Republic Day 2023: All you need to know about the Indian Constitution

The Indian state is going to observe its 74th Republic Day on 26 January 2023 A country of 140 crores with diverse population of different ethnicities cultures regional identities etc and no matter what with their own set of issues and preferences set Indian Constitution as a point of juncture in the context as to how it decodes and deals with the matters that de facto affect the people of IndiaIndia observes the Republic Day as it marks the date ndash 26 January 1950 ndash on which the constitution came into effect It established India as a lsquorepublicrsquo separate from the British rule as it replaced the Government of India Act 1935 with that of the Constitution of IndiaDr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution Ambedkar the then law minister introduced the final draft of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly Ambedkar also played an important role in the deliberations of the AssemblyThe constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 The document puts forward the foundation that delineates what has been termed as ldquofundamental political code structure procedures powers and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights directive principles and the duties of citizensrdquoIt gives constitutional supremacy and was adopted by its people with a declaration in its preamble One of the major features of the constitution is that it cannot be overridden by the ParliamentHowever the constitution can be amended by the parliament Over the years it has been changed many times the 42nd and 44th amendments are among the major such amendments The 42nd amendment made some major changes to the constitution in 1976 It was enacted by the Indian National Congress government when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister Note that it was done during what the history decoded as an lsquoemergencyrsquo Following the Kesavananda Bharati case the Supreme Court of India in 1973 ruled that ldquoconstituent power of the Parliament under Article 368 does not empower it to alter the basic structure of the constitutionrdquoAlso read Republic Day 2023 History evolution and significance of Indian FlagThe Constitution of Indiarsquos preamble is often discussed and scrutinized by intellectuals in India and abroad Many a time appreciated for what it stands for the term lsquosecularismrsquo receives major applauseldquoWe the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens Justice social economic and political liberty of thought expression belief faith and worship Equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among them all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation In our constituent assembly this twentysixth day of November 1949 do hereby adopt enact and give to ourselves this constitutionrdquo reads the preamble of Indiarsquos constitutionImportant to note that the constitution of India borrowed scores of features from the constitutions of different countries such as ndash Australia Canada Ireland Japan Soviet Union now Russia UK US Germany Weimar and FranceThe federal system with unitary bias is one of the major features of the constitution of India India has a federal system of government as established by the constitution of India India exhibits features of federation such as ndash supremacy of constitution independent judiciary two governments bicameralism rigidity of the Constitution and division of powers And the unitary or the nonfederal features are ndash integrated judiciary appointment of state governor by the Centre strong Centre single Constitution allIndia services etcSome of the major features of Indian Constitution are ndash parliamentary form of government synthesis of parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy integrated and independent judiciary fundamental rights fundamental duties directive principles of state policy secularism single citizenship emergency provisions threetier government cooperative Societies etcThe philosophy of Indiarsquos constitution has ideological reflections such as ndash secularism democracy sarvodaya socialism humanism decentralization liberalism mixed economy Gandhism etc