Salient Features of Indian Constitution – Basic, Key Features of Constitution, Characteristics

Salient Features of Indian Constitution

The Constitution of India was formed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan. The head of the Indian Constitution’s drafting committee was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Salient Features of Indian Constitution have been recognized as the Preamble, fundamental rights, Secularism, Directive principles, freedom of the judiciary, Federalism, rule of law, liberal democracy, and Republicanism.

Basic Features of Indian Constitution

The notion of ‘A Union of States in the Indian Constitution” has been derived from The British North – American Act. Go through the highlights and important points to note about the basic features of Indian Constitution and what makes it unique.

Features of Indian Constitution
Indian Constitution was Adopted on	26 November 1946
Indian Constitution Day	26 November
Constitution of India Borrowed Features	11
Number of Schedules and Articles in the Constitution	12 Schedules and 448 Articles

Characteristics of Indian Constitution

Even though a few basic features of Indian constitution are adopted from other countries, they suit the Indian Polity and government. The characteristics of Indian Constitution reflect the following ideologies:

• Secularism: It is the hallmark of the Constitution of India;
• Democracy: Borrowed from the West;
• Sarvodaya: This ideology reflected by the characteristics of Indian; Constitution means the development and welfare of all;
• Socialism: Vedanta’s Philosophy;
• Decentralization: Aspect of Sarvodaya;
• Humanism: Peculiar features of the Indian ideology;
• Liberalism: Indian context of liberalism;
• Mixed Economy: A salient feature of Indian constitution;
• Gandhism: This ideology is reflected by the characteristics of Indian; Constitution means the representation of a moral and ethical India.

Key Features of Indian Constitution

The key features of Indian Constitution are distinctive due to 18 unique characteristics. The following is a list of the key features of Indian Constitution:

Key Features of Indian Constitution	Description
Lengthiest Constitution of the World	The Indian Constitution is one of the world’s lengthiest and most thorough constitutions; Our Constitution consists of 448 Articles and 12 Schedules
Features from Various Sources	Most of its provisions were taken from the Government of India Act of 1935 as well as the constitutions of several other nations
Mixture of Rigidity and Flexibility	A unique example of how rigidity and flexibility can coexist is the Indian Constitution; The ability to alter a constitution determines whether it is rigid or flexible
Preamble of the Constitution	The Constitution’s aims, goals, and fundamental precepts are outlined in the Preamble; The Preamble describes the nature of the Indian state and the goals it is sworn to uphold for the populace
Federal System with Unitary Bias	The Indian Constitution establishes a federal system of government
Democratic System	The sovereignty of the people serves as the foundation for governmental authority; Political rights are equal for all citizens; Elections to choose governments are held on a regular basis and are free and fair
Parliamentary Form of Government	Both at the federal level and at the state level, the parliamentary system is established by the Constitution
Fundamental Rights	Indian people are granted and protected by Fundamental Rights under the country’s Constitution
Fundamental Duties	It lists ten fundamental obligations that every Indian must uphold
Universal Adult Franchise	The foundation of Indian democracy is “one person, one vote”
Integrated and Independent Judiciary	India has both an Integrated and Independent Judiciary system; Because of this, the Constitution has certain protections that ensure its independence
Directive Principles of State Policy	To ensure social and economic democracy in the nation, the government must adhere to these principles, which are instructions in nature
Emergency Provisions	In times of emergency, state governments seize full control of the federal government, which is given unrestricted power
Secularism	Everyone has the same rights to religious freedom, including the freedom to profess, practice, and spread their faith
Three-Tier Government	The original Indian Constitution stipulated a dual polity and contained provisions outlining the composition and powers of the Centre and the States; The 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 gave the panchayats official status by introducing a new Part IX and a new schedule 11 to the Constitution
Rule of Law	According to this statement, men are not infallible, hence law rather than men should rule society
Single Citizenship	All Indian nationals have equal access to all work opportunities and rights throughout the country
Independent Constitutional and Non-Constitutional Bodies	The constitution has established a number of independent authorities and given them authority to uphold its requirements

Main Features of Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution of India is provided with a basic system defined as the salient features of Indian Constitution that make it a dynamic creation, including the following:

1. Lengthiest Constitution of the World

The basic features of Indian Constitution are detailed, elaborated, and comprehensive documents distinguished from the rest of the constitutions by being the lengthiest written document. There are two kinds of constitutions, i.e., Written and Unwritten.

The British Constitution is an unwritten constitution, whereas the American Constitution is a good example of a written one. Indian Constitution is the lengthiest written constitution in the world as it contains the preamble, approximately 448 articles combined into 25 parts.

