To excel in any competitive exam focused on Indian Polity, aspirants need a solid grasp of the basics of the Constitution of India. This knowledge is pivotal for the IAS Exam, especially the polity syllabus (GS-II). The Constitution, including the Preamble, is crucial for the UPSC exam and is an essential part of the polity section. Aspiring IAS candidates should thoroughly understand the Constitution of India, and this article provides relevant details. A downloadable PDF of notes is also accessible for further study.
The spirit and content of the Indian Constitution are distinctive. While it incorporates elements from various constitutions globally, it stands as a unique creation. Numerous amendments, including the 7th, 42nd, 44th, 73rd, and 74th Amendments, have significantly altered the original constitution.
Ingredients of the Preamble: The Preamble comprises four elements:
The Constitution incorporates numerous borrowed features, showcasing the wisdom of the country’s founding fathers. They astutely adopted positive elements from various nations, shaping a constitution uniquely suited to India. The influences from other constitutions are outlined below.
Constitution | Borrowed Features |
British |
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US |
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Australian |
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Irish |
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Weimer Constitution of Germany |
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Canadian |
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South African |
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The chief features of the Indian Constitution are described below:
Federal System with Unitary Bias:
The constitution establishes a federal government system in India, encompassing expected features of a federal state, including two government levels, the division of power, supremacy and rigidity of the constitution, a written constitution, and bicameralism. However, it also incorporates elements characteristic of a unitary form of government, such as single citizenship, a strong central authority, a single constitution, constitutional flexibility, the presence of all-India services, an integrated judiciary, the appointment of state governors by the Centre, emergency provisions, and more. Notably, the term ‘federation’ is absent from the constitution, and Article 1 specifies India as a ‘Union of States,’ suggesting:
Parliamentary Form of Government
The way our government works is a bit like how the British government works. It’s called the parliamentary form, and it means the legislative (law-making) and executive (decision-making) parts of the government cooperate. We also call it the Westminster model, responsible government, and cabinet government. Importantly, this way of running the government isn’t just at the national level; states also follow it as per our constitution.
In India, the features of the parliamentary form of government are as follows:
There are fundamental distinctions between the Indian and British models, despite both adopting the parliamentary form of government. The Indian parliament is not considered a sovereign entity, unlike the British Parliament. Additionally, the Indian State has an elected head, given its republic status, while the British head is hereditary, reflecting the constitutional monarchy of Britain.
Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar was known as the father of the Indian Constitution. He was appointed as the Chairman of the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly which was given the responsibility for entrusting the Constitution.
There were 395 articles in the original text Indian Constitution. These articles were divided into 22 parts and eight schedules and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
The Constitution of India is a legal and authoritative document which contains various provisions to ensure the smooth functioning of the democratic system in India.
The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949.
The Constitution of India was made by the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly headed by Dr. BR Ambedkar.
President is the Constitutional Head of India.
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