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The Constitution of India (IAST: Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna) is the supreme law of India.[1][2] The document lays down the framework demarcating fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It is the longest written constitution of any country on earth.[b][3][4][5] B. R. Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is widely considered to be its chief architect.[6]
Constitution of India
Original text of the preamble
Original title
भारतीय संविधान (IAST: Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna)[a]
Jurisdiction
India
Ratified
26 November 1949; 70 years ago
Date effective
26 January 1950; 69 years ago
System
Constitutional parliamentary socialist secular republic
Branches
Three (executive, legislature and judiciary)
Chambers
Two (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha)
Executive
Prime minister-led cabinet responsible to the lower house of the parliament
Judiciary
Supreme court, high courts and district courts
Federalism
Unitary (Quasi-federal)
Electoral college
Yes, for presidential and vice-presidential elections
Entrenchments
2
Amendments
103
Last amended
12 January 2019 (103rd)
Location
Parliament House, New Delhi, India
Author(s)
B. R. Ambedkar and the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly of India
Signatories
284 members of the Constituent Assembly
Supersedes
Government of India Act 1935
Indian Independence Act 1947
Constitution of India as of 1957 (Hindi)
It imparts constitutional supremacy (not parliamentary supremacy, since it was created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament) and was adopted by its people with a declaration in its preamble.[7][full citation needed] Parliament cannot override the constitution.
B. R. Ambedkar and Constitution of India on a 2015 postage stamp of India
It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 and became effective on 26 January 1950.[8] The constitution replaced the Government of India Act, 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, and the Dominion of India became the Republic of India. To ensure constitutional autochthony, its framers repealed prior acts of the British parliament in Article 395.[9] India celebrates its constitution on 26 January as Republic Day.[10]
The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular,[11] democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty, and endeavours to promote fraternity.[12] The original 1950 constitution is preserved in a helium-filled case at the Parliament House in New Delhi. The words "secular" and "socialist" were added to the preamble in 1976 during the emergency.[13]
Background
Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian constitution to Constituent Assembly president Rajendra Prasad on 25 November 1949
Most of the Indian subcontinent was under British rule from 1857 to 1947. From 1947 to 1950, the same legislation continued to be implemented as India was a dominion of Britain for these three years, as each princely state was convinced by Sardar Patel and V.P.Menon to sign the articles of integration with India, and the British government continued to be responsible for the external security of the country.[14] Thus, the constitution of India repealed the Indian Independence Act 1947 and Government of India Act, 1935 when it became effective on 26 January 1950. India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and became a sovereign democratic republic with the constitution. Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60, 324, 366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392, 393, and 394 of the constitution came into force on 26 November 1949, and the remaining articles became effective on 26 January 1950.[15]
Previous legislation
The constitution was drawn from a number of sources. Mindful of India's needs and conditions, its framers borrowed features of previous legislation such as the Government of India Act 1858, the Indian Councils Acts of 1861, 1892 and 1909, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act 1947. The latter, which led to the creation of India and Pakistan, divided the former Constituent Assembly in two. Each new assembly had sovereign power to draft and enact a new constitution for the separate states.[16]
Constituent Assembly
1950 Constituent Assembly meeting
Main article: Constituent Assembly of India
The constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which was elected by elected members of the provincial assemblies.[17] The 389-member assembly (reduced to 299 after the partition of India) took almost three years to draft the constitution holding eleven sessions over a 165-day period.[3][16]
B. R. Ambedkar was a wise constitutional expert, he had studied the constitutions of about 60 countries. Ambedkar is recognised as the "Father of the Constitution of India".[18][19] In the constitution assembly, a member of the drafting committee, T. T. Krishnamachari said:
"Mr. President, Sir, I am one of those in the House who have listened to Dr. Ambedkar very carefully. I am aware of the amount of work and enthusiasm that he has brought to bear on the work of drafting this Constitution. At the same time, I do realise that that amount of attention that was necessary for the purpose of drafting a constitution so important to us at this moment has not been given to it by the Drafting Committee. The House is perhaps aware that of the seven members nominated by you, one had resigned from the House and was replaced. One died and was not replaced. One was away in America and his place was not filled up and another person was engaged in State affairs, and there was a void to that extent. One or two people were far away from Delhi and perhaps reasons of health did not permit them to attend. So it happened ultimately that the burden of drafting this constitution fell on Dr. Ambedkar and I have no doubt that we are grateful to him for having achieved this task in a manner which is undoubtedly commendable."[20][21]
Timeline of formation of the Constitution of India
6 December 1946: Formation of the Constitution Assembly (in accordance with French practice).
9 December 1946: The first meeting was held in the constitution hall (now the Central Hall of Parliament House). The 1st person to address was J. B. Kripalani, Sachchidananda Sinha became temporary president. (Demanding a separate state, the Muslim League boycotted the meeting.)
