Malcolm Rivera
India's constitution is the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world, with approximately 145,000 words. It is a supreme legal document that lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. Composed between 1947 and 1950, it came into effect on January 26, 1950, shaping India's identity as a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | 145,000 words |
| Number of Articles | 448 |
| Number of Parts | 24 |
| Number of Schedules | 12 |
| Number of Amendments | 97 or 100 or 103 |
| Number of Languages | 2 (English and Hindi) |
| Format | Handwritten |
| Parliamentary System | Yes |
| Type of Democracy | World's largest |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitution of India is the world's longest written constitution
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the world's longest written constitution. Composed between 1947 and 1950, the Indian constitution has only grown over the years. The original text of the Constitution contained 395 articles in 22 parts and eight schedules. The number of articles has since increased to 448 due to 100 amendments, with 97 being the latest count. The Constitution is so specific in spelling out government powers that many amendments address issues dealt with by statute in other democracies. In less than eight decades, it has been amended over 100 times, with some critics questioning whether its length is perhaps a weakness.
The Constitution declares India a ""Union of States", with the States retaining key powers for themselves and having a strong influence over the national government via the Rajya Sabha or Council of States. The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution lays out the number of seats that each State controls in the Council of States, and they are based roughly on each State's population. The members of each state legislature elect and appoint these representatives in the Council of States. On most topics, the Rajya Sabha is coequal with the lower house or Lok Sabha, and its consent is required for a bill to become a law.
The Constitution also establishes a parliamentary system, with a Prime Minister who exercises most executive power. The Prime Minister must have the support of a majority in the Lok Sabha, or lower House of Parliament. If the Prime Minister loses this support, the Lok Sabha can pass a motion of no confidence, removing them from office. The Prime Minister governs with the aid of a Council of Ministers, which they appoint, and whose members head ministries. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
The Constitution of India is not only the world's lengthiest but also one of the most important federal features of the country. It specifies the structure, organisation, powers, and functions of both Central and State governments and prescribes the limits within which they must operate. The written format of the Constitution avoids any misunderstandings and disagreements between the two. The original 1950 Constitution is preserved in a nitrogen-filled case at the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi. Two handwritten copies, one in English and one in Hindi, are kept in helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament House.
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It is also the world's most frequently amended constitution
India's constitution is the world's most frequently amended constitution. It is also the lengthiest constitution of any sovereign nation in the world, consisting of over 117,000 words (450 articles plus 104 amendments). The reasons for the frequent amendments are twofold. Firstly, the Indian Constitution is very specific in outlining the powers of the government, and therefore amendments are often required to address matters that would be dealt with by ordinary statutes in other democracies. Secondly, the Indian Parliament is elected using a plurality voting system, which means that a party can win two-thirds of the seats in Parliament without securing two-thirds of the vote. This has resulted in some governments amending the constitution to curtail the Fundamental Rights charter.
The process of amending the constitution involves making changes to the nation's fundamental or supreme law. The procedure for doing so is outlined in Part XX (Article 368) of the Constitution of India, which helps to maintain the sanctity of the document and prevent the arbitrary exercise of power by Parliament. There are limitations on the power of Parliament to amend the constitution, which have been established by the Supreme Court. For example, in the case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, the Supreme Court ruled that while no part of the constitution is protected from amendment, amendments cannot destroy what they seek to modify and must not tamper with the constitution's basic structure or framework.
The Basic Structure Doctrine, established by the Supreme Court, states that while the constitution may be amended, its fundamental features (when "read as a whole") cannot be abridged or abolished. This doctrine was further reinforced in 2007 when a nine-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of India confirmed that all laws, including those in Schedule 9, would be open to judicial review if they violate the "basic structure of the constitution". Schedule 9 of the Constitution contains laws that are contrary to the fundamental rights provisions and are therefore protected from judicial review. These laws typically relate to property rights and affirmative action in favour of minority and lower-class groups.
The framers of the Indian Constitution intended for it to be flexible and easily adaptable to changing conditions. They did not want to create a rigid document that would be difficult to amend, as some other countries have. Instead, they combined the "theory of fundamental law" from the United States with the "theory of parliamentary sovereignty" from the United Kingdom. This allows the Indian Parliament to have constituent power while also following a special amendment procedure.
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The Indian constitution establishes a parliamentary system
India's constitution is the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world. It is also the supreme legal document of India, demarcating the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions. The constitution establishes a parliamentary system, with a Prime Minister who exercises most executive power. The Prime Minister must have the support of the majority of the members of the Lok Sabha, or lower House of Parliament, to govern. If the Prime Minister loses this support, the Lok Sabha can pass a motion of no confidence, removing them from office.
