Why do we need constitution?

• Constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship between people and government

• Constitution tells how  the rulers are to be chosen in future
  

• Rules written in constitution determines what the elected governments are empowered to do and what they cannot do .
  

• It lays down certain principles and guidelines that ensures all rights and equality for people

Problems faced by India during making of constitution

• The partition of India was the traumatic experience for all the Indians

• Partition was on the basis of religious differences

• The makers of the constitution had anxieties about the present and the future of the country

• The Britishers left the decision on princely states that whether they wanted to merge with India or Pakistan

• Making a constitution for a huge  and diverse country like India was a difficult task

Inspiration from other countries

• Our leaders were inspired by the ideals of French revolution

• Practice of parliamentary democracy in Britain

• The bill of rights in US

• Socialist revolution in Russia

Constitutent Assemly

• The constitution was drafted by assembly of elected representatives called constituent assembly .

• Elections  were held on july  1946   as the country was divided into India and Pakistan 

• The constituent assembly was also divided .Constituent assembly had 389 members before partition

• The assembly that wrote  the Indian constitution had 299  members .    

•  Constitution was adopted on 26 november 1949 and came to effect on 26 January 1950

• The members deliberated for 114 days spread over 3 years

Why our constitution is still accepted by the people?

• Constituent assembly represented the people of India

• The constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone but broad consensus of it's time

• It ensured a fair geographical share of members from all the regions of the country

• Assembly represented members from different language groups, castes,classes, religions and occupations.

• Assembly worked in a systematic,open and consensual manner.

What are constituent assembly debates ?

• Every document presented and every word spoken in constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved.

• When printed ,these are 12 bulky volumes

• They provide rational behind every provision of the constitution

Guiding values of Indian Constitution

• Philosophy of the constitution is the most fundamental principles underlying the guiding values of it.

• Preamble is an introduction to the constitution which contains the ideas and basic principal of the Indian constitution.

• THE CONSTITUTION BEGINS WITH A SHORT STATEMENT OF ITS BASIC VALUES. THIS IS CALLED THE PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. We, the People of India

2. Sovereign (no outside power can dictate Indian governemnt)

3. Socialist (equal distribution of resources in society)

4. Secular (all religions are equal)

5. Democratic (People have equal political rights)

6. Republic (head of the state is an elected person)

7. Justice (no discrimination on the basis of caste, gender etc.)

8. Liberty (freedom)

9. Equality (before the law)

10. Fraternity (behave like members of the same family)

Constitutional Amendments

• THOSE WHO CRAFTED THE INDIAN FELT THAT IT HAS TO BE ACCORDANCE WITH PEOPLE ' S ASPIRATIONS AND CHANGES IN THE SOCIETY

• There is provision to incorporate changes from time to time these changes are called constitutional amendments