11 December 1946: The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president, H. C. Mukherjee as its vice-chairman and B. N. Rau as constitutional legal adviser. (There were initially 389 member11 December 1946: The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president, H. C. Mukherjee as its vice-chairman and B. N. Rau as constitutional legal adviser. (There were initially 389 members in total, which declined to 299 after partition. Out of the 389 members, 292 were from government provinces, 4 from chief commissioner provinces and 93 from princely states.)
13 December 1946: An 'Objective Resolution' was presented by Jawaharlal Nehru, laying down the underlying principles of the constitution. This later became the Preamble of the Constitution.
22 January 1947: Objective resolution unanimously adopted.
22 July 1947: National flag adopted.
15 August 1947: Achieved independence. India split into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan.
29 August 1947: Drafting Committee appointed with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as its Chairman. The other 6 members of committee were Munshi, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Khaitan and Mitter.
16 July 1948: Along with Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, V. T. Krishnamachari was also elected as second vice-president of Constituent Assembly.
26 November 1949: The Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the assembly.
24 January 1950: Last meeting of Constituent Assembly. The Constitution was signed and accepted. (with 395 Articles, 8 Schedules, 22 Parts)
26 January 1950: The Constitution came into force. (The process took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days - at a total expenditure of ₹6.4 million to finish.)
G. V. Mavlankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) after India turned into a republic.
Membership
B. R. Ambedkar, Sanjay Phakey, Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhbhai Patel, Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Sandipkumar Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Nalini Ranjan Ghosh, and Balwantrai Mehta were key figures in the assembly,[3][16] which had over 30 representatives of the scheduled classes. Frank Anthony represented the Anglo-Indian community,[3] and the Parsis were represented by H. P. Modi.[3] Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a Christian assembly vice-president, chaired the minorities committee and represented non-Anglo-Indian Christians.[3] Ari Bahadur Gurung represented the Gorkha community.[3] Judges, such as Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Benegal Narsing Rau, K. M. Munshi and Ganesh Mavlankar were members of the assembly.[3] Female members included Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Amrit Kaur and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.[3]
The first, two-day president of the assembly was Sachchidananda Sinha; Rajendra Prasad was later elected president.[16][17] It met for the first time on 9 December 1946.[3][17][13]
Drafting
Benegal Narsing Rau, a civil servant who became the first Indian judge in the International Court of Justice and was president of the United Nations Security Council, was appointed as the assembly's constitutional adviser in 1946.[22] Responsible for the constitution's general structure, Rau prepared its initial draft in February 1948.[22][23][24]
At 14 August 1947 meeting of the assembly, committees were proposed.[17] Rau's draft was considered, debated and amended by the eight-person drafting committee, which was appointed on 29 August 1947 with B. R. Ambedkar as chair.[3][13] A revised draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the assembly on 4 November 1947.[13]
While deliberating the revised draft constitution, the assembly moved, discussed and disposed off 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635.[16][25] Before adopting the constitution, the assembly held eleven sessions in 165 days.[3][16] On 26 November 1949 it adopted the constitution,[3][16][13][24][26] which was signed by 284 members.[3][16][13][24][26] The day is celebrated as National Law Day,[3][27] or Constitution Day.[3][28] The day was chosen to spread the importance of the constitution and to spread thoughts and ideas of Ambedkar.[29]
The assembly's final session convened on 24 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English.[3][16][24] The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.[13][24] Its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada.[13] The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. Production of the original constitution took nearly five years. Two days later, on 26 January 1950, it became the law of India.[13][30] The estimated cost of the Constituent Assembly was ₹6.3 crore (₹63 million).[16] The constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted.[31]
Influence of other constitutions
United Kingdom
Parliamentary government[3]
Concept of single citizenship[3]
Rule of law
The legislative speaker and their role
Legislative procedure
United States[32]
Bill of Rights[3][13]
Federal structure of government[3]
Electoral College
Independent judiciary and separation of powers
Judicial review
President as commander-in-chief of the armed forces
Equal protection under law
Ireland
Directive principles of state policy[13]
Australia
Freedom of trade between states[16]
