Salient Features of Indian Constitution

The Constitution of India has some outstanding features which distinguish it from other
constitutions. The framers of constitution studied other constitutions, selected their valuable
features and put them with necessary modifications in the constitution of India.

The salient features of the constitution of India are as follows:

1. Preamble:
2. Written Constitution:
3. Longest Constitution:
4. Partly Rigid, Partly Flexible:
5. Parliamentary Democracy:
6. Role of Conventions:
7. Federal Government with Unitary Bias:
8. Fundamental Rights:
9. Directive Principles of State Policy:
10. An Independent and Integrated Judiciary:
11. Universal Franchise:
12. Secularism:
13. Single Citizenship:
14. Fundamental Duties:
15. Welfare State:
16. Democratic System:

Fundamental Rights

Certain rights are considered basic or fundamental as they provide suitable conditions for the
material and moral uplift of the people. The Indian Constitution guarantees a number of such
rights to the citizens of India. The Fundamental Rights of India conferred by the Constitution are:

1) The Right to Equality;

2) The Right to Freedom;
3) The Right against Exploitation;
4) The Right to Freedom of Religion;
5) Cultural and Educational Rights; and
6) The Right to Constitutional Remedies.
The Right to Property was deleted from the list of Fundamental Rights by the Forty-fourth
Constitution Amendment Act, 1978. The fundamental rights as envisaged in the Constitution of
India are justifiable.
Fundamental Duties:

1) To abide by the Constitution and respect the National Flag and the National Anthem;

2) To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

3) To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

4) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

5) To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all people of India
transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce
practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

6) To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

7) To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild
life and to have compassion for living creatures;

8) To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

9) To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

10) To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that
the nation constantly rises to higher levels of Endeavour and achievement."

11) To provide opportunities for education by the parent the guardian, to his child, or a ward
between the age of 6-14 years as the case may be.