- The Constitution of India was framed by a Constituent Assembly set up under the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946).
- It was adopted on November 26, 1949 (observed as Constitution Day since 2015) and came into force on January 26, 1950.
- Framing took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days. The original text had 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 8 Schedules; it now has 12 Schedules.
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee; Dr. Rajendra Prasad was President of the Assembly.
Constituent Assembly — Timeline
- December 9, 1946: First meeting; Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha was temporary President.
- December 11, 1946: Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected permanent President; H.C. Mukherjee Vice-President.
- December 13, 1946: Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution; adopted on January 22, 1947. It later became the basis of the Preamble.
- August 29, 1947: Drafting Committee set up under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
- November 26, 1949: Constitution adopted; some provisions (citizenship, elections, provisional Parliament) took effect immediately.
- January 24, 1950: Last session; members signed the Constitution and Rajendra Prasad was elected first President.
- January 26, 1950: Constitution came into force — chosen to mark the 1930 Purna Swaraj declaration.
B.N. Rau was the Constitutional Adviser; the original was hand-written in calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
Borrowed Features (Sources)
| Source | Features borrowed |
|---|---|
| Government of India Act, 1935 | Federal scheme, office of Governor, emergency provisions, Public Service Commissions, judiciary structure |
| United Kingdom | Parliamentary government, rule of law, single citizenship, bicameralism, writs, legislative procedure |
| United States | Fundamental Rights, judicial review, independence of judiciary, impeachment of President, Vice-President |
| Ireland | Directive Principles, method of electing the President, nomination of Rajya Sabha members |
| Canada | Federation with a strong Centre, residuary powers with the Centre, Governors appointed by the Centre, advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court |
| Australia | Concurrent List, freedom of trade and commerce, joint sitting of Parliament |
| Weimar Germany | Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency |
| USSR | Fundamental Duties; ideals of social, economic and political justice in the Preamble |
| France | Republic; ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity |
| South Africa | Procedure for amending the Constitution, election of Rajya Sabha members |
| Japan | "Procedure established by law" (Article 21) |
AdoptedNov 26, 1949
In forceJan 26, 1950
Original Articles395
Schedules now12
Drafting CommitteeB.R. Ambedkar
Preamble amendedOnce (1976)
The Preamble
The Preamble declares India a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic and promises Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. The words "Socialist", "Secular" and "Integrity" were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) — the only amendment to the Preamble so far.
In Berubari Union (1960) the Supreme Court said the Preamble is not part of the Constitution; in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) it held that it is part of the Constitution and can be amended, subject to the basic structure.
Salient Features
- Lengthiest written constitution in the world.
- Blend of rigidity and flexibility — Article 368 provides for simple majority, special majority, and special majority plus ratification by half the states.
- Federal system with a unitary bias — Article 1 calls India a "Union of States".
- Parliamentary form of government at the Centre and in the states.
- Integrated and independent judiciary with the Supreme Court at the apex.
- Single citizenship for the whole country.
- Universal adult franchise — voting age lowered from 21 to 18 by the 61st Amendment (1988).
- Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties.
- Emergency provisions — national (Art 352), state (Art 356) and financial (Art 360).
- Three-tier government after the 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992).
The 12 Schedules
| Schedule | Subject |
|---|---|
| First | States and Union Territories |
| Second | Emoluments of President, Governors, judges, CAG and others |
| Third | Forms of oaths and affirmations |
| Fourth | Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats |
| Fifth | Administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes |
| Sixth | Tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram |
| Seventh | Union, State and Concurrent Lists (originally 97, 66 and 47 subjects) |
| Eighth | Official languages — 22 now (originally 14) |
| Ninth | Laws protected from challenge on FR grounds (added by 1st Amendment, 1951) |
| Tenth | Anti-defection (added by 52nd Amendment, 1985) |
| Eleventh | Panchayats — 29 subjects (73rd Amendment, 1992) |
| Twelfth | Municipalities — 18 subjects (74th Amendment, 1992) |
Q1. Who was the temporary President of the Constituent Assembly at its first meeting?
✅ Answer: (b) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
💡 Explanation: Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha presided over the first meeting on December 9, 1946; Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President on December 11.
Q2. The words "Socialist" and "Secular" were added to the Preamble by which Amendment?
✅ Answer: (c) 42nd Amendment
💡 Explanation: The 42nd Amendment (1976) added "Socialist", "Secular" and "Integrity" to the Preamble.
Q3. The idea of the Directive Principles of State Policy was borrowed from the constitution of:
✅ Answer: (a) Ireland
💡 Explanation: DPSPs were inspired by the Irish Constitution of 1937.
Q4. Which Schedule of the Constitution deals with anti-defection provisions?
✅ Answer: (d) Tenth Schedule
💡 Explanation: The Tenth Schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment (1985).
Q5. In which case did the Supreme Court hold that the Preamble is part of the Constitution?
✅ Answer: (b) Kesavananda Bharati (1973)
💡 Explanation: Kesavananda Bharati (1973) overruled the Berubari view and held the Preamble to be part of the Constitution.
🔁 Revise in 60 Seconds
- Constituent Assembly first met Dec 9, 1946; adopted Constitution Nov 26, 1949; in force Jan 26, 1950.
- Original: 395 Articles, 22 Parts, 8 Schedules; now 12 Schedules.
- Preamble amended only once — 42nd Amendment, 1976.
- FRs ← USA; DPSPs ← Ireland; Fundamental Duties ← USSR; Concurrent List ← Australia; Emergency suspension of FRs ← Germany.
📌 Prelims Traps to Avoid
- ✘ The Constitution was adopted on Nov 26, 1949 but came into force on Jan 26, 1950 — exams swap these.
- ✘ The Objectives Resolution was moved by Nehru, not Ambedkar.
- ✘ "Procedure established by law" comes from Japan, not the USA (the USA has "due process of law").
When was the Constitution of India adopted?
The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950.
How many schedules are there in the Indian Constitution?
There are 12 Schedules. The original Constitution had 8; the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th were added by the 1st, 52nd, 73rd and 74th Amendments.