National legislative power to implement treaties, even on matters outside normal federal jurisdiction
Concurrent List[33]
Preamble terminology
France
Ideals of liberté, égalité, fraternité[3][13]
Canada
Quasi-federal government — a federal system with a strong central government[16]
Distribution of powers between the central and state governments[3][16]
Residual powers, retained by the central government[citation needed]
Soviet Union
Fundamental Duties under article 51-A[3]
Mandated planning commission to oversee economic development[3]
Other constitutions
The emergency provision under article 356 (from the Weimar Constitution)[13]
Amending the constitution (from South Africa)
Due process (from Japan)
Structure
The Indian constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation.[b][3][4][5] At its enactment, it had 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules.[16] At about 145,000 words, it is the second-longest active constitution – after the Constitution of Alabama – in the world.[34]
The constitution has a preamble and 448 articles,[c][13] which are grouped into 25 parts.[d][13] With 12 schedules[e][13] and five appendices,[13][35] it has been amended 103 times; the latest amendment became effective on 14 January 2019.[36]
Parts
The constitution's articles are grouped into the following parts:
Preamble,[37] with the words "socialist", "secular" and 'integrity' added in 1976 by the 42nd amendment[38][39]
Part I[40] – States and union territories
Part II[41] – Citizenship
Part III – Fundamental Rights
Part IV[42] – Directive Principles of State Policy
Part IVA – Fundamental Duties
Part V[43] – The union
Part VI[44] – The states
Part VII[45] – States in the B part of the first schedule (repealed)
Part VIII[46] – Union territories
Part IX[47] – Panchayats
Part IXA[48] – Municipalities
Part IXB – Co-operative societies[49]
Part X – Scheduled and tribal areas
Part XI – Relations between the union and the states
Part XII – Finance, property, contracts and suits
Part XIII – Trade and commerce within India
Part XIV – Services under the union and states
Part XIVA – Tribunals
Part XV – Elections
Part XVI – Special provisions relating to certain classes
Part XVII – Languages
Part XVIII – Emergency provisions
Part XIX – Miscellaneous
Part XX – Amending the constitution
Part XXI – Temporary, transitional and special provisions
Part XXII – Short title, date of commencement, authoritative text in Hindi and repeals
Schedules
Schedules are lists in the constitution which categorise and tabulate bureaucratic activity and government policy.
First Schedule (Articles 1 and 4) – Lists India's states and territories, changes in their borders and the laws used to make that change.
Second SchFirst Schedule (Articles 1 and 4) – Lists India's states and territories, changes in their borders and the laws used to make that change.
Second Schedule (Articles 59(3), 65(3), 75(6), 97, 125, 148(3), 158(3), 164(5), 186 and 221) – Lists the salaries of public officials, judges, and the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Third Schedule (Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219) – Forms of oaths – Lists the oaths of office for elected officials and judges.
Fourth Schedule (Articles 4(1) and 80(2)) – Details the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) by state or union territory.
Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)) – Provides for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas[f] and Scheduled Tribes[g] (areas and tribes requiring special protection).
Sixth Schedule (Articles 244(2) and 275(1)) – Provisions made for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
Seventh Schedule (Article 246) — Central government, state, and concurrent lists of responsibilities
Eighth Schedule (Articles 344(1) and 351) – Official languages
Ninth Schedule (Article 31-B) – Validation of certain acts and regulations[h]
Tenth Schedule (Articles 102(2) and 191(2)) – Anti-defection provisions for members of Parliament and state legislatures.
Eleventh Schedule (Article 243-G) —Panchayat Raj (rural local government)
Twelfth Schedule (Article 243-W) — Municipalities (urban local government)
Appendices
Appendix I – The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954
Appendix II – Re-statement, referring to the constitution's present text, of exceptions and modifications applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Appendix III – Extracts from the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978
Appendix IV – The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002
Appendix V – The Constitution (Eighty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2003
Constitution and government
The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government receive their power from the constitution and are bound by it.[50] With the aid of its constitution, India is governed by a parliamentary system of government with the executive directly accountable to the legislature. The President of India is head of the executive branch, under Articles 52 and 53, with the duty of preserving, protecting and defending the constitution and the law under Article 60. Article 74 provides for a Prime Minister as head of the Council of Ministers, which aids and advises the president in the performance of their constitutional duties. The council is answerable to the lower house under Article 75(3).
