The constitution of India
is one of the prides the country’s citizens collectively share. It is the
supreme law of India. It is a document which ideally lays down fundamental rights,
procedures, powers and duties of a government and citizens. Even though before
independence the rules were laid drafted and enforced by the Britishers majorly
denying basic rights to Indian citizens and the last act was the Government of
India act 1935. Its drafting committee
was headed by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar also
known as the chief architect of the
constitution.
The independent country
of India has citizens to don’t shy away from boasting their patriotism due to India
being largest democracy, a secularist country, unbiased judiciary and
especially idiosyncratically lengthiest drafted constitution. Our Indian constitution
is not one that can be easily termed ordinary or standard in its foundational nature.
The uniqueness and is derived from existence of distinctive features of the
constitution. The inception of the drafting process and in the formation of the
constitution itself had some extra ordinary milestones.
1. The original constitution of India was not typed or printed but actually was hand written in calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. Each page was beautified and decorated by artists from Shantiniketan.
2. It
comprises of exactly 448 articles, 12 schedules divided in 25 parts making it
the world’s lengthiest constitution.
3. Currently
after final drafting of the constitution 104 amendments have been made, however
during preparation the draft went through at least 2000 amendments!
4. The
drafting of the constitution took the constituent assembly specifically 2 years
11 months and 18 days in finalizing it.
5. The
constitution drafting was completed on 26th
November 1949. However it was legally enforced 2 months later on
26th January 1950.
6. The Hindi
and English original copies of the constitution are protected in special
helium-filled cases at the Library of the
Parliament of India.
7. Our constitution
has been termed as a ‘bag of borrowings’ because
of the sophisticated inspirations the drafting committee took from various
other constitutions.
8. The
profound ideals Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
illustrated in the Preamble were in reality the French motto used during the
French revolution.
9. Interestingly
the starting phrase of the Preamble is identical to that of the preamble of the
US constitution and that is “We the
people”.
10. The state of the quality constitution was signed by 284 members of the constituent assembly, out of which 15 of them were women. It was signed on 24th January, 1950.
By-
Sanskriti Rastogi
Student reporter, INBA
