Jonah Patel
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality, and liberty. The original 1950 constitution is preserved in a nitrogen-filled case at the Library of the Parliament of India in New Delhi. The original copies, written in Hindi and English, are kept in special helium-filled cases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Library of the Parliament of India, New Delhi |
| Storage | Preserved in a nitrogen-filled case |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Number of pages | 251 |
| Size of pages | 16"x22" |
| Author | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar |
| Calligrapher | Prem Behari Narain Raizada |
| Illustrator | Nandalal Bose |
| Date of signing | 24 January 1950 |
| Date of enforcement | 26 January 1950 |
| Number of copies | 2 |
| Amendments | More than 100 |
| Number of articles at enactment | 395 |
| Number of parts | 22 |
| Number of schedules | 8 |
| Number of words | 145,000 |
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What You'll Learn
- The original Constitution is kept in a nitrogen-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India
- The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949
- The Constitution became effective on 26 January 1950
- The Constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic
- The Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation
The original Constitution is kept in a nitrogen-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India
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 for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, and it became effective on 26 January 1950. On this day, India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and became a sovereign, democratic republic.
The original 1950 Constitution is a work of art, hand-written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada on 251 pages of 16"x22" parchment sheets, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The calligraphy was done using 432 pen holder nibs, and the document is expected to have a lifespan of over 1000 years. The original Constitution took nearly five years to produce and was signed by all members of the Constituent Assembly in both Hindi and English.
To preserve this important historical document, the original Constitution is kept in a nitrogen-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India. This special case is hermetically sealed to protect the document from degradation and ensure its longevity. The Library of the Parliament of India is located in New Delhi, and by preserving the original Constitution in this controlled environment, it can be accessed and studied by scholars and researchers for years to come.
The Indian Constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted, and while it does not contain a provision to limit the powers of Parliament to amend it, the Supreme Court has held that certain features are integral and cannot be removed. The Constitution is celebrated annually on 26 January as Republic Day in India, marking the day it came into force and the country became a republic.
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The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and 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 declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality, and liberty and promoting fraternity. It replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document.
The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946, and the process of drafting the Constitution began in 1947. On 21 February 1948, the Drafting Committee delivered a Revised Draft Constitution to Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly. A Special Committee examined the text, and the Drafting Committee reconvened in October to evaluate it. Ambedkar then presented a new report to the President of the Assembly. On 4 November 1948, the Assembly received the Draft Constitution, and after a year-long debate, the document was adopted on 26 November 1949.
The Constitution has been amended over 100 times since its enactment and has served as a model for many other nations. It guarantees the rights of every citizen and upholds the democratic principles of human dignity, equality, and freedom. The Indian Constitution is unique in that it provides for a Parliamentary form of government with certain unitary features. The constitutional head of the Executive of the Union is the President, who is advised by a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head.
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The Constitution became effective on 26 January 1950
The Constitution of India is the country's supreme legal document. 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 came into effect on 26 January 1950, replacing the Indian Independence Act 1947 and the Government of India Act 1935. This transition marked India's shift from being a dominion of the British Crown to a sovereign, democratic republic.
The date of 26 January was chosen as it held symbolic significance for the Indian independence movement. In 1930, the Indian National Congress had demanded complete independence from the British Raj on this day. The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949, and it came into force on 26 January 1950, with this day being celebrated annually as Republic Day. The original 1950 Constitution is preserved in a nitrogen-filled case at the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi.
The Constituent Assembly's final session took place on 24 January 1950, with each member signing two copies of the Constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The original Constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose, and its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The Constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. The production of the original Constitution took nearly five years, and it has undergone more than 100 amendments since its enactment.
The Indian Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation, with approximately 145,000 words. At its enactment, it comprised 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules. It is worth noting that while the Indian Constitution does not contain a provision to limit the powers of Parliament to amend it, the Supreme Court has held that certain features of the Constitution are integral and cannot be removed.
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The Constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and is the world's longest written national constitution. It 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. The Constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality, and liberty and promoting fraternity.
The term "sovereign" indicates that India is a free country with the complete right to govern itself without any interference from external sources. It signifies India's departure from the status of dominion within the British Commonwealth, as set up by the Indian Independence Act of 1947, to a free nation when the Constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950.
The term "socialist" is not defined in the Constitution, but the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV embody a socialist character. These principles prioritise the welfare of society as a whole over individual interests.
"Secular" implies that India does not have an official religion and is not a theocratic state.
"Democratic republic" signifies that India is a nation where the supreme power lies in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected representatives responsible to the electorate.
The original 1950 Constitution is preserved in a nitrogen-filled case at the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi. It is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The Constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
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The Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation
The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign nation in the world. 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. It came into effect on January 26, 1950, the day that India celebrates each year as Republic Day. The number of articles has since increased to 448 due to over 100 amendments.
Two copies of the Indian constitution were handwritten, one in English and one in Hindi. They are currently kept in a nitrogen-filled case in the Library of the Parliament House. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and nib (No. 303 nib). It was illuminated by Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, and his students, from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha (credited, among other items, for the Preamble page), and Dinanath Bhargava (credited for the emblem of India).
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India. It lays down the framework that demarcates the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It espouses constitutional supremacy (not parliamentary supremacy, as found in the United Kingdom, since it was created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament).
In less than eight decades of the country’s existence, the Constitution of India has been amended over 100 times. The American constitution, by contrast, has only 4,400 words and has been amended just 27 times. Critics wonder if the length of the Indian constitution is perhaps a weakness. Jhelum Chowdhury of Crystal Research and Consulting wrote, "The Constitution of India remains like the proverbial elephant being touched in different parts by many blind men, coming up with their own interpretation of the nature of the creature. This is the unwieldy and incomprehensible Rule Book that is supposed to guide the daily lives of the people of India and their municipalities, state and federal governments and the relations between them. No wonder no one really knows what is going on in India, except those who claim special knowledge or forbearance, of which unfortunately there is quite a few. And no wonder the country’s progress is being held back because there is no unanimity of understanding on the set of rules."
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Frequently asked questions
The original 1950 Constitution of India is preserved in a nitrogen-filled case at the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi.
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 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.
The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 and became effective on 26 January 1950.