The constitution is considered federal in nature, and unitary in spirit. It has features of a federation (a codified, supreme constitution, a three-tier governmental structure [central, state and local], division of powers, bicameralism and an independent judiciary) and unitary features such as a single constitution, single citizenship, an integrated judiciary, a flexible constitution, a strong central government, appointment of state governors by the central government, All India Services (the IAS, IFS and IPS) and emergency provisions. This unique combination makes it quasi-federal in form.[51]
Each state and union territory has its own government. Analogous to the president and prime minister, each has a governor or (in union territories) a lieutenant governor and a chief minister. Article 356 permits the president to dismiss a state government and assume direct authority if a situation arises in which state government cannot be conducted in accordance with constitution. This power, known as president's rule, was abused as state governments came to be dismissed on flimsy grounds for political reasons. After the S. R. Bommai v. Union of India decision,[52][53] such a course of action is more difficult since the courts have asserted their right of review.[54]
The 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts introduced the system of panchayati raj in rural The 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts introduced the system of panchayati raj in rural areas and Nagar Palikas in urban areas.[13] Article 370 gives special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Constitution and legislature
Main article: Amendment of the Constitution of India
See also: List of amendments of the Constitution of India
Amendments
Amendments are additions, variations or repeal of any part of the constitution by Parliament.[55] The procedure is detailed in Article 368. An amendment bill must be passed by each house of Parliament by a two-thirds majority of its total membership when at least two-thirds are present and vote. Certain amendments pertaining to the constitution's federal nature must also be ratified by a majority of state legislatures. Unlike ordinary bills in accordance with Article 245 (except for money bills), there is no provision for a joint session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to pass a constitutional amendment. During a parliamentary recess, the president cannot promulgate ordinances under his legislative powers under Article 123, Chapter III. Deemed amendments to the constitution which can be passed under the legislative powers of parliament were invalidated by Article 368(1) in the Twenty-fourth Amendment.[55]
By July 2018, 124 amendment bills had been presented in Parliament; of these, 103 became Amendment Acts.[56] Despite the supermajority requirement for amendments to pass, the Indian constitution is the world's most frequently-amended national governing document.[57] The constitution is so specific in spelling out government powers that many amendments address issues dealt with by statute in other democracies.
In 2000, the Justice Manepalli Narayana Rao Venkatachaliah Commission was formed to examine a constitutional update. The government of India establishes term-based law commissions to recommend legal reforms, facilitating the rule of law.
Limitations
Main article: Basic structure doctrine
In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, the Supreme Court ruled that an amendment cannot destroy what it seeks to modify; it cannot tinker with the constitution's basic structure or framework, which are immutable. Such an amendment will be declared invalid, although no part of the constitution is protected from amendment; the basic structure doctrine does not protect any one provision of the constitution. According to the doctrine, the constitution's basic features (when "read as a whole") cannot be abridged or abolished. These "basic features" have not been fully defined,[50] and whether a particular provision of the constitution is a "basic feature" is decided by the courts.[58]
The Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala decision laid down the constitution's basic structure:[59]
Supremacy of the constitution
Republican, democratic form of government
Its secular nature
Separation of powers
Its federal character[59]
This implies that Parliament can only amend the constitution to the limit of its basic structure. The Supreme Court or a high court may declare the amendment null and void if this is violated, after a judicial review. This is typical of parliamentary governments, where the judiciary checks parliamentary power.
In its 1967 Golak Nath v. State of Punjab decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Punjab could not restrict any fundamental rights protected by the basic structure doctrine.[60] The extent of land ownership and practice of a profession, in this case, were considered fundamental rights.[61] The ruling was overturned with the ratification of the 24th Amendment in 1971.[61]
Constitution and judiciary
The judiciary is the final arbiter of the constitution.[62] Its duty (mandated by the constitution) is to act as a watchdog, preventing any legislative or executive act from overstepping constitutional bounds.[63] The judiciary protects the fundamental rights of the people (enshrined in the constitution) from infringement by any state body, and balances the conflicting exercise of power between the central government and a state (or states).
The courts are expected to remain unaffected by pressure exerted by other branches of the state, citizens or interest groups. An independent judiciary has been held as a basic feature of the constitution,[64][65] which cannot be changed by the legislature or the executive.[66]
Judicial review
Judicial review was adopted by the constitution of India from judicial review in the United States.[67] In the Indian constitution, judicial review is dealt with in Article 13. The constitution is the supreme power of the nation, and governs all laws. According to Article 13,
All pre-constitutional laws, if they conflict wholly or in part with the constitution, shall have all conflicting provisions deemed ineffective until an amendment to the constitution ends the conflict; the law will again come into force if it is compatible with the constitution as amended (the Doctrine of Eclipse).[68]
Laws made after the adoption of the constitution must be compatible with it, or they will be deemed void ab initio.
