Indian Polity :- Chapter 1- General Facts and Features of Constitution of India

    

Chapter 1:  General Facts and Features of Constitution of India

General Facts about the Constitution of India:

• 1.       Constitution of India was presented on – 26 Nov 1949

                                      was adopted/ implemented/enforced on the – 26 Jan 1950 

• 2.       Forming of the Constitution took 2yrs 11 months 18 days.
• 3.       The Drafting Committee wrote the Constitution of India in English language.
• 4.       Pages of the Constitution of India  were decorated by Nandalal Bose and Ram Manohar Sinha.
• 5.       Constitution was penned by – Prem Bihari Raizada
• 6.       Original Constitution of India is now kept at the Office of Survey of India, Dehradun.

Salient features of the Indian Constitution:

1.     Lengthiest written constitution of the world:

     Originally contained = 395 Articles 22 Parts 8 Schedules

     Today it contains = 470 Articles 25 Parts 12 Schedules

Reasons-

                                         i.            Single constitution for both centre and states.

                                       ii.            Covers all details and descriptions of all powers which are enjoyed by Executives, Legislative and Judiciary

                                      iii.            Government of India Act, 1935 (Main source of Indian constitution)

 2.       Blend of Rigidity and Flexibility:

    Rigidity of constitution – Constitution in which making an amendment is very difficult     (Requires Special Majority)  →→→→  USA’s Constitution

    Flexibility of constitution – Constitution in which making an amendment is easy    (Requires Simple Majority)           →→→→     Britain’s Constitution

 

India constitution has a mix of both features to bring amendment in some issues we need Special Majority while in other issues we need Simple Majority.

 3.       Parliamentary Government :

                                   i.            Bicameralism - India has parliamentary government both at centre and in states.

 This parliamentary system is also known as Westminster Model of Government.

     ⬈                                         Upper House (Rajya Sabha)

       ⬊ Centre

                                  Lower House (Lok Sabha)

 

 

      ⬈                                  Upper House (Vidhan Parishad)

         ⬊ State

                                   Lower House ( Vidhan Sabha) 

4.       Other Features:

       Ø  Majority Party Rule

       Ø  Leadership of Prime Minister in centre and Chief Minister in states.

       Ø  Dissolution of Lower House (Lok Sabha)

5.       Federal system with unitary bias:

           Federal system – Powers and divided within centres and states.

           Unitary bias – Powers and divided within centre and states, however centre remains as the main authority.