PreambletotheConstitutionofIndia

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The'Preamble'oftheConstitutionofIndiaisabriefintroductory
statementthatsetsouttheguidingpurposeandprinciplesofthe
document,anditindicatesthesourcefromwhichthedocument
derivesitsauthority,meaning,thepeople.[1]Thehopesand
aspirationsofthepeopleaswellastheidealsbeforeournationare
describedinthepreambleinclearwords.Itmaybeconsideredas
thesoulofConstitution.Thepreamblecanbereferredtoasthe
prefacewhichhighlightstheentireConstitution.Itwasadoptedon
26November1949bytheConstituentAssemblyandcameinto
effecton26thJanuary,1950.

Contents
1 Historicbackground
2 TextofthePreamble
2.1 Enactingformula
2.2 Sovereign
2.3 Socialist
2.4 Secular
2.5 Democratic
2.6 Republic
2.7 Liberty
2.8 Equality
2.9 Fraternity
3 Amendablity
3.1 FortysecondAmendment
4 References

TheoriginaltextofthePreamble,(before
the42ndAmendment)oftheConstitution

Historicbackground
ItisbasedontheObjectivesResolutionwhichwasdraftedandmovedintheConstituentAssemblyby
JawaharlalNehruon13December1946.[2]Thepreamblepage,alongwithotherpagesoftheoriginal
ConstitutionofIndia,wasdesignedanddecoratedsolelybyrenownedpainterBeoharRammanoharSinhaof
JabalpurwhowasatShantiniketanwithacharyaNandalalBoseatthattime.NandalalBoseendorsedBeohar
RammanoharSinha'sartworkwithoutanyalterationwhatsoever.Assuch,thepagebearsBeoharRammanohar
Sinha'sshortsignatureRaminDevanagarilowerrightcorner.Dr.Ambedkarsaid:
"itwas,indeed,awayoflife,whichrecognizesliberty,equalityandfraternityastheprinciplesoflifeand
whichcannotbedivorcedfromeachother:Libertycannotbedivorcedfromequalityequalitycannotbe
divorcedfromliberty.Norcanlibertyandequalitybedivorcedfromfraternity.Withoutequality,libertywould
producethesupremacyofthefewoverthemany.Equalitywithoutlibertywouldkillindividualinitiative.
Withoutfraternity,libertyandequalitycouldnotbecomeanaturalcourseofthings."[3]
ThatthepreambleisnotanintegralpartoftheIndianconstitutionwasdeclaredbytheSupremeCourtofIndia
inBeruBaricase[4]thereforeitisnotenforceableinacourtoflaw.However,SupremeCourtofIndiahas,inthe
Kesavanandacase,overruledearlierdecisionsandrecognisedthatthepreamblemaybeusedtointerpret

ambiguousareasoftheconstitutionwheredifferinginterpretationspresentthemselves.Inthe1995caseof
UnionGovernmentVsLICofIndiaalso,theSupremeCourthasonceagainheldthatPreambleistheintegral
partoftheConstitution.
Asoriginallyenactedthepreambledescribedthestateasa"sovereigndemocraticrepublic".In1976theForty
secondAmendmentchangedthistoread"sovereignsocialistseculardemocraticrepublic".[5]

TextofthePreamble
ThesearetheopeningwordsofthepreambleoftheIndianConstitution

WE,THEPEOPLEOFINDIA,havingsolemnlyresolvedtoconstituteIndiaintoa
SOVEREIGNSOCIALISTSECULARDEMOCRATICREPUBLICandtosecureallits
citizens:
JUSTICE,social,economicandpolitical
LIBERTYofthought,expression,belief,faithandworship
EQUALITYofstatusandofopportunityandtopromoteamongthemall[6]
FRATERNITYassuringthedignityoftheindividualandtheunityandintegrityoftheNation
INOURCONSTITUENTASSEMBLYthistwentysixthdayofNovember,1949,doHEREBY
ADOPT,ENACTANDGIVETOOURSELVESTHISCONSTITUTION.