In such situations, the Supreme Court (or a high court) determines if a law is in conformity with the constitution. If such an interpretation is not possible because of inconsistency (and where separation is possible), the provision which is inconsistent with the constitution is considered void. In addition to Article 13, Articles 32, 226 and 227 provide the constitutional basis for judicial review.[69]
Due to the adoption of the Thirty-eighth Amendment, the Supreme Court was not allowed to preside over any laws adopted during a state of emergency which infringe fundamental rights under article 32 (the right to constitutional remedies).[70] The Forty-second Amendment widened Article 31C and added Articles 368(4) and 368(5), stating that any law passed by Parliament could not be challenged in court. The Supreme Court ruled in Minerva Mills v. Union of India that judicial review is a basic characteristic of the constitution, overturning Articles 368(4), 368(5) and 31C.[71]
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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
The Constitution of India (IAST: Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna) is the supreme law of India.[1][2] The document lays down the framework demarcating fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It is the longest written constitution of any country on earth.[b][3][4][5] B. R. Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is widely considered to be its chief architect.[6]
Constitution of India
Original text of the preamble
Original title
भारतीय संविधान (IAST: Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna)[a]
Jurisdiction
India
Ratified
26 November 1949; 70 years ago
Date effective
26 January 1950; 69 years ago
System
Constitutional parliamentary socialist secular republic
Branches
Three (executive, legislature and judiciary)
Chambers
Two (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha)
Executive
Prime minister-led cabinet responsible to the lower house of the parliament
Judiciary
Supreme court, high courts and district courts
Federalism
Unitary (Quasi-federal)
Electoral college
Yes, for presidential and vice-presidential elections
Entrenchments
2
Amendments
103
Last amended
12 January 2019 (103rd)
Location
Parliament House, New Delhi, India
Author(s)
B. R. Ambedkar and the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly of India
Signatories
284 members of the Constituent Assembly
Supersedes
Government of India Act 1935
Indian Independence Act 1947
Constitution of India as of 1957 (Hindi)
It imparts constitutional supremacy (not parliamentary supremacy, since it was created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament) and was adopted by its people with a declaration in its preamble.[7][full citation needed] Parliament cannot override the constitution.
B. R. Ambedkar and Constitution of India on a 2015 postage stamp of India
It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 and became effective on 26 January 1950.[8] The constitution replaced the Government of India Act, 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, and the Dominion of India became the Republic of India. To ensure constitutional autochthony, its framers repealed prior acts of the British parliament in Article 395.[9] India celebrates its constitution on 26 January as Republic Day.[10]
The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular,[11] democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty, and endeavours to promote fraternity.[12] The original 1950 constitution is preserved in a helium-filled case at the Parliament House in New Delhi. The words "secular" and "socialist" were added to the preamble in 1976 during the emergency.[13]
Background
Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian constitution to Constituent Assembly president Rajendra Prasad on 25 November 1949
Most of the Indian subcontinent was under British rule from 1857 to 1947. From 1947 to 1950, the same legislation continued to be implemented as India was a dominion of Britain for these three years, as each princely state was convinced by Sardar Patel and V.P.Menon to sign the articles of integration with India, and the British government continued to be responsible for the external security of the country.[14] Thus, the constitution of India repealed the Indian Independence Act 1947 and Government of India Act, 1935 when it became effective on 26 January 1950. India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and became a sovereign democratic republic with the constitution. Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60, 324, 366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392, 393, and 394 of the constitution came into force on 26 November 1949, and the remaining articles became effective on 26 January 1950.[15]
Previous legislation
The constitution was drawn from a number of sources. Mindful of India's needs and conditions, its framers borrowed features of previous legislation such as the Government of India Act 1858, the Indian Councils Acts of 1861, 1892 and 1909, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act 1947. The latter, which led to the creation of India and Pakistan, divided the former Constituent Assembly in two. Each new assembly had sovereign power to draft and enact a new constitution for the separate states.[16]
Constituent Assembly
1950 Constituent Assembly meeting
Main article: Constituent Assembly of India
The constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which was elected by elected members of the provincial assemblies.[17] The 389-member assembly (reduced to 299 after the partition of India) took almost three years to draft the constitution holding eleven sessions over a 165-day period.[3][16]
B. R. Ambedkar was a wise constitutional expert, he had studied the constitutions of about 60 countries. Ambedkar is recognised as the "Father of the Constitution of India".[18][19] In the constitution assembly, a member of the drafting committee, T. T. Krishnamachari said:
"Mr. President, Sir, I am one of those in the House who have listened to Dr. Ambedkar very carefully. I am aware of the amount of work and enthusiasm that he has brought to bear on the work of drafting this Constitution. At the same time, I do realise that that amount of attention that was necessary for the purpose of drafting a constitution so important to us at this moment has not been given to it by the Drafting Committee. The House is perhaps aware that of the seven members nominated by you, one had resigned from the House and was replaced. One died and was not replaced. One was away in America and his place was not filled up and another person was engaged in State affairs, and there was a void to that extent. One or two people were far away from Delhi and perhaps reasons of health did not permit them to attend. So it happened ultimately that the burden of drafting this constitution fell on Dr. Ambedkar and I have no doubt that we are grateful to him for having achieved this task in a manner which is undoubtedly commendable."[20][21]
Timeline of formation of the Constitution of India
6 December 1946: Formation of the Constitution Assembly (in accordance with French practice).
9 December 1946: The first meeting was held in the constitution hall (now the Central Hall of Parliament House). The 1st person to address was J. B. Kripalani, Sachchidananda Sinha became temporary president. (Demanding a separate state, the Muslim League boycotted the meeting.)
