10 Important facts about the Indian constitution

 

1. Origin

 

 

The Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, while it came into force on January 26, 1950. The first session of the Assembly was held on January 24, 1950, which unanimously elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the President of India.

 

2. The time it took 

 

 

The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and seventeen days) to complete the historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. The Constituent Assembly had 284 members, out of which 15 were women. The Drafting Committee submitted the draft in November 1949, after which they took three more years to complete it. 

 

3. The all-important Drafting Committee, which bore the responsibility of drafting the Constitutional document was formed on August 29, 1947. Its members were:

 

 

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Diwan Bahadur Sir Narasimha Gopalaswami Ayyangar

K.M. Munshi

Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla

N.Madhav Rao

D.P.Khaitan (T Krishnamachari, after Kahitan's Death in 1948)

 

4. A labour of love 

 

 

The Constitution of India was not typeset or printed but was handwritten and calligraphed in both English and Hindi. Prem Behari Narain Raizada (Saxena) of Delhi  wrote the entire constitution in a flowing italic style in the best calligraphic tradition of our country. The task was completed in 6 months. 254 pen-holder nibs were used and No. 303 Nib was used for this calligraphy. It was decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.

 

5. The National Emblem

 

 

On January 26, 1950, India also adopted Sarnath, the Lion Capital of Ashoka with the wheel, bull, and horse as the national emblem of India.

 

6. World’s Longest Constitution

 

The Constitution of India  is considered the world’s lengthiest document because originally it contained 395 Articles divided into 22 parts and B Schedules. At present it contains 448 Articles and 12 Schedules as a result of 98 amendments effected in the constitution since 1950. 

 

7.  The Indian Constitution draws bits and pieces from other world constitutions like:

 

 

A.      Irish Constitution – Directive principles have been derived from the Irish constitution

 

B.      British Constitution – Parliamentary form of government with a cabinet system having accountability to the lower House and parliamentary privileges.

 

C.       US Constitution – Fundamental rights, the Supreme Court, the post of  Vice-President

 

D.      Canadian Constitution – The Federal system, union-state relations and distribution of powers between the union and the states

 

E.       Australian Constitution – The concurrent list, provision of trade and commerce

 

F.       German (Weimer) Constitution – Emergency provisions  

 

G.    French Constitution - The concepts of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

 

H.     Japan Constitution - The law on which the Supreme Court functions

 

8. India, the Union

 

It was Dr B.R. Ambedkar who clarified that India was a Union and no state had the right to secede from the Union. The first article of the Constitution says, “India, that is Bharath, shall be a Union of states”.

 

9. Significant Addition

The Preamble of the Constitution of India states that India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. The term “Socialist” was added later in 1976 through the Constitution 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.

 

10. The Guiding Factor

 

The Objectives Resolution was moved by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946. It served as a road map for the constitution.

 

Must-know Articles of the Indian constitution

ARTICLE	PURPOSE
Article 12 –35	Deal with the Fundamental Rights
Article 36-50	Deal with Directive Principles of State Policy
Article 51A	Deals with Fundamental duties of a citizen of India
Article 100	Deals with voting in the Houses
Article 141	Supreme Court’s law applicable on all courts
Article 343	Deals with the Official Language
Article 352	Deals with National Emergency
Article 368	Deals with Power of Parliament to Amend the Constitution
Article 370	Temporary provisions with respect to the state of Jammu and Kashmir

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

 

•             It was a raining cats and dogs outside the parliament, the day constitution was signed, and this was considered to be a good omen by the assembly members.

•             The original hand-written copies of the Constitution are kept in helium-filled cases in the Library of Parliament House.

•             One signature which is not there in the Constitution is that of Mahatma Gandhi.