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Constitution of India

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The Constitution of India is a very important book of rules. It is the longest written national constitution in the whole world.

Indian constitution in Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum
Indian constitution in Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum

This document sets the framework for how the country works. It explains the powers and duties of the government. It also lists the fundamental rights of all citizens. These rights help ensure justice, equality, and liberty for everyone. The document makes sure the constitution is the highest law in the land.

A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950
A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950

Creating this document was a very big job. A group called the Constituent Assembly worked on it for a long time. They held eleven different sessions over 165 days. The assembly started with 389 members. After the partition of India, the number of members became 299.

A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950
A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950

They spent almost three years writing the rules. They even discussed and changed 2,473 different parts of the draft. This careful work took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to finish. The total cost to complete this work was ₹6.4 million.

Many leaders helped shape these laws. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee. He presented the final draft to Rajendra Prasad, the assembly president.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian Constitution to Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 25 November, 1949
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian Constitution to Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 25 November, 1949

Jawaharlal Nehru also played a big role. He presented the "Objective Resolution" in December 1946. This resolution later became the Preamble of the constitution. Other important people included Sardar Patel and Louis Mountbatten. Many women also served in the assembly, such as Sarojini Naidu and Hansa Mehta.

The makers of the constitution used ideas from many places. They looked at the Government of India Act 1935, which was drafted by Samuel Hoare.

Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain
Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain

They also borrowed ideas from other countries. For example, they took ideas from the United Kingdom and the United States. They used ideas from Ireland, Australia, and Canada too. The original document had 395 articles and 8 schedules. It was hand-written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. Artists from Shantiniketan decorated each beautiful page.

India adopted the constitution on 26 November 1949. It officially became the law on 26 January 1950.

Jawaharlal Nehru signing Indian Constitution
Jawaharlal Nehru signing Indian Constitution

This date is now celebrated every year as Republic Day. On this day, India became a sovereign and democratic republic. This meant India was no longer a dominion of the British Crown. The original, hand-written book is kept very safe today. It sits in a nitrogen-filled case in New Delhi. This helps protect the history of the nation for the future.

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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain.jpg
Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain.jpg
File:Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee, presenting the final draft of the Indian Constitution to Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 25 November, 1949.jpg
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the...
File:A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950.jpg
A Constituent Assembly of India meeting...
File:Jawaharlal Nehru signing Indian Constitution.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru signing Indian Constitution.jpg
File:Indian constitution in Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum.jpg
Indian constitution in Rashtrapati Bhavan...
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