11 December 1946: The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president, H. C. Mukherjee as its vice-chairman and B. N. Rau as constitutional legal adviser. (There were initially 389 member11 December 1946: The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president, H. C. Mukherjee as its vice-chairman and B. N. Rau as constitutional legal adviser. (There were initially 389 members in total, which declined to 299 after partition. Out of the 389 members, 292 were from government provinces, 4 from chief commissioner provinces and 93 from princely states.)
13 December 1946: An 'Objective Resolution' was presented by Jawaharlal Nehru, laying down the underlying principles of the constitution. This later became the Preamble of the Constitution.
22 January 1947: Objective resolution unanimously adopted.
22 July 1947: National flag adopted.
15 August 1947: Achieved independence. India split into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan.
29 August 1947: Drafting Committee appointed with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as its Chairman. The other 6 members of committee were Munshi, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Khaitan and Mitter.
16 July 1948: Along with Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, V. T. Krishnamachari was also elected as second vice-president of Constituent Assembly.
26 November 1949: The Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the assembly.
24 January 1950: Last meeting of Constituent Assembly. The Constitution was signed and accepted. (with 395 Articles, 8 Schedules, 22 Parts)
26 January 1950: The Constitution came into force. (The process took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days - at a total expenditure of ₹6.4 million to finish.)
G. V. Mavlankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) after India turned into a republic.
Membership
B. R. Ambedkar, Sanjay Phakey, Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhbhai Patel, Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Sandipkumar Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Nalini Ranjan Ghosh, and Balwantrai Mehta were key figures in the assembly,[3][16] which had over 30 representatives of the scheduled classes. Frank Anthony represented the Anglo-Indian community,[3] and the Parsis were represented by H. P. Modi.[3] Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a Christian assembly vice-president, chaired the minorities committee and represented non-Anglo-Indian Christians.[3] Ari Bahadur Gurung represented the Gorkha community.[3] Judges, such as Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Benegal Narsing Rau, K. M. Munshi and Ganesh Mavlankar were members of the assembly.[3] Female members included Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Amrit Kaur and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.[3]
The first, two-day president of the assembly was Sachchidananda Sinha; Rajendra Prasad was later elected president.[16][17] It met for the first time on 9 December 1946.[3][17][13]
Drafting
Benegal Narsing Rau, a civil servant who became the first Indian judge in the International Court of Justice and was president of the United Nations Security Council, was appointed as the assembly's constitutional adviser in 1946.[22] Responsible for the constitution's general structure, Rau prepared its initial draft in February 1948.[22][23][24]
At 14 August 1947 meeting of the assembly, committees were proposed.[17] Rau's draft was considered, debated and amended by the eight-person drafting committee, which was appointed on 29 August 1947 with B. R. Ambedkar as chair.[3][13] A revised draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the assembly on 4 November 1947.[13]
While deliberating the revised draft constitution, the assembly moved, discussed and disposed off 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635.[16][25] Before adopting the constitution, the assembly held eleven sessions in 165 days.[3][16] On 26 November 1949 it adopted the constitution,[3][16][13][24][26] which was signed by 284 members.[3][16][13][24][26] The day is celebrated as National Law Day,[3][27] or Constitution Day.[3][28] The day was chosen to spread the importance of the constitution and to spread thoughts and ideas of Ambedkar.[29]
The assembly's final session convened on 24 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English.[3][16][24] The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.[13][24] Its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada.[13] The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. Production of the original constitution took nearly five years. Two days later, on 26 January 1950, it became the law of India.[13][30] The estimated cost of the Constituent Assembly was ₹6.3 crore (₹63 million).[16] The constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted.[31]
Influence of other constitutions
United Kingdom
Parliamentary government[3]
Concept of single citizenship[3]
Rule of law
The legislative speaker and their role
Legislative procedure
United States[32]
Bill of Rights[3][13]
Federal structure of government[3]
Electoral College
Independent judiciary and separation of powers
Judicial review
President as commander-in-chief of the armed forces
Equal protection under law
Ireland
Directive principles of state policy[13]
Australia
Freedom of trade between states[16]