• There are 12 schedules and 5 appendices.
• The Constitution has been amended 104 times.
• The factors like the history, geographical features, single documents for states and the center, and legal luminaries’ dominance in the Constituent Assembly account for the bigger size of the Indian Constitution.
• It includes the non-justiciable and justiciable rights and the fundamental principles of governance.

2. Drawn from Various Sources

It cannot be denied that a few basic features of the Indian Constitution have derived from the Constitutions of other countries. Yet, it is unique as it has adopted only those features that suit the Indian government and polity perfectly. Most features are carried forward by the Government of India Act of 1935.

There are almost 250 provisions that the Indian Constitution has adopted from the Government of India Act of 1935. The Salient Features of the Indian Constitution adopted from the Government of India Act of 1935 are Administrative Details, Emergency Provisions, Public Service Commissions, Judiciary, Office of the Governor, and Federal Scheme.

3. Mixture of Rigidity and Flexibility

There are two types of Constitutions, i.e., the Rigid Constitution (like the Constitution of America, which requires a particular procedure to get amended) and the flexible Constitution (like the British Constitution, which does not require a special procedure and is amended according to ordinary law).

However, one of the salient features of the Indian Constitution is that it shows both the qualities of being flexible and rigid simultaneously. There are three amendments to the Indian constitution, depending on the amendment’s nature. Initially, the simpler ones and then the most difficult ones.

4. Preamble of the Constitution

The salient features of Indian Constitution has a Preamble that accounts for the basic principles, ideals, and objectives of the Constitution. It is the nature of the Indian state. The Preamble, directly and indirectly, is responsible for the change in the flow of the objectives of the Constitution. The different objectives stated in the Preamble are committed to securing Indian citizens.

Federal System with Unitary Bias: The basic features of Indian Constitution establishes the Federal System of government as it depicts two governments: the Constitution’s rigidity, bicameralism, the supremacy of the constitution, division of powers, and independent judiciary. These are the usual features of the federal system.

• Along with the federal features, the Indian Constitution holds non-federal features.
• These include the integrated judiciary, all-India services, appointment of state governors by the Centre, a single Constitution, a strong Centre, and much more.
• Thus, it is considered a Federal system with unitary bias.

5. Democratic System

According to the basic features of the Indian Constitution, India is a republic, meaning it doesn’t nominate a head of state, nor does the monarch rule it. Instead, the nation’s people elect a head of state for a five-year fixed term. The reflections are repeated every 5 years.

6. Parliamentary Form of Government

The basic features of Indian Constitution adopt the parliamentary form of government from the British government. It is based on the coordination and cooperation of the executive and legislative organs of the government.

In this form of government, the Prime Minister plays a significant role. Thus, the Parliamentary Form of Government is often called Prime Ministerial Government.

7. Fundamental Rights and Duties

The salient features of Indian Constitution have provisions for protecting the fundamental rights of Indian citizens. According to the Indian Constitution, every citizen must enjoy basic and fundamental rights. There are six fundamental rights:

• Right to Constitutional Remedies
• Right to Freedom of Religion
• Right Against Exploitation
• Right to Freedom
• Right to Equality
• Cultural and Educational Rights

Also, the 42nd Amendment, 1976 of the Indian Constitution has provisions for the fundamental duties of an individual.

8. Universal Adult Franchise

As per the salient features of Indian Constitution, there is no difference between men and women. Both are treated equally and have the same rights to vote (with the condition that they need to be above the age of 18 years). Not only this, all the registered voters of India stand a chance to cast a vote in elections.

9. Integrated and Independent Judiciary

The states and the Union have a single and integrated judiciary system. According to the salient features of the Indian Constitution, the high courts work at the state level while the Supreme court works at the apex level, and all the other courts work under the high court of the respective state.

• The Indian Constitution also ensures an independent judiciary that functions independently of the Executive and legislative.
• It has complete independence in terms of finances and administration.

10. Directive Principles of State Policy

Directive Principles of State Policy were considered the novel features of Indian Constitution by Dr. B R Ambedkar. These principles are stated in Part IV of the Indian Constitution and were involved in the Constitution to provide economic and social justice to Indian citizens. It aims to form a welfare state in India.

11. Emergency Provisions

In the salient features of Indian Constitution, there is a well-elaborated provision responsible for dealing with the challenges that come in the way of the unity and security of the country. The three different types of emergencies are as follows:

• Article 360 – Financial Emergency;
• Article 356 & 365 – Emergency because of the failure of constitutional machinery in states;
• Article 352 – Emergency caused by armed rebellion, external aggression, or war.

12. Secularism

India is a vast country with plenty of religions, and the Indian Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion to all. As per the salient features of Indian Constitution, Indian citizens are free to follow or preach any religion. It ensures equal rights to all without discrimination based on sex, religion, caste, or creed.