Enactingformula
Theenactingwords,"We,thepeopleofIndia...inourconstituentassembly...doherebyadopt,enactandgive
toourselvesthisconstitution",signifythedemocraticprinciplethatpowerisultimatelyrestedinthehandsof
thepeople.ItalsoemphasizesthattheconstitutionismadebyandfortheIndianpeopleandnotgiventothem
byanyoutsidepower(suchastheBritishParliament).Thephrase"wethepeople"emphasizestheconceptof
popularsovereigntyaslaiddownbyJ.J.Rousseau:Allthepoweremanatesfromthepeopleandthepolitical
systemwillbeaccountableandresponsibletothepeople.

Sovereign
Itmeansfreefromthecontrolofanyforeignpowerandinternallyhasafreegovernmentwhichisdirectly
electedbythepeopleandmakeslawsthatgovernthepeople.Shealliesinpeaceandwar.ThePopular
sovereigntyisalsooneofthebasicstructuresofconstitutionofIndia.Hence,CitizensofIndiaalsoenjoy
sovereignpowertoelecttheirrepresentativesthroughelectionsheldfortheparliament,statelegislatureand
localbodiesaswell.Peoplehavesupremerighttomakedecisionsoninternalaswellasexternalmatters.No
externalpowercandictatethegovernmentofIndia.IndiasmembershipofthecommonwealthoroftheUnited
Nationsdoesnotimposeanyexternallimitonhersovereignty.TheCommonwealthisafreeassociationof
sovereignNations.ItisnolongerBritishCommonwealth.IndiadoesnotaccepttheBritishQueenasthehead
ofstate.ThesovereigntyempowersIndiatoeitheracquireaforeignterritoryorcedeapartofitsterritoryin
favourofaforeign[7]

Socialist
Evenbeforethetermwasaddedbythe42ndAmendmentin1976,theConstitutionhadasocialistcontentinthe
formofcertainDirectivePrinciplesofStatePolicyThetermsocialistheremeansdemocraticsocialismi.e.
achievementofsocialisticgoalsthroughdemocratic,evolutionaryandnonviolentmeans.Amixedeconomyin

whichbothPublicsectorandPrivatesectorruntogetherastwowheelsofeconomicdevelopment.

Secular
Secularmeanstherelationshipbetweenthegovernmentandthepeoplewhichisdeterminedaccordingto
constitutionandlaw.Bythe42ndAmendmentin1976,theterm"Secular"wasalsoincorporatedinthe
Preamble.SecularismisthebasicstructureoftheIndianconstitution.TheGovernmentrespectsallreligions.It
doesnotupliftordegradeanyparticularreligion.ThereisnosuchthingasastatereligionforIndia.InS.R.
BommaivsUOI(1994)TheSCofIndiaheld"Astatewhichdoesnotrecogniseanyreligionasthestate
religion,ittreatsallreligionsequally".Positively,Indiansecularismguaranteesequalfreedomtoallreligion.it
standsfortherighttofreedomofreligionforallcitizens.Explainingthemeaningofsecularismasadoptedby
India,AlexanderOwicshaswritten,"SecularismisapartofthebasicoftheIndianConstitutionanditmeans
equalfreedomandrespectforallreligions."[7]

Democratic
ThefirstpartofthepreambleWe,thepeopleofIndiaand,itslastpartgivetoourselvesthisConstitution
clearlyindicatethedemocraticspiritinvolvedevenintheConstitution.Indiaisademocracy.Thepeopleof
Indiaelecttheirgovernmentsatalllevels(Union,Stateandlocal)byasystemofuniversaladultfranchise
popularlyknownas"onemanonevote".EverycitizenofIndia,Amendmentyearsofageandaboveandnot
otherwisedebarredbylaw,isentitledtovote.Everycitizenenjoysthisrightwithoutanydiscriminationonthe
basisofcaste,creed,colour,sex,Religiousintoleranceoreducation.Theword'democratic'notonlyreferto
politicalbutalsotosocial&economicdemocracy.[7]