National legislative power to implement treaties, even on matters outside normal federal jurisdiction
Concurrent List[33]
Preamble terminology
France
Ideals of liberté, égalité, fraternité[3][13]
Canada
Quasi-federal government — a federal system with a strong central government[16]
Distribution of powers between the central and state governments[3][16]
Residual powers, retained by the central government[citation needed]
Soviet Union
Fundamental Duties under article 51-A[3]
Mandated planning commission to oversee economic development[3]
Other constitutions
The emergency provision under article 356 (from the Weimar Constitution)[13]
Amending the constitution (from South Africa)
Due process (from Japan)
Structure
The Indian constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation.[b][3][4][5] At its enactment, it had 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules.[16] At about 145,000 words, it is the second-longest active constitution – after the Constitution of Alabama – in the world.[34]
The constitution has a preamble and 448 articles,[c][13] which are grouped into 25 parts.[d][13] With 12 schedules[e][13] and five appendices,[13][35] it has been amended 103 times; the latest amendment became effective on 14 January 2019.[36]
Parts
The constitution's articles are grouped into the following parts:
Preamble,[37] with the words "socialist", "secular" and 'integrity' added in 1976 by the 42nd amendment[38][39]
Part I[40] – States and union territories
Part II[41] – Citizenship
Part III – Fundamental Rights
Part IV[42] – Directive Principles of State Policy
Part IVA – Fundamental Duties
Part V[43] – The union
Part VI[44] – The states
Part VII[45] – States in the B part of the first schedule (repealed)
Part VIII[46] – Union territories
Part IX[47] – Panchayats
Part IXA[48] – Municipalities
Part IXB – Co-operative societies[49]
Part X – Scheduled and tribal areas
Part XI – Relations between the union and the states
Part XII – Finance, property, contracts and suits
Part XIII – Trade and commerce within India
Part XIV – Services under the union and states
Part XIVA – Tribunals
Part XV – Elections
Part XVI – Special provisions relating to certain classes
Part XVII – Languages
Part XVIII – Emergency provisions
Part XIX – Miscellaneous
Part XX – Amending the constitution
Part XXI – Temporary, transitional and special provisions
Part XXII – Short title, date of commencement, authoritative text in Hindi and repeals
Schedules
Schedules are lists in the constitution which categorise and tabulate bureaucratic activity and government policy.
First Schedule (Articles 1 and 4) – Lists India's states and territories, changes in their borders and the laws used to make that change.
Second SchFirst Schedule (Articles 1 and 4) – Lists India's states and territories, changes in their borders and the laws used to make that change.
Second Schedule (Articles 59(3), 65(3), 75(6), 97, 125, 148(3), 158(3), 164(5), 186 and 221) – Lists the salaries of public officials, judges, and the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Third Schedule (Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219) – Forms of oaths – Lists the oaths of office for elected officials and judges.
Fourth Schedule (Articles 4(1) and 80(2)) – Details the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) by state or union territory.
Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)) – Provides for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas[f] and Scheduled Tribes[g] (areas and tribes requiring special protection).
Sixth Schedule (Articles 244(2) and 275(1)) – Provisions made for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
Seventh Schedule (Article 246) — Central government, state, and concurrent lists of responsibilities
Eighth Schedule (Articles 344(1) and 351) – Official languages
Ninth Schedule (Article 31-B) – Validation of certain acts and regulations[h]
Tenth Schedule (Articles 102(2) and 191(2)) – Anti-defection provisions for members of Parliament and state legislatures.
Eleventh Schedule (Article 243-G) —Panchayat Raj (rural local government)
Twelfth Schedule (Article 243-W) — Municipalities (urban local government)
Appendices
Appendix I – The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954
Appendix II – Re-statement, referring to the constitution's present text, of exceptions and modifications applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Appendix III – Extracts from the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978
Appendix IV – The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002
Appendix V – The Constitution (Eighty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2003
Constitution and government
The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government receive their power from the constitution and are bound by it.[50] With the aid of its constitution, India is governed by a parliamentary system of government with the executive directly accountable to the legislature. The President of India is head of the executive branch, under Articles 52 and 53, with the duty of preserving, protecting and defending the constitution and the law under Article 60. Article 74 provides for a Prime Minister as head of the Council of Ministers, which aids and advises the president in the performance of their constitutional duties. The council is answerable to the lower house under Article 75(3).
