General Studies Manual For UPSC and State Public Services Examinations 2014

General Studies Manual

for
UPSC and State Public Services
Examinations
2014
Indian Polity & Constitution
Module-1: Salient Features & Preamble
www.gktoday.in
First Published in 2010

Last Updated: November 2013
2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved
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Disclaimer
While all care has been taken in the preparation of this material, no responsibility is accepted by the author or his
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sunil kumar Member's
Email
address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com
120.56.225.142
team for any errors, omissions
or inaccuracies.
The
material
provided in this resource
has been prepared to provide
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reliance on any information provided in this publication. Please send a mail to info@gktoday.in for errors or omissions
if any.
General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

Contents
Making of the Constitution .................................................................................... 3
The Constituent Assembly .......................................................................................... 4
Objectives Resolution ................................................................................................. 6
Summary of the Objectives Resolution ................................................................................ 7
Salient features of Indian Constitution.......................................................................9
Most Exhaustive Constitution............................................................................................... 9
Our Constitution starts with a Preamble ............................................................................. 9
Our constitution has been drawn from different sources ....................................................9
Rigidity vs. Flexibility ......................................................................................................... 10
Sovereignty of the Country ................................................................................................ 10
Democratic state ............................................................................................................... 10
Parliamentary Democracy ................................................................................................. 10
Socialist State.................................................................................................................... 10
Secular .............................................................................................................................. 11
Parliamentary Form of Government .................................................................................. 11
A blend of Federal and Unitary System ............................................................................. 12
Integrated Judiciary........................................................................................................... 13
Universal Adult Franchise.................................................................................................. 13
Sources of the Indian Constitution............................................................................ 13
Chapter 2.
Preamble ............................................................................................................ 13
Is Preamble enforceable by Courts? .................................................................................. 14
Which phrase underlines the supremacy of Indian People?...............................................14
Does Preamble narrows down the objectives of the Governments? ..................................15
How many times Preamble has been amended so far? .....................................................15
Understanding the Preamble.................................................................................... 15
Berubari Case and Kesavanand Bharati Case in context with Preamble ..................16
Chapter 1.
Introduction

-

f

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governed

.
2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in
2|P a g e


en

1935

Chapter 1.
Making of the Constitution

.

enacted

.

Member

Name:
sunil kumar Member's
Email address:
tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com
120.56.225.142

1929 pendence
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.
Day

-

ps.

co -

-

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120.56.225.142

The Constituent Assembly
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40

1940

M N Roy
Manabendra Nath Roy born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya and popularly
known as M. N. Roy, was an Indian nationalist revolutionary and an
internationally known radical activist and political theorist. Roy was a
founder of the Communist Parties in both Mexico and India and was a
delegate to congresses of the Communist International. Following the rise
of Joseph Stalin, Roy left the mainline communist movement to pursue an
independent radical politics. In 1940 Roy was instrumental in the formation
of the Radical Democratic Party, an organization in which he played a
leading role for much of the decade of the 1940s. Roy later moved away
from Marxism to become an exponent of the philosophy of Radical
Humanism. (Wikipedia: M_N_Roy)

representat

-

Mus

The first leaders of Constituent Assembly
The Constituent assembly was the First parliament of Independent India. Dr.

Sachchidananda Sinha was the first president (temporary Chairman of the
Assembly) of the Constituent Assembly when it met on December 9, 1946.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad then became the President of the Constituent Assembly,
and who later become the first President of India. The Vice President of the
Constituent Assembly was Professor Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, former
Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and a prominent Christian from
Bengal who also served as the Chairman of the Minorities Committee of the

Member Name:
sunil kumar Member's Email address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com 120.56.225.142
Constituent Assembly. He was appointed Governor of West Bengal after
India became a republic.

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-

.

Objectives Resolution
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making
The historic Objectives Resolution was

moved by Jawahar Lal Nehru on 13
December 1946 and was adopted
unanimously on 22 January 1947.

Important Committees of the Constituent Assembly (and their Chairmen)
Committee on the Rules of Procedure : Rajendra Prasad
Steering Committee : Rajendra Prasad
Finance and Staff Committee: Rajendra Prasad
Credential Committee : Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
House Committee : B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Order of Business Committee: K.M. Munsi
Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag: Rajendra Prasad
Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly : G.V. Mavalankar
States Committee : Jawaharlal Nehru
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas : Vallabhbhai Patel
Minorities Sub-Committee: H.C. Mookherjee
Fundamental Rights : Sub-Committee J.B. Kripalani
North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee: Gopinath
Bardoloi
Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee : A.V. Thakkar
Union Powers Committee : Jawaharlal Nehru
Union Constitution Committee : Jawaharlal Nehru
Drafting Committee: B.R. Ambedkar
the
identity

Summary of the Objectives Resolution
s

-
-

safeguards
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mankind

Sessions of the Constituent Assembly

There were 11 sessions of the Constituent assembly.
1. First Session: 9-23 December, 1946
2. Second Session:20-25 January, 1947
3. Third Session:28 April - 2 May, 1947
4. Fourth Session:14-31 July, 1947
5. Fifth Session:14-30 August, 1947
6. Sixth Session:27 January, 1948
7. Seventh Session:4 November,1948 - 8 January, 1949
8. Eighth Session:16 May - 16 June, 1949
9. Ninth Session:30 July - 18 September, 1949
10. Tenth Session:6-17 October, 194
11. Eleventh Session: 14-26 November, 1949
The Assembly met once again on 24 January, 1950, when the
members appended their signatures to the Constitution of
India
.

