The Indian Constitution is one of the most important topics for any Competitive exam. Here are some of the major key facts that every Indian should know.

Adopted and Enforced

• The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26th November, 1949.
• It came into effect on 26th January, 1950.
• 26th November is celebrated as the Constitution Day in India.

Longest Written Constitution

• The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. It contains 448 articles grouped in 22 parts and 12 schedules.
• Originally there were 395 articles.
• Presently there are 470 articles in the Constitution.
• Originally, it was written in English language.

Source of Inspiration

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is known as the father of the Indian Constitution.
• The Constitution drew inspiration from various countries like the UK, the US, Ireland, Australia and Canada.
• Parliamentary system from the UK.
• Fundamental Rights from the US.
• Directive Principles of State Policy from Ireland.

Federal System

• India has a federal system of government with a strong unitary bias. The constitution provides the division of power between the Centre and the States.
• Union List, State List and Concurrent List define the distribution of powers between the Union and States.

Part III-Fundamental Rights- Indian Constitution

• Part III of the Constitution contains Fundamental Rights, which are essential for the protection of Individual liberties. These include:
  • Right to Equality
  • Right to freedom of Speech and Expression
  • Right against exploitation
  • Right to freedom of Religion
  • Cultural and Educational Rights
  • Right to Constitutional Remedies
• Articles 12 to 35 of the Indian Constitution give the Fundamental Rights.

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)

• The source of the concept of Directive Principles of State Policy is the Spanish Constitution from which it came in the Irish Constitution (Article 45).
• Part IC of the Constitution of India (Article 36-51) contains the DPSP.
• These principles aim at ensuring socioeconomic justice to the people and establishing India as a Welfare State.
• It is not enforceable by law.

Secular State

• In India, the government treats all religions equally and does not have an official religion.

Amendment of the Indian Constitution

• The Parliament can amend the Constitution under Article 368.
• There are 3 types of amendments:
  • Amendments by Simple majority
    • Eg. the amendment to change the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the amendment to change the number of states.
  • Amendments by Special majority:
    • Eg. the amendment to change the Fundamental Rights, the amendment to change the Directive Principles of the State Policy.
  • Amendments by special Majority with ratification by half the states:
    • Eg. the amendment to change the basic structure of the Constitution, amendment to change the power of the states.
• 104 Amendments have been made till now (as of 2024).

President of India

• The President of India is the head of the state of the Republic of India, the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country as well as the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
• Droupadi Murmu is the 15th and current president, having taken office from 25th July 2022.
• Article 25 provides for the office of the President of India.

Parliament of India

• Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India.
• It comprised of the President and the two houses- Rajya Sabha (House of the People) and Lok Sabha (Council of States).
• The Parliament enacts laws, debates issue and approves the budget.

Languages accepted in Indian Constitution

• Hindi is the official Language of the Union of India and English is the Associate Official Language.
• There are currently 22 languages in the 8th Schedule.

Emergency Provisions

• The constitution contains provisions for the National Emergency (Article 352), State Emergency (President’s Rule) (Article 356), and Financial Emergency (Article 360).

These facts highlight the foundational elements of India’s governance system and the key principles that underpin the Indian Constitution. Understanding them is essential for both general knowledge and competitive exams.

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