Indian Constitution Day is celebrated on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. It was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly of India finally approved the Constitution of India, which came into effect on 26th January 1950. This day is also celebrated as National Law Day.
The Indian Constitution was finished and presented to the Constituent Assembly by Dr. Ambedkar at the beginning of the year 1948. This draft was approved on November 26, 1949, with very few amendments. On January 26, 1950, also known as Republic Day, the Indian Constitution finally came into effect.
The Constitution of India is the longest-written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. It contains 448 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 118 amendments. The result of the tireless efforts of our founding fathers who envisaged a sovereign, democratic and republic India, the Constitution is a living document which has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the country.
It guarantees the right to equality, justice and liberty to all its citizens and besides being the supreme law of the land, it lays down the framework for the government of India.
THE MARKING OF CONSTITUTION DAY
To promote “constitutional principles among residents”, the Indian government chose to designate November 26 as Constitution Day in 2015. The day was established in the year that Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the head of the Constitutional Drafting Committee, also called the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’, celebrated his 125th birthday.
Samvidhan Divas is yet another name for Constitution Day. Following India’s declaration of independence, the Constituent Assembly charged a committee headed by Dr. BR Ambedkar with drafting the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly was created in 1946, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, served as the Constituent Assembly’s first president, as well.
The crucial and most significant task of establishing a Constitution for Independent India was completed by the Constituent Assembly in just under three years. With 1,17,360 words, the Indian Constitution is the world’s longest-written constitution (in the English version).
The Preamble of the Constitution of India declares the country as a ‘sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic and aims to secure justice, liberty, and equality for all citizens and promote fraternity to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation.’
PRALHAD JOSHI LAUNCHES PORTALS TO CELEBRATE THE DAY
Constitution Day is being observed nationwide on November 26 this year as well, including in all ministries and departments of the Central Government. For these events, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment serves as the Nodal Organization.
As an active participant in this national programme, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has updated two digital portals: one for reading the Preamble to the Constitution in English and the 22 other languages listed in the 8th Schedule to the Constitution (readpreamble.nic.in/), and another for an “Online Quiz on the Constitution of India” that will be available on Constitution Day in 2022.
As a prelude, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Pralhad Joshi virtually launched these revised portals. Shri G. Srinivas, Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and other officers and officials of the Ministry also attended the event.
During the launching of these portals, Mr. Joshi urged all citizens to read the Preamble to the Constitution in one of the 23 languages available to them. To read the Preamble and obtain a self-signed Certificate, the general public, including Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, State and UT Governments, Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Institutions, etc., can go to the website (https://readpreamble.nic.in/).
The Minister encouraged the Ministry to update another webpage, Online Quiz on the Constitution of India (https://constitutionquiz.nic.in/), to make it a public campaign and to guarantee Jan Bhagidari. Anyone can take this online quiz on the Indian Constitution and its democracy and receive a certificate of participation.
The questions are extremely basic and uncomplicated. Rather than testing their knowledge, the quiz’s objective is to make the fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution more widely known. It would be available in both Hindi and English to allow for increased participation.
On this occasion, Mr. Joshi also urged the general public to actively support fundamental duties rather than fundamental rights because one person’s fundamental rights are a by-product of another person’s fundamental duties.
COUNTRY CELEBRATING CONSTITUTION DAY 2022
Bureaucrats and Ministers from across the country have come forward to celebrate the occasion of Constitution Day. Here is a compilation of tweets from the top officials of the country, on the memorable occasion:
