provisions of the Indian constitution.

Preamble
Fundamental Rights
Fundamental Duties
Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)
Emergency Provisions

Structure of the Indian Constitution

The constitution of India is a sacred document that guides the smooth functioning and administration of the country. It acts as a book of rules and provides for the basic rights of the citizens & also states the fundamental duties for Indians to perform as responsible citizens.

The basic structure of the constitution of India comprises a Preamble as an introductory text, 470 Articles, 12 Schedules, 25Parts, and 5 appendices. From a UPSC aspirant’s perspective, it is extremely important to have deep knowledge of all the important articles of the Indian Constitution to score well in the polity section.

Constitution of India UPSC

For all the aspirants preparing for the prestigious UPSC examination, the subject of Indian Polity holds utmost importance. The topic of the Indian constitution is the most important while preparing for the UPSC IAS exam. It is advisable to gather the constitution of India UPSC notes and refer to them at the time of exam preparation.

Important Notes for UPSC
Vijayanagara Empire	Highest Marks in Geography Optional
Framing of Indian Constitution	Srinivasa Ramanujan
IFS Promotion Chart With Years	PCPNDT Act
Retreating Monsoon in India	Difference Between State Legislative Assembly and Parliament
Monuments of India	Shunga Dynasty