years,

Constituency
Seats
Madras
49

Bombay
21
West Bengal
19

United
Provinces Member
55Name: sunil kumar Member's Email address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com 120.56.225.142
(Maximum)

East Punjab
12

Bihar
36
Central Provinces and
17

Berar

Assam
8
Orissa
9
Delhi
1
Ajmer-Merwara
1 2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved
served | Email: ssuresh@gktoday.in
urres
esh
h@
@
@gk
gktoda
ay.iin
Coorg
1
Total
229
8
|Page
8|P


formal

Salient features of Indian Constitution

Most Exhaustive Constitution
s
schedules.

26
-

98times.
Is British Constitution unwritten?

You must have heard that British constitution is not a written
constitution. It is also called de facto or uncodified constitution.
But how an unwritten constitution would work? This is because,
unwritten is a misnomer. The British constitution does not
have document which can be called a Constitution but it is
embodied in the written form, within statutes, court judgments,
and treaties. Besides, parliamentary constitutional conventions
and royal prerogatives are other written sources.

Our Constitution starts with a Preamble
insight
Constitutionis

amended.
120.56.225.142
Our constitution has been drawn from different sources

9|P a g e


somethin

Rigidity vs. Flexibility

.
Sovereignty of the Country

Democratic state

Parliamentary Democracy

Socialist State


Preambnd
10|P a g e

Secular

nd
Parliamentary Form of Government

.


11|P a g e


-

Par

Parliament

-

A blend of Federal and Unitary System

sep

Ther

120.56.225.142

12|P a g e


Integrated Judiciary

France was the first country which provided Universal male

suffrage in 1792, for the National Convention, enacted by law
in 1793. Still, it was not meant for women.

Universal Adult Franchise

Republic

Sources of the Indian Constitution

Government of India Act
1935

British Constitution

Irish Constitution

French Constitution
Directive Principles of State Policy

Principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
United States Constitution
Charter of Fundamental Rights,

Power of Judicial Review and independence of the judiciary
Canadian Constitution
A quasi-federal form of government (a federal system with

a strong central government)
The idea of Residual Powers

Federal Scheme (also from constitution of Canada)

Office of Governor
Judiciary
Public Service Commission
Emergency Provisions
Administrative Details
Administrative
First Past the Post System
Parliamentary Form of Government
The idea of the rule of law
Institution of the Speaker and his role
Lawmaking procedure

India

fraternit

-

Member

Name: sunil kumar Member's Email address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com 120.56.225.142

13|P a g e

Chapter 2.
Preamble

document

For the first time, the Government of India Act 1919

(Montague Chelmsford Reforms) had a separate preamble.
Government of India Act 1935 had NO preamble. The
idea of the Preamble was borrowed from the Constitution
of USA

socio-

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, have solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST
SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HERE BY ADOPT, ENACT
AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
(Note: The underlined words in red were inserted by 42nd amendment act 1976)

Is Preamble enforceable by Courts?

-

Which phrase underlines the supremacy of Indian People?

120.56.225.142

14|P a g e

Does Preamble narrows down the objectives of the Governments?

How many times Preamble has been amended so far?
nd

Understanding the Preamble
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, have solemnly resolved to constitute India

SOCIALIST

42nd

policies
SECULAR

-

DEMOCRATIC

th
JUSTICE

LIBERTY:

EQUALITY:

120.56.225.142
s
15|P a g e


untouchability
FRATERNITY:

ts
Article 1 & 2 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act
towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color,
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no
distinction shall be made on the basis of the political,
jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to
which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, nonself-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Berubari Case and Kesavanand Bharati Case in context with Preamble

Constitut

120.56.225.142

16|P a g e

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General Studies Manual

First Published in 2010

0Q RCTV QH VJKU RWDNKECVKQP OC[ DG TGRTQFWEGF QT EQRKGF KP CP[ OCVGTKCN HQTO

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

governed

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

Making of the Constitution

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

The Constituent Assembly

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

The historic Objectives Resolution was

Member Name: sunil kumar Member's Email address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

Sessions of the Constituent Assembly

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

Salient features of Indian Constitution

Is British Constitution unwritten?

Member Name: sunil kumar Member's Email address: tripathisunilkumar21@gmail.com

Our constitution has been drawn from different sources

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

   

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

France was the first country which provided Universal male

Sources of the Indian Constitution

Directive Principles of State Policy

United States Constitution

Charter of Fundamental Rights,

A quasi-federal form of government (a federal system with

Federal Scheme (also from constitution of Canada)

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

For the first time, the Government of India Act 1919

Is Preamble enforceable by Courts?

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014

Indian Polity--1: Salient Features and Preamble

Does Preamble narrows down the objectives of the Governments?

Understanding the Preamble

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, have solemnly resolved to constitute India

2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: suresh@gktoday.in

General Studies Manual2014