Jairam Ramesh on Constitution, national emblem history on Republic Day

On India's 77th Republic Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reflected on the history of the Constitution and national emblem. He noted the addition of 'Satyameva Jayate' in 1949 and historical debates on the emblem's design and original motto.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday shared insights into the history of the Indian Constitution and national emblem, on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day.

India is celebrating its 77th Republic Day, as the nation comes together to mark the adoption of the Constitution and showcase its rich cultural and military heritage.

Ramesh reflected on the history of India's national emblem, noting that the first handwritten copies of the Constitution featured the Ashokan Lion Capital and that the motto Satyameva Jayate was officially added in early 1949. He also highlighted historical debates over the motto and the emblem's original design, referencing observations by historian Radha Kumud Mookerjee.

Jairam Ramesh's Historical Reflections

In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, "76 years ago today, the Constitution of India came into effect. The history of its making has continued to be analysed ever since Granville Austin's classic "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" came out in 1966 and B. Shiva Rao's magisterial five-volume "The Framing of India's Constitution" were published by 1968. There have been other notable works, no doubt, but special mention must be made of the very recent book by Rohit De and Ornit Shani "Assembling India's Constitution: A New Democratic History." 76 years ago today, the Constitution of India came into effect. The history of its making has continued to be analysed ever since Granville Austin’s classic “The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation” came out in 1966 and B. Shiva Rao’s magisterial five-volume “The Framing… pic.twitter.com/fGWP9GWpos — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 26, 2026

The National Emblem and Motto

"The first two handwritten copies of the Constitution in English and Hindi also had the national emblem on their cover. By end-1947, it had been decided that the national emblem will be the Ashokan Lion Capital first excavated at Sarnath in 1905. It was only by early-1949 that the motto 'Satyameva Jayate' taken from the Mundaka Upanishad was added below the abacus as the national motto. There were quite a few who said it should be Satyameva Jayati and not Satyameva Jayate. Eminent Sanskrit and other scholars were consulted who agreed that it should be Satyameva Jayate. In mid-1956, the noted historian Radha Kumud Mookerjee, who was then a nominated MP - wrote that the original Ashokan Lion Capital also had a wheel of what he called 'outstanding size' that was placed over the shoulders of the four lions. But the emblem remained as it had long been decided and used extensively," the post read.

Ramesh highlighted the evolution of India's national emblem, noting that the words Dharmachakra Pravartanaya initially appeared below the abacus in the 1948 Constituent Assembly reports before being replaced by Satyameva Jayate in early 1949. He added that the earlier inscription remained above the Lok Sabha Speaker's seat in the Old Parliament Building until the move to the new building in September 2023.

"In some reports issued by the Constituent Assembly in 1948, the words 'Dharmachakra Pravartanaya' had been used below the abacus. But that got changed to Satyameva Jayate in early 1949. Interestingly the words 'Dharmachakra Pravartanaya' were lit up just above the seat of the Lok Sabha Speaker in the Old Parliament Building and this continued till the Lok Sabha shifted to the new building in September 2023," the post further read.

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