The parliamentary system of government in India is based on the British Constitution. It is a system of democratic governance where the executive remains in power when it derives its democratic legitimacy from its capacity to acquire the confidence of the legislature. The President's role in India is mostly ceremonial, with the Prime Minister exercising executive power because the President is obligated to act on the Prime Minister's wishes. The President does, however, retain the power to ask the council to reconsider its advice.
The Indian Constitution was not typeset or printed but was handwritten by calligraphers in two versions—English and Hindi. It is divided into 448 articles in 24 parts, 12 schedules, and 97 amendments. The first article of the Constitution declares that India is a "Union of States". Under the Constitution, the States retain key powers for themselves and have a strong influence over the national government via the Rajya Sabha or Council of States. The members of each state legislature elect and appoint these representatives in the Council of States. The Rajya Sabha is coequal with the Lok Sabha, and its consent is required for a bill to become a law.
The Constitution also sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It espouses constitutional supremacy, as it was created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament. While the Indian Constitution does not contain a provision to limit the powers of Parliament to amend it, the Supreme Court has ruled that certain features of the Constitution are integral and cannot be removed.
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It outlines the fundamental rights of citizens
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the lengthiest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world. It is a handwritten document in two versions—English and Hindi. The Constitution outlines the fundamental rights of citizens, which are guaranteed to all citizens and are applied without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, etc. These rights are enforceable by the courts, subject to certain restrictions.
The Fundamental Rights in India are enshrined in Part III (Article 12–35) of the Constitution and guarantee civil liberties, allowing all Indians to lead their lives in peace and harmony as citizens of India. These rights are known as "fundamental" as they are essential for all-round development, i.e., material, intellectual, moral, and spiritual, and are protected by the fundamental law of the land, i.e., the Constitution. The six fundamental rights include the Right to Equality, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, Right to Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly, and Right to Constitutional Remedies for the Protection of Civil Rights.
The Right to Equality includes equality before the law, prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, and equality of opportunity in matters of employment. The Right to Freedom of Religion guarantees freedom of conscience, profession, practice, and propagation of religion. It ensures that every person has the right to freely practice their faith and establish and maintain religious and charitable institutions. Cultural and Educational Rights protect the rights of religious, cultural, and linguistic minorities, allowing them to preserve their heritage and culture and ensuring education for everyone without discrimination.
The Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression guarantees the freedom to speak and express one's views without interference or restriction from the government or other entities. The Right to Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly protects the freedom to assemble, associate, or form unions, and the Right to Constitutional Remedies for the Protection of Civil Rights ensures that citizens have access to constitutional remedies if their fundamental rights are violated.
These fundamental rights are not absolute and are subject to Constitutional amendment. For example, the Right to Property was removed as a Fundamental Right through the 44th Constitutional Amendment in 1978, as it was seen as a hindrance to achieving the goal of socialism and equitable wealth distribution. Additionally, the Supreme Court has the authority to interpret and enforce these rights, and its rulings carry legal weight.
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The constitution is handwritten in both English and Hindi
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political codes, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. The Indian Constitution was not typeset or printed but was handwritten by calligraphers in two versions—English and Hindi. Each member of the Constituent Assembly signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The original constitution is handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style with beautiful calligraphy. Each page was decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The Hindi translation of the Indian Constitution was undertaken by Raghu Vira, a distinguished linguist, scholar, politician, and member of the Constituent Assembly. The vocabulary developed for Hindi later served as a base for translating the constitution into several other Indian languages. The first translation was into Bengali and was published in 1983, followed by Meitei (officially Manipuri) in 2019. The Indian Constitution was also first translated from English into Sanskrit and published in 1985. The fourth edition of the Indian Constitution in Tamil was published in 2021.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, India has a written constitution. It is the world's longest written constitution, with approximately 145,000 words. It is composed of 448 articles in 24 parts, 12 schedules, and 97 amendments.
The written constitution of India is the supreme legal document of the country. It lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers and duties of government institutions. It also sets out the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens. The constitution is important as it helps to avoid misunderstandings and disagreements between the Central and State governments by specifying their structure, organisation, powers, and functions.
India's constitution has evolved significantly since its adoption in 1949 and implementation in 1950. It has been amended numerous times to reflect the changing needs of the nation. As of 2024, the constitution has been amended 100 times, with the number of articles increasing from 395 to 448. The amendments have been made to adapt to evolving times and ensure the constitution serves the aspirations of India's citizens.