Republic
Inarepublicformofgovernment,theheadofthestateisanelectedpersonandnotahereditymonarch.This
worddenotesagovernmentwherenooneholdsapublicpowerasproprietaryright.Asopposedtoa
monarchy,inwhichtheheadofstateisappointedonhereditarybasisforalifetimeoruntilheabdicatesfrom
thethrone,ademocraticrepublicisanentityinwhichtheheadofstateiselected,directlyorindirectly,fora
fixedtenure.ThePresidentofIndiaiselectedbyanelectoralcollegeforatermoffiveyears.Thepostofthe
PresidentofIndiaisnothereditary.EverycitizenofIndiaiseligibletobecomethePresidentofthecountry.The
leaderofthestateiselectedbythepeople.[8]

Liberty
TheideaofLibertyreferstothefreedomontheactivitiesofIndiannationals.Thisestablishesthatthereareno
unreasonablerestrictionsonIndiancitizensintermofwhattheythink,theirmannerofexpressionsandtheway
theywishtofollowuptheirthoughtsinaction.Thisisfoundtobeanimportanttoolinensuringdemocratic
framework.Allthecitizensaresecuredwithlibertyofthought,expression,belief,faith&worshipthroughthe
FundamentalRightswhicharejustifiedinnature.However,libertydoesnotmeanfreedomtodoanything,and
itmustbeexercisedwithintheconstitutionallimits.thisissecondprovision.

Equality
Thisenvisagesthatnosectionofthesocietyenjoysspecialprivilegesandindividualsareprovidedwith
adequateopportunitieswithoutanydiscrimination.Again,therearethreedimensionsofEqualityPolitical,
Economic&Civic.[8]

Fraternity

Thisreferstoafeelingofbrotherhood&asenseofbelongingwiththecountryamongitspeople.Itembraces
psychologicalaswellasterritorialdimensionsofNationalIntegration.Itleavesnoroomforregionalism,
communalism,casteismetc.whichhinderstheUnityoftheState.Theinclusionoftheword"Fraternity"is
proposedbyDr.B.RAmbedkar.

Amendablity
IthasbeenclarifiedbytheSupremeCourtofIndiathatbeingapartofConstitution,thePreamblecanbe
subjectedtoConstitutionalAmendmentsexercisedunderarticle368,however,thebasicstructurecannotbe
altered.

FortysecondAmendment
Thepreamblehasbeenamendedonlyoncesofar.on18December1976,duringtheEmergencyinIndia,the
IndiraGandhigovernmentpushedthroughseveralchangesintheFortysecondAmendmentoftheconstitution.
AcommitteeunderthechairmanshipofSardarSwaranSinghrecommendedthatthisamendmentbeenacted
afterbeingconstitutedtostudythequestionofamendingtheconstitutioninthelightofpastexperience.
Throughthisamendmentthewords"socialist"and"secular"wereaddedbetweenthewords"Sovereign"and
"democratic"andthewords"unityoftheNation"werechangedto"unityandintegrityoftheNation".[5]

References
1.Baruah,Aparijita(2007).PreambleoftheConstitutionofIndia:AnInsightandComparisonwithOther
Constitutions.NewDelhi:Deep&Deep.p.177.ISBN8176299960.Retrieved12November2015.
2.MLaxmikanth."4".IndianPolity(4thed.).McGrawHillEducation.p.4.5.ISBN9781259064128.
3."FundamentalrightsinThePreamble,FreeLawStudymaterial,IASLawNotes,StudymaterialforAncientIndia
Law".www.civilserviceindia.com.Retrieved20151011.
4.CanParliamentgiveitsterritorytoaforeigncountry?(http://www.learningthelaw.in/2016/08/canparliamentgiveitst
erritoryto.html),availableatLearningtheLaw.
5."TheConstitution(FortySecondAmendment)Act,1976".GovernmentofIndia.Retrieved1December2010.
6.http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/coifiles/preamble.htm
7.MLaxmikanth."4".IndianPolity(4thed.).McGrawHillEducation.p.4.2.ISBN9781259064128.
8.MLaxmikanth."4".IndianPolity(4thed.).McGrawHillEducation.p.4.3.ISBN9781259064128.

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