Understanding the Preamble of the Indian Constitution
The Preamble serves as an introduction to the Constitution of India. It outlines the objectives of the Constitution and the ideals that the nation aims to achieve. It is like a preface that explains the purpose and philosophy behind the entire document.
The original Preamble of the Indian Constitution contained words like Sovereign, Democratic, Republic, Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
The Constitution (42 nd Amendment) Act, 1976
The Constitution (42 nd Amendment) Act, 1976, was a major amendment to the Constitution of India. It is often referred to as the 'Mini Constitution' because it made significant changes to various parts of the Constitution, including the Preamble.
One of the notable changes brought about by the 42 nd Amendment was the addition of certain words to the Preamble. These additions aimed to clarify and reinforce the ideals of the Indian state.
Words Added to the Preamble in 1976
The 42 nd Amendment Act, 1976, added three new words to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. These words were:
- Socialist
- Secular
- Integrity
These words were inserted between "Sovereign, Democratic Republic" and "unity of the Nation" (which was changed to "unity and integrity of the Nation").
Analyzing the Options
Let's examine the given options in the context of the 42 nd Amendment and the Preamble:
- Liberty: The word 'Liberty' was part of the original Preamble, stating "LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship". It was not added by the 42 nd Amendment.
- Socialist: The word 'Socialist' was specifically inserted into the Preamble by the Constitution (42 nd Amendment) Act, 1976.
- Justice: The word 'Justice' was part of the original Preamble, stating "JUSTICE, social, economic and political". It was not added by the 42 nd Amendment.
- Equality: The word 'Equality' was part of the original Preamble, stating "EQUALITY of status and of opportunity". It was not added by the 42 nd Amendment.
Based on the analysis of the 42 nd Amendment's changes to the Preamble, the word that was inserted is 'Socialist'.
| Original Preamble (Before 1976) | Amended Preamble (After 1976) |
|---|---|
| SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC | SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC |
| JUSTICE, social, economic and political; | JUSTICE, social, economic and political; |
| LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; | LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; |
| EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; | EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; |
| FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation; | FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and INTEGRITY of the Nation; |
Conclusion on Preamble Amendment
The question asks which word was inserted into the Preamble by the Constitution (42 nd Amendment) Act, 1976. Among the given options, only 'Socialist' was added by this amendment. 'Liberty', 'Justice', and 'Equality' were already present in the original Preamble.
Revision Table: 42 nd Amendment and Preamble
| Word/Phrase | Action |
|---|---|
| Socialist | Inserted |
| Secular | Inserted |
| Integrity | Inserted (changed "unity of the Nation" to "unity and integrity of the Nation") |
Additional Information: Impact of 42 nd Amendment
The 42 nd Amendment Act, 1976, brought about numerous other changes to the Constitution, besides altering the Preamble. Some of these included:
- Added Fundamental Duties of citizens.
- Made the President bound by the advice of the Council of Ministers.
- Provided for administrative tribunals and other tribunals.
- Froze the seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies based on the 1971 census until 2001.
- Curtailed the power of the High Courts regarding judicial review.
The addition of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble aimed to explicitly state the nature of the Indian state as envisioned by the policymakers at that time. The word 'Socialist' implies a commitment to achieving socialist goals through democratic means, promoting social and economic equality. 'Secular' signifies that India has no state religion and treats all religions equally. The addition of 'Integrity' aimed to emphasize the concept of national integration.
Similar Questions
The word ‘Secular’ got inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution of India through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of ______.
Article ______ of the Constitution of India deals with the ‘protection of life and personal liberty’.
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The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 6, 2021 which seeks to punish financing illicit activities or harbouring persons engaged in them with rigorous imprisonment of at least ten years (extendable up to 20 years) and a fine of at least ______.
Which of the following is NOT a fundamental duty?
The Supreme Court ruled in the Kesavananda Bharati case of _________ that the Preamble is a constituent of the Constitution.
Which of the following is a fundamental duty mentioned in the Indian Constitution?
The Amendments to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act 1991 made in March 2021 have been made with reference to which of the following articles of the Constitution?
Who among the following considered "Right to Constitutional Remedies" to be the heart and soul of the Indian Constitution?
Important Questions from Basics of Constitution
Which article of Indian constitution is related with Official language of the Union?
In which year was the Indian ‘Wildlife (Protection) Act’ implemented?
Which article of the Indian constitution was called the 'heart and soul' of the constitution by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar?
Which of the following Articles ensures to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right to Education?
Who replaced Sachchidananda Sinha as Chairman of the Constituent Assembly of India?
