Fundamentals Of Indian Polity

Question 1

General facts

Answer 1

Living constitution
Sources from around 60 countries
Hand-written
Longest written constitution
283 members signed it in the constituent assembly formed in 1946
Drafting committee chaired by B.R. Ambedkar (first law minister, father of the constitution of India)
Constitution is a fundamental law of land that sets out character, organization and conception of the government, extent of its sovereign power and manner of its exercise.

Question 2

Types of Constitution

Answer 2

1) Written:
Single copy of codified + serially arranged written laws
Rigid
Structure of Govt either federal or unitary
This is because Constitution is supreme and all organs derive power from it
Judiciary enjoys power through judicial review and the interpretation of provisions
Distinction exists between constitution laws and other laws (statutory laws).

2) Unwritten:
No single document
Not codified or systematically arranged
Flexible to interpretation
Structure of govt can only be unitary as parliament is supreme and the constitution is the parliament’s creation
Judiciary has limited power (no judicial review and law passed by parliament absolute)
No difference between constitutional law or statutory law
For example, the UK.

Question 3

Facts about Indian constitution

Answer 3

Both rigid and flexible
Both quasi-federal (unitary + federal)
Balances between parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy
It recognises independent and integrated judiciary

Question 4

Constituent assembly

Answer 4

283 members signed
Came into being on 26th Jan, 1950 (Purna Swaraj day).
Took 2 years, 11 months, 17 days to finish writing

Question 5

National anthem

Answer 5

Written by R.N. Tagore
Language Bengali (OG), translated to Hindi by Abid Ali in 1911.
First sung at INC Calcutta session of 1911
Adopted on 24th Jan, 1950

Question 6

National flag

Answer 6

Tiranga: saffron, white and green with 24 spokes of the Ashok chakra
Conceptualized by Pingali Venkayya (Andhra Pradesh)
Adopted on 22nd July, 1947

Question 7

National song

Answer 7

Vande matram by B.C. Chatterjee through novel, Anandmath
Adopted by constituent assembly on 24th Jan, 1950

Question 8

National emblem

Answer 8

Adaptation of lion capital of Ashoka on 26th Jan, 1950