Preamble Flashcards
What is the Preamble?
The Preamble is a brief introductory note at the beginning of our constitution
which provides an understanding of the source of authority, system of government, objectives to be attained by the political system and the date of adoption and enactment of the constitution.
Through the 42nd amendment act in 1976, the words socialist and secular were added to the preamble.
It is known as the soul of the Constitution, though it is not enforceable by law.
Describe Democratic Republic.
The first and last lines of the Preamble state that the citizens of India are adopting and enacting the constitution for themselves.
This shows the adoption of democracy in the country.
The idea of democracy presented by the preamble is democratic not only from a political but also from a social point of view.
Explain the 3 types of justice according to the preamble.
- Social justice:
This means no discrimination on the grounds of birth, caste, race, sex or religion. To this end, India is envisioned as a welfare state. - Economic justice:
Bridging gaps between the rich and the poor by providing facilities such as education, health and employment to all. - Political justice:
This implies that every citizen has equal rights to participate in the affairs of the state.
Describe liberty in the Indian constitution.
Democracy is closely associated with liberty.
Certain minimum rights must be enjoyed by every person in the community for free and civilised existence. These translate to freedom. However, freedom cannot be unlimited and has certain restrictions and duties attached to it.
What is equality?
Equality means no discrimination on the basis of caste, place of birth, gender,religion or race. All citizens are before the law and enjoy equal protection by the laws of the land.
Describe Fraternity in the Indian Constitution.
India being a diverse country, a spirit of fraternity of brotherhood among its citizens is necessary. However, fraternity is not possible unless the dignity of each individual is preserved and respected. This is done by providing certain justifiable rights to each individual. Examples of such rights are:
1. The directive principles have been used to equally provide benefits to all citizens in providing adequate means of livelihood.
2. The state is bound to provide humane conditions for work and ensure that all its citizens attain a decent standard of living.
3. Untouchability has been abolished to preserve individual dignity.
What is socialism in the Indian constitution?
Socialism was Added to the preamble through the 42nd amendment act in 1976.
However it did not abolish private property.
It also didn’t enforce nationalisation in all means of production as done elsewhere.
The real meaning of socialism in India is to provide social, economic and political justice.
