Eleanor Finch
The Indian Constitution, the world's longest written national constitution, was adopted on 26 January 1950, marking India's first Republic Day. The date was chosen because, on 26 January 1930, the Indian National Congress declared 'Purna Swaraj', or complete independence, from British rule. The final draft of the constitution was adopted by the assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, replacing the Government of India Act of 1935.
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What You'll Learn
- The Indian National Congress declared 26 January 1930 as 'Independence Day'
- The date marked India's transition from British Crown to a sovereign, democratic republic
- The Indian Constitution is the world's longest manually written report
- The date was chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj Declaration
- The Indian Constitution declares fundamental rights, duties and directive principles
The Indian National Congress declared 26 January 1930 as 'Independence Day'
The Indian National Congress (INC) declared 26 January 1930 as Independence Day. This was due to the breakdown of negotiations between leaders of the freedom movement and the British over the question of dominion status for India. The demand for complete independence was passed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress on 19 December 1929. The session was chaired by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who also drafted the Poorna Swaraj Resolution.
The Poorna Swaraj Resolution, or the "Indian Declaration of Independence", stated the belief that the Indian people had an inalienable right to freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their labour. It further asserted that if any government deprived the people of these rights, the people had the right to alter or abolish it. The resolution highlighted that the British Government in India had not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but had also based itself on the exploitation of the masses, leading to the economic, political, cultural, and spiritual ruin of India.
As a result, the Indian National Congress declared that India must sever its connection with Britain and attain Purna Swaraj, or complete independence. The declaration was made public on 26 January 1930, and the Congress Party urged all Indians to celebrate the day as Independence Day. The "Declaration of Independence" pledge was drafted by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, and it echoed the sentiments of the American Declaration of Independence.
The significance of 26 January 1930 is crucial to the imagining of India as a postcolonial sovereign state. The day marked a turning point in the struggle for independence, with the Indian National Congress demanding complete independence rather than merely dominion status. This declaration set the tone for the subsequent freedom movement and ultimately led to India's independence in 1947.
Subsequently, on 26 January 1950, the Indian Constitution came into effect, marking the first Republic Day of India. This date was chosen to commemorate the 1930 declaration of Independence Day by the Indian National Congress.
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The date marked India's transition from British Crown to a sovereign, democratic republic
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950, marking India's transition from being a British Crown dominion to a sovereign, democratic republic. This transition was a result of the Indian independence movement, which culminated in independence from British rule in 1947.
The Indian independence movement was a decades-long struggle, with significant milestones in 1929 and 1930. On 19 December 1929, the Indian National Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, passed the 'Purna Swaraj' (total independence) resolution at its Lahore session. This was followed by a public declaration of independence by the Congress Party on 26 January 1930, which urged Indians to celebrate this day as 'Independence Day'.
The British eventually agreed to the transition of power, and on 15 August 1947, India achieved independence and split into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. However, India continued to be a dominion of the British Crown until the adoption of its constitution on 26 January 1950.
The process of drafting the Indian Constitution began in 1947, with the formation of the Constituent Assembly under the leadership of Dr B. R. Ambedkar. The Assembly held eleven sessions in 165 days, and the final draft of the constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949. The constitution was then signed by all members of the Assembly, with each member signing two copies, one in Hindi and the other in English.
The Indian Constitution is the supreme legal document of India and is the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. By adopting this constitution, India transitioned to a sovereign, democratic republic, with the constitution declaring India's independence from British rule and repealing prior acts of the British parliament.
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The Indian Constitution is the world's longest manually written report
The Indian Constitution, the world's longest manually written report, came into effect on 26 January 1950, marking India's first Republic Day. The date was chosen as it was the day in 1930 when the Indian National Congress demanded complete independence. The Constitution was passed and adopted by the assembly on 26 November 1949, two months prior to this date.
The Indian Constitution is an extremely important document for Indian citizens, as it is the supreme document that declares the rule of law. It is considered one of the best-written constitutions in the world. The Indian Constitution is also the lengthiest constitution in the world, with 145,000 words, which is over 30 times the length of the US Constitution, which has 4400 words. The original text of the Indian Constitution contained 395 articles in 22 parts and eight schedules. However, since 1950, the number of articles has increased to 448 due to 100 amendments.
The Constitution was drafted by the Drafting Committee, formed on 28 August 1947, with Dr B.R. Ambedkar as its chairman. The committee referred to several other countries' constitutions, adapting them to suit India's values, culture, and people. The Indian Constitution is a unique blend of rigidity and flexibility, granting constitutional rights and duties to every citizen and laying a framework for a parliamentary form of governance.
Two copies of the Indian Constitution were handwritten, one in English and one in Hindi. They are currently kept in helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament House. In 2012, a copy of the first edition, signed by India's first president, Rajendra Prasad, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London for almost £40,000.
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The date was chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj Declaration
The Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, a date chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj Declaration. Purna Swaraj translates to "complete independence" or "complete self-rule".
The Purna Swaraj Declaration was a resolution passed by the Indian National Congress in 1930. It was a response to the dissatisfaction among the Indian people regarding the British offer of Dominion status to India. The Declaration was a 750-word document that read like a manifesto. It called for severing ties with the British and launching a civil disobedience movement. It also succinctly articulated the resulting economic, political, and cultural injustice inflicted on Indians by British rule. The text of the declaration is credited to either Gandhi or Nehru.
The date of 26 January was chosen for the Indian Constitution to come into effect to honour the date of the public declaration of Purna Swaraj. On this day in 1930, the Indian National Congress had demanded complete independence, as opposed to Dominion status. The Congress Party urged Indians to celebrate 26 January as Independence Day. This day was celebrated as Independence Day from 1930 until 1947, when the British agreed to transfer power and 15 August became the official Independence Day.
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950, which marked India's first Republic Day. The Constitution was drafted by the Drafting Committee, with Dr B R Ambedkar as its chairman, and was passed and adopted by the assembly in 1949. It is the lengthiest written constitution in the world, with 448 articles in 25 sections and 12 timetables.
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The Indian Constitution declares fundamental rights, duties and directive principles
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950, marking the country's first Republic Day. This date was chosen because, in 1930, the Indian National Congress (INC) had demanded complete independence on this day.
The Indian Constitution declares fundamental rights, duties, and directive principles. The Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles emerged from the Indian independence movement, which aimed to achieve the values of liberty and social welfare as the goals of an independent Indian state. The development of these constitutional rights was influenced by historical documents such as England's Bill of Rights, the United States Bill of Rights, and France's Declaration of the Rights of Man. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the activities of the United Nations Human Rights Commission also played a role in shaping India's Fundamental Rights.
The Fundamental Rights are divided into six categories, which are guaranteed to all citizens individually and collectively. These rights include equality, freedom of speech and expression, and the right against exploitation. The Constitution also outlines the duties of citizens, such as promoting the spirit of common brotherhood, protecting the environment, and striving for excellence.
The Directive Principles, inspired by the Irish Constitution, serve as a check on the state and emphasise the welfare state model. While not enforceable by law, they declare fundamental principles of governance, such as promoting social, economic, and political justice, and fighting income inequality.
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