Understanding the Indian Constitution
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Neha NandiUnderstanding the Indian Constitution
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Neha NandiCLASS V SESSION : 2024-25 Subject : SST
Name : ________________________________ Sec. : ___ Date: ________
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
What is a Constitution?
Just as a school needs rules to
function, a country also needs rules for
its smooth functioning which are called
laws. Earlier kings ruled according to
their personal wishes. In contrast, a
country today follows a set of laws that
clearly defines the rights and duties of
the citizens as well as the powers
enjoyed by the government. This set of
rules and regulations, rights and duties
according to which a country functions
is called a Constitution.
The Making of the Indian Constitution
When the British ruled India, they made laws to be obeyed or followed by the citizens of India.
Just before Independence from British rule, in 1946, a special assembly was formed which
was called the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly was responsible for
creating a Constitution containing laws for the people of independent India. People from all
walks of life such as engineers, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, farmers, teachers and many
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others were part of the Constituent Assembly. A Drafting
Committee was formed to finalise the Constitution based on the
discussions of the Constituent Assembly.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
For his work in drafting the Indian Constitution, he is considered as
the Father of Indian Constitution.
The Indian Constitution was adopted by the Constituent
Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th
January, 1950. For this reason we celebrate Law Day on 26th
November and Republic Day on 26th January every year !
Some important parts of the Indian Constitution are :-
● The Preamble
● The Directive Principles of State Policy
● Fundamental Rights
● Fundamental Duties
Preamble
The word ‘preamble’ means ‘an introduction’. It is a brief introductory statement that sets out
guidelines which guide the people of the country.
Now let us explain some important words used in the Preamble of our Constitution one by one.
India is an independent country. It is free to conduct its own affairs
SOVEREIGN
(both internal and external).
The wealth of the country should be shared by all Indian people. It
SOCIALIST
aims to end poverty, ignorance, disease and inequality of opportunity.
There is no official religion. Also there is no difference in religion.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam are
SECULAR
equally respected. All the citizens of India are allowed to profess,
practise and propagate the religion of their choice.
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When a government is elected by the people it is called a democracy.
DEMOCRATIC
A king or queen will not be the head of the country. The President will
REPUBLIC
be the head of the country.
All people should have a fair chance to earn their living and all people
JUSTICE should be given equal treatment without any discrimination based on
caste, colour, race, religion, sex and so on.
Freedom to speak without fear, to think what they please, to believe
LIBERTY in what they like, to practise whatever religion they like without being
afraid as long as none of these things harm anyone else.
Equal and fair opportunity for all to have good lives, whether rich or
EQUALITY
poor, men or women, of whatever region or religion.
To make sure all Indians try to live like brothers and sisters; all people
FRATERNITY
should be treated with respect.
DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY
To make sure that the ideas of the Preamble are put into practice, the Constitution has
guidelines or instructions to help the government. These are called Directive Principles of
State Policy. These are only guidelines – not laws. They help governments to decide what their
policies should be. Some of the guidelines include-
● Any citizen whether a man or a woman has equal rights to work.
● There should be an equal pay for equal work for both men and women.
● There should be proper working conditions in the area of work.
● Ensuring that every child up to the age of 14 years should get free and compulsory
education.
● Ensuring equal distribution of wealth and resources among all classes.
● Providing a decent standard of living for everyone.
● Ensuring equal justice and free Legal Aid to the poor.
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● Interests of people belonging to Schedule caste, Schedule tribes and other backward
classes should be protected.
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Our Constitution guarantees some fundamental
rights to the citizens of India. The word
‘fundamental’ means ‘essential or most
important’; a ‘right’ is ‘something that one must
have’. Fundamental Rights are essential and
important rights that people must have in a
democracy.
There are 6 fundamental rights mentioned in the
Constitution of India. These are
● Right to Equality
● Right to Freedom
● Right against Exploitation
● Right to Freedom of Religion
● Cultural and Educational Rights
● Right to Constitutional Remedies
Right to Equality-
It ensures equal rights for all citizens. The right to equality does not allow discrimination on the
basis of age, gender, caste, religion or place of birth. It also ensures that every citizen gets
equal opportunities in employment and also in legal justice is respective of religion, caste,
gender or place of residence.
Right to Freedom-
Right to freedom is a set of various rights. These rights are-
● Freedom of speech and expression
● Freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner
● Freedom to reside and settle in any part of the country
● Freedom of association
● Freedom to practice any profession or trade or business
● Freedom to move or state throughout the territory of our country
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Right against Exploitation-
This law prohibits any act of forcing any person to work against his or her will. According to this
law, Human trafficking, child labour, force labour are offences punishable by law. Due to this
law, no child under the age of 14 can be employed anywhere.
Right to Freedom of Religion-
This right gives freedom to every citizen to practice any religion of his or her choice without any
discrimination. The constitution says that all religions are treated equally and impartially.
Cultural and Educational Rights-
It aims to protect the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic minorities by enabling them to
conserve their heritage and protecting them against discrimination. Education was made a
fundamental right in 2002. Right of children to free and compulsory Education Act was
passed in 2009. It made free and compulsory education as a fundamental right of every child
between the age of 6 to 14 years. It means that if any child is denied education he or she can
approach the court of law.
Right to Constitutional Remedies-
This gives the right to the citizens to go to the High court or Supreme Court of India to ask for
protection against violation of their Fundamental Rights. According to Dr. B. R Ambedkar, the
right to constitutional remedies is ‘the heart and soul’ of the Indian Constitution. In case of
declaration of national or state emergency this right is suspended by the Central government.
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
Fundamental Duties are the duties of Indian citizens towards their country. There are 11
fundamental duties of every citizen. These are as follows-
1. Follow the ideal set by the Indian Constitution
2. Respect the national flag and national anthem
3. Be prepared to defend the unity and integrity of our constitution
4. Protect public property and our monuments
5. Treat other individuals as equal
6. Protect our national environment
7. Cooperate with the government in times of danger
8. Maintain peace and harmony
9. Develop scientific temper and strive towards excellence in all spheres
10. Duty of all parents or guardians is to send their children in the age group of 6 to 14
years to school
11. Any citizen whether a man or a woman has equal right to work.
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