Everyone has the right freely to profess, propagate and practice a religion. Thus, it embodies the positive concept of secularism. Along with this, minorities are granted special cultural rights.

13. Three-Tier Government

According to the 73rd and 74th Amendments Act, urban and rural local bodies act as the third tier of government structure. As per the salient features of the Indian Constitution, these sections work on the aims of self-functioning villages in India.

Federal Features of Indian Constitution

As mentioned earlier, one of the salient features of the Indian Constitution is the federal system with unitary features. Out of all the main features of Indian constitution, the following are the 7 federal features of Indian Constitution;

• Dual Polity;
• Bicameralism;
• Written Constitution;
• Independent Judiciary;
• Supremacy of the Constitution;
• Rigid Constitution;
• Division of Powers.

Unitary Features of Indian Constitution

The structure of the Indian Constitution is federal and is considered a powerful unitary prejudice. Some of the essential unitary features of the Indian constitution are integrated election Machinery, integrated tribunal, the power to veto state bills, integrated audit machinery, etc. The unitary features or non-federal features of Indian Constitution are as follows:

• Powerful Center;
• The Indian Constitution suggests that the Federation of India is “an indestructible Union of destructible states”;
• One Constitution;
• Emergency Provisions;
• Single Citizenship;
• All India Services such as IAS, IPS, etc;
• Role of Governor.

Borrowed Salient Features of Indian Constitution

One of the key features of the Indian Constitution is that the constitutions of several countries inspired it. The salient features of Indian Constitution borrowed from the Government of India Act of 1935 are:

• Federal Structure;
• Governor Office;
• Judiciary;
• Public Service Commissions;
• Emergency Provisions.

Sources	Salient Features of Constitution
British Constitution	Bicameralism Single Citizenship Parliamentary Form of Government The Rule of Law Legislative Procedure Cabinet System Writs
The US Constitution	Independent Judiciary and Judicial Review Removal of Supreme Court and High Court Judges Impeachment of the President Fundamental Rights Post of Vice President
Irish Constitution	President Election DPSP Rajya Sabha Members Nomination
Canadian Constitution	Advisory Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court Strong Center Residuary Powers with the Centre Appointment of Governor
Australian Constitution	Concurrent List Joint sitting of the Upper and Lower House Freedom of Trade
Weimar Constitution of Germany	Suspension of Fundamental Rights During Emergency
USSR	Fundamental Duties Idea of Justice (Social, Economic, and Political)
French Constitution	Republic The Ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity
South African Constitution	Procedure for the Amendment of the Constitution Election of the Members of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha)

Salient Features of Indian Constitution UPSC

Salient Features of Indian Constitution are identified as the Preamble, Directive principles, Federalism, freedom of the judiciary, fundamental rights, Secularism,  rule of law, liberal democracy, and Republicanism.

Aspirants must learn Salient Features of Indian Constitution UPSC topic which comes under the Polity section (GS II) of the UPSC Syllabus. You can learn about the key features of the Indian Constitution and all the related ones by going through the NCERT and Polity Books for UPSC.

Salient Features of Indian Constitution MCQs

Few of the salient features of Indian Constitution questions that are being asked in the UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains exam are as under;

Question: Which one of the following is not a salient feature of the Constitution of India? (1) Written Constitution and Supremacy of the Constitution, (2) Quasi-federal Structure, (3) Committed Judiciary, (4) Distribution of Powers
Answer: Committed Judiciary

Question: Which Constitutional Amendments is also known as the “Mini-Constitution” of India? (a) 73rd Amendment, (b) 44th Amendment, (c) 42nd Amendment, (d) 7th Amendment
Answer: 42nd Amendment

Question: According to Dr. B R Ambedkar, Which of the following parts of the Indian Constitution is a “Novel feature” of the Indian Constitution? (a) Fundamental Rights, (b) Fundamental Duties, a) Preamble, (d) DPSP
Answer: DPSP

Question: Who said that the Indian Constitution is a” Lawyer’s paradise”? (a) H K Maheshwari, (b) a) Sir Ivor Jennings, (c) Dr. B R Ambedkar, (d) P R Deshmukh
Answer: Sir Ivor Jennings

Mains Question: Discuss the Salient features of the Indian Constitution. How Indian secularism is different from the concept of western secularism. Discuss.

UPSC Notes
Schedules of Indian Constitution	Competition Commission of India
Articles in Constitution India	Article 12
Governor General of Bengal	India China Relations
Mountain Passes in India	Press Information Bureau
Types Of Missiles in India	Non Tax Revenue
Marginal Standing Facility Rate	Article 370