ExplainersExplainerVerified
The Preamble to the Constitution of India, explained line by line
Adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, the Preamble sets out who the Constitution belongs to and what it promises every citizen.
The Preamble is the opening statement of the Constitution of India. It is short, but it answers three big questions: who made the Constitution, what kind of country India is, and what it promises its people.
Who: "We, the People of India"
The Preamble begins with "WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA". The Constitution is presented as something the people give to themselves, not something handed down by a ruler.
What kind of country
The people resolve to constitute India into a "SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC". The words in this phrase were substituted by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment), as the official text notes.
What it promises
The Preamble lists four promises to all citizens:
- Justice — social, economic and political
- Liberty — of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship
- Equality — of status and of opportunity
- Fraternity — assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation
When
It closes with the date of adoption: "IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."
How we verified this
VerifiedEvery quotation, the list of promises, the adoption date and the note on the Forty-second Amendment substitution were checked word-for-word against the text of the Preamble published on a Government of India website.
Sources
- 1.The Constitution of India — Preamble (text) — Government of India (cmlre.gov.in)
- 2.Preamble to the Constitution of India — Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice
