THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26th November 1949. It came into effect from 26th January 1950.

‘Constitution Day’ is celebrated every year since 2015 on 26th November to promote Constitutional values among citizens.

The Constitution of India was framed by a Constituent Assembly set up under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946. The Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, and elected Dr. Sachhidanand Sinha, the oldest member of the Assembly as the Provisional President.

On December 11, 1946, the Assembly elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its permanent Chairman. The Constituent Assembly set up 13 committees for framing the constitution including a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. On the basis of the reports of these committees, a draft of the constitution was prepared by a seven-member Drafting Committee.

It is the longest written Constitution in the world, containing, currently, 448 Articles, 25 Parts and 12 Schedules along with 124 amendments.

The Constitution of India was not typeset or printed but was handwritten and calligraphic in both English and Hindi. It was entirely handcrafted by the artists of Shantiniketan under the guidance of Acharya Nandalal Bose, with the calligraphy texts done by Prem Bihari Narain Raizada in Delhi.

The original copies of the Constitution of India are kept in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India. Each part of the Constitution begins with a depiction of a phase or scene from Indian national history. At the beginning of each part of the Constitution, Nandalal Bose has depicted a phase or scene from India’s national experience and history.

The artwork and illustrations (22 in all), rendered largely in the miniature style, represent vignettes from the different periods of history of the Indian subcontinent, ranging from Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley, the Vedic period, the Gupta and Maurya empires and the Mughal era to the national freedom movement. By doing so, Nandalal Bose has taken us through a veritable pictorial journey across 4000 years of rich history, tradition and culture of the Indian subcontinent.

FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA TAKEN FROM CONSTITUTIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES

United Kingdom

· Parliamentary government

· Rule of Law

· Legislative Procedure

· Single citizenship

· Cabinet System

· Prerogative writs

· Parliamentary privileges

· Bicameralism

United States of America

· Impeachment of the President

· Functions of President & Vice-President

· Removal of Supreme Court & High Court Judges

· Fundamental Rights

· Judicial Review

· Independence of Judiciary

· The Preamble of the Constitution

Canada

· Centrifugal form of federalism where the centre is stronger than the states

· Residuary powers vested in the Centre

· Appointment of Governors in States by the Centre

· Advisory Jurisdiction of Supreme Court

Ireland

· Directive Principles of State Policy

· Method of Election of the President

· Nomination of members to the Rajya Sabha by President

Australia

· Concept of Concurrent List

· Article 108 i.e. Joint sitting of the two houses

· Freedom of trade & commerce

South Africa

· Procedure for amendment of the Constitution

· Election of members of Rajya Sabha

USSR (Now Russia)

· Fundamental Duties

· The ideals of Justice (social, economic & political) expressed in the Preamble