The constitution is considered federal in nature, and unitary in spirit. It has features of a federation (a codified, supreme constitution, a three-tier governmental structure [central, state and local], division of powers, bicameralism and an independent judiciary) and unitary features such as a single constitution, single citizenship, an integrated judiciary, a flexible constitution, a strong central government, appointment of state governors by the central government, All India Services (the IAS, IFS and IPS) and emergency provisions. This unique combination makes it quasi-federal in form.[51]
Each state and union territory has its own government. Analogous to the president and prime minister, each has a governor or (in union territories) a lieutenant governor and a chief minister. Article 356 permits the president to dismiss a state government and assume direct authority if a situation arises in which state government cannot be conducted in accordance with constitution. This power, known as president's rule, was abused as state governments came to be dismissed on flimsy grounds for political reasons. After the S. R. Bommai v. Union of India decision,[52][53] such a course of action is more difficult since the courts have asserted their right of review.[54]
The 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts introduced the system of panchayati raj in rural The 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts introduced the system of panchayati raj in rural areas and Nagar Palikas in urban areas.[13] Article 370 gives special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Constitution and legislature
Main article: Amendment of the Constitution of India
See also: List of amendments of the Constitution of India
Amendments
Amendments are additions, variations or repeal of any part of the constitution by Parliament.[55] The procedure is detailed in Article 368. An amendment bill must be passed by each house of Parliament by a two-thirds majority of its total membership when at least two-thirds are present and vote. Certain amendments pertaining to the constitution's federal nature must also be ratified by a majority of state legislatures. Unlike ordinary bills in accordance with Article 245 (except for money bills), there is no provision for a joint session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to pass a constitutional amendment. During a parliamentary recess, the president cannot promulgate ordinances under his legislative powers under Article 123, Chapter III. Deemed amendments to the constitution which can be passed under the legislative powers of parliament were invalidated by Article 368(1) in the Twenty-fourth Amendment.[55]
By July 2018, 124 amendment bills had been presented in Parliament; of these, 103 became Amendment Acts.[56] Despite the supermajority requirement for amendments to pass, the Indian constitution is the world's most frequently-amended national governing document.[57] The constitution is so specific in spelling out government powers that many amendments address issues dealt with by statute in other democracies.
In 2000, the Justice Manepalli Narayana Rao Venkatachaliah Commission was formed to examine a constitutional update. The government of India establishes term-based law commissions to recommend legal reforms, facilitating the rule of law.
Limitations
Main article: Basic structure doctrine
In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, the Supreme Court ruled that an amendment cannot destroy what it seeks to modify; it cannot tinker with the constitution's basic structure or framework, which are immutable. Such an amendment will be declared invalid, although no part of the constitution is protected from amendment; the basic structure doctrine does not protect any one provision of the constitution. According to the doctrine, the constitution's basic features (when "read as a whole") cannot be abridged or abolished. These "basic features" have not been fully defined,[50] and whether a particular provision of the constitution is a "basic feature" is decided by the courts.[58]
The Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala decision laid down the constitution's basic structure:[59]
Supremacy of the constitution
Republican, democratic form of government
Its secular nature
Separation of powers
Its federal character[59]
This implies that Parliament can only amend the constitution to the limit of its basic structure. The Supreme Court or a high court may declare the amendment null and void if this is violated, after a judicial review. This is typical of parliamentary governments, where the judiciary checks parliamentary power.
In its 1967 Golak Nath v. State of Punjab decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Punjab could not restrict any fundamental rights protected by the basic structure doctrine.[60] The extent of land ownership and practice of a profession, in this case, were considered fundamental rights.[61] The ruling was overturned with the ratification of the 24th Amendment in 1971.[61]
Constitution and judiciary
The judiciary is the final arbiter of the constitution.[62] Its duty (mandated by the constitution) is to act as a watchdog, preventing any legislative or executive act from overstepping constitutional bounds.[63] The judiciary protects the fundamental rights of the people (enshrined in the constitution) from infringement by any state body, and balances the conflicting exercise of power between the central government and a state (or states).
The courts are expected to remain unaffected by pressure exerted by other branches of the state, citizens or interest groups. An independent judiciary has been held as a basic feature of the constitution,[64][65] which cannot be changed by the legislature or the executive.[66]
Judicial review
Judicial review was adopted by the constitution of India from judicial review in the United States.[67] In the Indian constitution, judicial review is dealt with in Article 13. The constitution is the supreme power of the nation, and governs all laws. According to Article 13,
All pre-constitutional laws, if they conflict wholly or in part with the constitution, shall have all conflicting provisions deemed ineffective until an amendment to the constitution ends the conflict; the law will again come into force if it is compatible with the constitution as amended (the Doctrine of Eclipse).[68]
Laws made after the adoption of the constitution must be compatible with it, or they will be deemed void ab initio.
In such situations, the Supreme Court (or a high court) determines if a law is in conformity with the constitution. If such an interpretation is not possible because of inconsistency (and where separation is possible), the provision which is inconsistent with the constitution is considered void. In addition to Article 13, Articles 32, 226 and 227 provide the constitutional basis for judicial review.[69]
Due to the adoption of the Thirty-eighth Amendment, the Supreme Court was not allowed to preside over any laws adopted during a state of emergency which infringe fundamental rights under article 32 (the right to constitutional remedies).[70] The Forty-second Amendment widened Article 31C and added Articles 368(4) and 368(5), stating that any law passed by Parliament could not be challenged in court. The Supreme Court ruled in Minerva Mills v. Union of India that judicial review is a basic characteristic of the constitution, overturning Articles 368(4), 368(5) and 31C.[71]
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