The Constitution of India — An Introduction

How India’s Constitution was made, its key dates and influences, Fundamental Rights and Duties, the Directive Principles and the Preamble.

Key ideas

• A constitution sets out a nation’s basic principles and laws, the framework of government and citizens’ rights and duties, like a rulebook.
• The Constituent Assembly had 389 members at first and later 299, of whom 15 were women.
• Fundamental Rights can be enforced in court; Directive Principles are goals for the government that cannot be.
• Fundamental Duties include respecting the Constitution, the flag and the anthem, and protecting the environment.
• The Preamble’s words: sovereign means India makes its own decisions, justice means no discrimination, fraternity means treating all as one family.
• It is a living document, because it can be amended to meet changing needs.
• The original was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, illustrated by Nandalal Bose and his team, and is kept in a helium-filled case.

Remember

Watch out

• Mixing up adopted (26 November 1949) and came into effect (26 January 1950).
• Saying Directive Principles can be enforced in court: only Fundamental Rights can.
• Mixing up the Chairman of the Assembly (Rajendra Prasad) and the chair of the Drafting Committee (Ambedkar).

Worked example