Malcolm Rivera
The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world, with 145,000 words. Composed between 1947 and 1950, it has been amended over 100 times and contains 448 articles. Two handwritten copies of the Indian Constitution, one in English and one in Hindi, are kept in helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament House.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of words | 145,000–146,385 |
| Number of articles | 448 |
| Number of parts | 22 |
| Number of schedules | 8 |
| Number of amendments | 100–104 |
| Number of topics covered | 60% of 70 major topics |
| Languages written in | English and Hindi |
| Length compared to the US Constitution | 30 times longer |
| Length compared to other constitutions | Longest in the world |
| Date composed | 1946–1950 |
| Date of first edition | 26 January 1950 |
| Date of latest edition | 2025 |
| Number of copies of the first edition | 2 |
| Signatories of the first edition | Rajendra Prasad |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitution of India is the world's largest at 145,000 words
The Constitution of India is a lengthy document, containing 145,000 words. It is the world's largest constitution, with over 30 times more words than the US Constitution, which has only 4,400 words. The Indian Constitution has been amended 103 times since it was enacted, and the number of articles has increased to 448 due to these amendments.
The Constitution was composed between 1946 and 1950, with an elected constituent assembly of nearly 300 members spending four years debating and defining every aspect of the document. It came into effect on January 26, 1950, which is celebrated annually as Republic Day in India. The original text contained 395 articles in 22 parts and eight schedules. Two copies of the Indian Constitution were handwritten, one in English and one in Hindi, and they are currently stored in helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament House.
The longevity of India's Constitution is remarkable, especially when compared to the average longevity of national constitutions, which is only 17 years according to scholars Elkins, Ginsburg, and Melton. Despite its length, India's Constitution is not the most comprehensive, covering only 60% of the 70 major topics that constitutions typically address, according to the Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP). However, this is in line with the global average coverage of 58%.
The Constitution of India has been a recurring theme in recent student-led protests in the country, with protesters reading out the preamble in defiance of what they believe is a weakening of fundamental constitutional principles by the ruling government. The Constitution's length has been criticised by some, who argue that it is "unwieldy and incomprehensible" and contributes to a lack of unanimity in understanding the rules that govern the country. However, others attribute the Constitution's endurance to its careful design and the lengthy deliberations that went into its creation.
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It has been amended over 100 times since 1950
The Indian Constitution, first enacted in 1950, is the most amended national constitution in the world. As of February 2025, there have been 106 amendments, with the Constitution being amended roughly twice a year.
The frequency of amendments is due to the level of detail in the Constitution. Matters that would be addressed by statute in other democracies must often be addressed via constitutional amendment in India.
There are three types of amendments. The first type must be passed by a simple majority in each house of the Parliament of India. The second type requires a prescribed "special majority" of each house of Parliament. The third type must be passed by a "special majority" in each house and then ratified by at least half of the State Legislatures.
Amendments have been made to introduce significant changes, such as the 122nd Amendment, which introduced the Goods and Services Tax, and the 86th Amendment, which provided the Right to Education for six to fourteen-year-olds and Early Childhood Care for under-sixes.
The Constitution of India is available to buy in book form, with the latest amendments, and is a prized possession for collectors.
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The original text contained 395 articles in 22 parts and eight schedules
The Constitution of India is the world's largest written constitution. It is over 30 times longer than the US Constitution, which has approximately 4,400 words. The Indian Constitution, composed between 1946 and 1950, has 145,000 words, though some sources place it at 146,385 words. It came into effect on 26 January 1950, India's Republic Day.
The original text of the Indian Constitution contained 395 articles in 22 parts and eight schedules. The number of articles has since increased to 448 due to 100 amendments. The amendments were made over less than eight decades, with the Constitution being amended approximately once every nine months. The US Constitution, in comparison, has been amended 27 times since 1788.
The length of the Indian Constitution has been criticised as a weakness. Jhelum Chowdhury of Crystal Research and Consulting wrote that the Constitution is "unwieldy and incomprehensible" and that it is "supposed to guide the daily lives of the people of India and their municipalities, state and federal governments and the relations between them". Chowdhury added that the frequent amendments to the Constitution have led to a lack of "unanimity of understanding on the set of rules".
Despite the criticisms, scholars attribute the endurance of the Indian Constitution to its design and the care with which it was crafted. Starting in 1946, an elected constituent assembly of nearly 300 members spent four years debating and defining every aspect of the Constitution, from the idea of India itself to the intricacies of federalism. The final product reflected these lengthy deliberations.
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It is available in English and Hindi
The Constitution of India is available in English and Hindi. The Hindi edition is called "Bharat Ka Samvidhan" and is provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. The English edition is also available in a special A4 size, which is bigger than any other edition on the market and is printed on superior cream paper. It contains the full text of the Constitution of India, 1950, as amended by The Constitution (104th Amendment) Act, 2019, and the abolition of Article 370. It also includes the original Speech of Dr. Rajendra Prasad while accepting the final draft of Dr. Ambedkar's Constitution in November 1949, an introduction to the Indian Constitution, a copy of the original signatures of the Constituent Committee, and an alphabetical index, among other unique features.
The Hindi edition of the Constitution of India is also available in a bare act format with short notes, which is useful for competitive examinations. This edition includes the Constitution as amended by the 106th Amendment Act in 2023.
Both the English and Hindi editions of the Constitution of India are available for purchase online through Amazon.in and other booksellers. The English edition is published by the Government of India, while the Hindi edition is published by a variety of publishers, including the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.
The English edition of the Constitution of India has received positive reviews from customers, who praise the print and paper quality, as well as the inclusion of interesting photographs from the time of the framing of the constitution. It is recommended for those interested in the Indian Constitution but not for law specialists, as it does not include many explanatory notes or case histories. The Hindi edition has also received positive reviews, with customers calling it an "excellent book to know about the Constitution of India."
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The Indian Constitution has endured for nearly 70 years
The Indian Constitution is the world's longest written constitution for a sovereign nation. It is a tome of 146,385 words, longer than most novels and comfortably longer than any other constitution globally. The document lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens.
The flexibility in amending the Constitution is considered to be one of the biggest factors in its endurance. The Indian Constitution has been amended over 100 times since its inception, with the most recent amendment coming in August 2019. This flexibility was a deliberate strategy by the framers, who were conscious of both the nascent tryst with Constitutional ideas in the country and the deep cleavages in Indian society. The Supreme Court's ruling in the famous Kesavananda Bharati case held that the basic doctrine of the Constitution could not be altered, ring-fencing the extent of flexibility the Constitution provides.
The Indian Constitution also embodies a principle of accommodation, which has contributed to its endurance. Elkins, Ginsburg, and Melton of 'The Endurance of National Constitutions' write, "It is Constitutional alchemy when groups with conflicting agendas believe they are better off with existing rules than in overturning them, and therein lies the key to India's Constitutional endurance." The Constitution's resilience is further demonstrated by its ability to withstand existential threats, such as the recent student-led protests, where protesters defiantly read out the preamble of the Constitution, believing that fundamental Constitutional principles were being weakened by the ruling government.
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Frequently asked questions
The Indian Constitution has 145,000 words, according to the World Economic Forum, while the Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP) puts the number at 146,385.
The US Constitution has 4,400 words, making the Indian Constitution over 30 times longer.
An elected constituent assembly of nearly 300 members spent four years, from 1946 to 1950, debating and defining the Constitution.
The Indian Constitution has been amended over 100 times, with sources giving exact figures of 100 and 103.
The Indian Constitution can be purchased in book form from Amazon.in and other booksellers.
