Interesting facts on the framework that
upholds our nation
India’s
struggle for independence highlighted the need for a governing framework to
ensure justice, equality, and liberty for all citizens. Therefore, the
Government of India Act, 1935 served as a foundation for India's governance but
lacked provisions for a sovereign democratic republic. so, The Constituent Assembly was formed in December 1946 through
elections held under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
It had 389 members, including prominent leaders like Dr BR
Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel. After
Partition, the membership was reduced to 299. The Assembly met for the first
time on 9 December 1946 and was presided over by Dr Rajendra Prasad as its
chairman.
The Drafting Committee, led by Dr BR Ambedkar, was tasked
with preparing the draft. The draft was deliberated over in 11 sessions
spanning 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days.
The spirit of the Constitution is to provide equality of
status and opportunity to every citizen. – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
1- From Thought To Action
The first person to call for an
Indian Constituent Assembly was M.N. Roy, an Indian Revolutionary and radical
activist, in 1934. In a resolution that rejected a British proposal known as
the “White Paper” on constitutional reforms for India a year later, the Indian
National Congress made this an official demand. This resolution would later be
enacted as the Government of India Act 1935.
2- A Handwritten Constitution
The Indian Constitution is not
written or printed. Both Hindi and English versions are calligraphed by hand by
Prem Behari Narain Raizada in flowing italic style, who also published it
himself in Dehradun.
3- Illustration Of Constitution:
Every page of the handwritten
Indian Constitution and the Preamble page have been embellished by Shantiniketan
painters including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.
4- The Time It Took In The Making
To be precise, it took 2 years,
11 months, and 18 days to complete the final draft of the Indian Constitution
which came into force with a total expenditure of ₹6.4 million.
5- More Than 2000 Amendments In First
Draft
A total of 2,475 amendments were
made to the original draft. 284 members of the Constituent Assembly accepted
and signed the Constitution. The Constitution included 395 Articles, 8
Schedules, and 22 Parts at the time of the last sitting of the Constituent
Assembly on January 24, 1950. There are currently 470 articles divided into 25
parts, 12 schedules, and 5 appendices.
6- Bag Of Borrowings
The Indian Constitution is
frequently referred to as the “bag of borrowings” since several of its
provisions draw their ideas or language from the constitutions of other
nations. It was written with consideration for India’s historical perspective,
geographical variety, and cultural traits.
- For instance, the concept
of legislative procedure, single citizenship, the cabinet system, and
bicameralism were all borrowed from the British Constitution.
- The Preamble,
Fundamental Rights, Impeachment of the President, Removal of Supreme &
High Court Judges, Functions of President and Vice-President, etc. were
derived from the Constitution of the United States of America.
- The concept of
Ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity were drawn from the French
Constitution’s Preamble.
7- The Longest Constitution In The
World
India is renowned for having the
longest Constitution in the world in addition to having the largest democracy
in the world. It is the world’s longest Constitution at 117,369 words.
8- Preservation Of The Original
Constitution
The Library of the Indian Parliament
has unique helium-filled cases where the original copies of the Indian
Constitution are kept safe to prevent oxidation of ink.
9- From Dominion Of India To Republic
of India
The Government of India Act was
replaced by the Indian Constitution in 1935. The 1935 Government of India Act
serves as the cornerstone for the Indian Constitution. The Dominion of India
became the Republic of India when the Constitution took the place of the GOI
Act as the primary law of the land.
10- Introduction Of National Emblem
The Lion Capital Of Ashoka became
the country’s national emblem on January 26, 1950. The four Asiatic lions stand
for strength, courage, pride, and confidence.
11- Father Of The Indian Constitution
The chief architect of the Indian
Constitution was Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who is regarded as the father of
the Indian Constitution. He is the one who drafted the Indian Constitution
after researching the laws of around 60 other nations.
12- Women’s Right To Vote
Only until the Indian
Constitution went into effect did Indian women acquire the complete right to
vote. Full suffrage for women was introduced in India by the Constitution in
1949.
13- Inception Of The Preamble Of
Indian Constitution
Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the
Objective Resolution, which later evolved into the Preamble of the
Constitution. The words “socialist” and “secular” were added to the Preamble in
1976, during the emergency, thanks to the 42nd amendment. It outlined the
fundamental tenets of the Constitution.
14- The First & The Last
Signatory
The Indian Constitution was
initially signed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the country’s first president. The
final signatory was Feroze Gandhi, who was the President of the Constituent
Assembly at the time.
15- Heart & Soul Of Indian
Constitution
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar referred to
Article 32 of the Indian Constitution as the “heart and soul” of the document.
It grants a citizen the right to file a complaint with the Supreme Court to
have any fundamental rights upheld in the event that they are violated. The
Right to Constitutional Remedies is another name for it.
16- Mini-Constitution
The Indian National Congress, led
by Indira Gandhi, passed the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, one of the most
significant revisions to the Indian Constitution. This statute is also known as
“Mini-Constitution” because of the numerous amendments it made to the Indian
Constitution. It incorporated sections that sought to curtail the authority of
the Supreme Court and the High Courts, outlined citizens’ fundamental duties,
and added the preamble terms “socialist,” “secular,” and “integrity.”
17- The Magna Carta Of Indian
Constitution
The Indian Constitution’s Part
lll is referred to as its Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is the Declaration of
Rights that King John of England signed in 1215. It is the first piece of
writing to discuss a very long and comprehensive list of ‘justifiable’
fundamental rights for citizens.
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