The Indian Constitution was drafted under difficult circumstances following independence and partition. It was created by the 299 members of the Constituent Assembly elected in 1946. Led by Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the Assembly deliberated for over 3 years and over 2000 amendments before adopting the Constitution on November 26, 1949 and enforcing it on January 26, 1950 as the Republic Day. The Constitution establishes India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic and republic country that upholds justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for all citizens.

1. QUESTION:-WHY THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA WAS DRAWN
UNDER VERY DIFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES?
THE TIME WHEN THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA WAS TO
DISCUSSED AND DELIBERATED ON, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA
WERE EMERGING FROM THE STATUS OF SUBJECTS TO
CITIZENS. MOREOVER, THE NEW COUNTRY OF INDEPENDENT
INDIA WAS BORN THROUGH THE PARTITION OF PAKISTAN
AND INDIA ON GROUNDS OF RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES.
ATLEAST 10 LAKH PEOPLE DIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
BORDER IN PARTITION RELATED VIOLENCE. THE BRITSH
HAD LEFT IT ON THE RULERS OF PRINCELY STATES TO
DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANTED TO MERGE WITH INDIA,
OR WITH PAKISTAN OR REMAIN INDEPENDENT. THE MERGER
OF THESE STATES WAS A DIFFICULT AND UNCERTAIN
TASK.

2.  WHO WERE THE MAKERS OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION ?
 THE DRAFTING OF THE DOCUMENT CALLED CONTITUTION WAS
DONE BY A ASSEMBLY OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES CALLED
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY.ELECTIONS TO THE
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY TOOK PLACE IN JULY 1946 AND
THEY HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER 1946. THE
ASSEMBLY HAD 299 MEMBERS.
 THE ASSEMBLY WORKED IN A OPEN, CONSENSUAL AND
SYSTEMATIC WAY. FIRST SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES WERE
DECIDED AND AGREED UPON. THEN A DRAFT OF A
CONSTITUTION WAS PREPARED BY THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE
LED BY Dr. BHIM RAO AMBEDHKAR. THE DRAFT OF THE
CONSTITUTION HAD SEVERAL ROUNDS OF DEBATE ON IT .
SOME 2000 AMEDMENTS WERE DELIBERATED ON. THEN AFTER
DISCUSSING ON THE CONSTITUTION FOR 114 DAYS SPREAD
OVER 3 YEARS, THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ADOPTED THE
INDIAN CONSTITUTION ON 26 NOVEMBER 1949 BUT ONLY ON
26 JANUARY 1950, THE CONSTITUTION WAS PRESENTED TO
THE WHOLE NATION. WE CELEBRATE THE DAY OF 26 JANUARY
AS THE REPUBLIC DAY EVERY YEAR.

3.  WHAT WERE THE ‘CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES’?
 EVERY WORD SPOKEN AND EVERY DOCUMENT PRESENTED IN
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WAS RECORDED AND PRESERVED.
THESE WERE CALLED ‘CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES’.
 WHEN PRINTED, THESE DEBATES WERE 12 BULKY VOLUMES.
THEY WERE PROVIDED THE RATIONALE BEHIND EVERY
PROVISION OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION .
 THESE INTEPRET THE MEANING OF THE INDIAN
CONSTITUTION.

4.  WHAT ARE THE BASIC CHARACTERS OF INSTITUTIONAL
DESIGNS?
1. THE CONSTITUTION HAS EMBODING VALUES INTO
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.
2. IT IS A LONG AND DETAILED DOCUMENT.
3. IT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PEOPLE’S ASPIRATIONS AND
CHANGES BASED ON TIME.
4. CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS ARE NOT SACRED, STATIC AND
UNALTERABLE LAWS.
5. THE CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTIONS ARE CALLED
AMENDMENTS.
6. IT IS WRITTEN IN LEGAL LANGUAGE.
7. IT RESTRICTS THE POWERS OF A GOVERNMENT BY
PUTTING LIMITS.

5.  WHAT IS A PREAMBLE?
 A PREAMBLE IS AN INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT TO A
CONSTITUTION STATING REASONS BEHIND THE CONSTITUTION
AND ITS GUIDELINES.
 FOLLOWING ARE ITS IMPORTANCE:-
1. IT GUIDES ALL THE ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION
2. IT IS THE SOUL OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA.
3. IT ENLISTS THE VALUES THAT INSPIRED AND GUIDED THE
FREEDOM STRUGGLE AND WAS IN TURN NURTURED BY IT AND
THE VALUES WHICH FORMED THE FOUNDATION OF INDIAN
DEMOCRACY.
4. IT LAYS DOWN THE PHILOSOPHY ON WHICH THE ENTIRE
INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS BASED.
5. IT PROVIDES A STANDARD TO EXAMINE AND EVALUATE THE
LAWS AND ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

6.  EXPLAIN THE FEATURES OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION?
 WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA:-THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
HAS BEEN DRAWN AND ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF INDIA
THROUGH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AND NOT HANDED
DOWN BY SOME KING OR EXTERNAL POWER.
 SOVEREIGN:-PEOPLE HAVE THE SUPREME RIGHT TO MAKE
DECISIONS ON INTERNAL AS WELL AS EXTERNAL MATTERS
AND NO EXTERNAL POWER CAN DICTATE THE GOVERNMENT OF
INDIA.
 SOCIALIST:-WEALTH IS GENERATED SOCIALLY AND SHOULD
BE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONY THE SOCIETY. THE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD REGULATE THE OWNERSHIP OF LAND AND
ALL INDUSTRIES IN ORDER TO REDUCE SOCIO-ECONOMIC
INEQUALITIES.

7.  SECULAR:- PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETE FREEDOM TO FOLLOW ANY
RELIGION BUT THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RELIGION. THE
GOVERNMENT TREATS ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES WITH EQUAL RESPECT.
 DEMOCRATIC:-A FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHERE PEOPLE ENJOY
EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS, ELECT THEIR GOVERNMENT AND HOLD
THEM ACCOUNTABLE. THE GOVERNMENT IS RUN ACCORDING TO
SOME BASIC RULES.
 REPUBLIC:- THE HEAD OF THE STATE IS AN ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT A HEREDITARY PERSON.
 JUSTICE:-CITIZENS SHOULD NOT BE DISCRIMINATED ON THE
GROUNDS OF GENDER, CASTE AND RELIGION.SOCIAL
INEQUALITIES HAVE TO BE REDUCED. THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD WORK FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL ESPECIALLY THE
DISADVANTAGE GROUPS.

8.  LIBERTY:-THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY UNREASONABLE
RESTRICTIPNS ON THE WAY THE PEOPLE THINK, HOW THEY
WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AND THOUGHTS AND HOW
THEY WISH TO FOLLOW THEIR THOUGHTS INTO ACTION.THIS
INTERPRETS THE RIGHTS OF FAIR SPEECH, THOUGHTS AND
OF EXPRESSION.
 EQUALITY:- ALL ARE EQUAL IN AALL RESPECTS BEFORE THE
LAW AN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TREAT EVERYONE THE
SAME.THE TRADITIONAL SOCIAL INEQUALITIES HAVE TO BE
ENDED.EVERYONE SHOULD BE PROVIDED EQUAL AN FAIR
OPPORTUNITIES.
 FRATERNITY:-THIS STATES THAT WE ALL ARE A PART OF
THE SAME FAMILY AND THAT WE SHOULD TREAT OUR
FELLOWMEN LIKE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. NOBODY SHOULD
TREAT ANYBODY AS INFERIOR.