Indian Polity and Governance

Indian Polity and Governance in our Constitution means the political system, or the Panchayati Raj, which upholds the public policy and the rights and issues of the public. The Constitution is the most important topic under the Indian Polity; hence, we will include the same in our discussion. Apart from the constitution, new bills, laws, and regulations of the government should also be studied thoroughly.

This content will comprise the discussion of the Indian Polity. What is Indian Polity? Indian Polity and the Constitution, Polity, and Governance all will be discussed minutely in this section.

Know About Indian Polity and Governance 

We have designed our content, especially keeping in mind for the deliverance of benefit to the students – especially the aspirants of competitive exams like UPSC/SSC/CDS/PCS and others. We will foremostly discuss Indian Polity meaning, also know about the governance, and will later take up the discussion on making of our Constitution and the Preamble. At the end of the content, we will also provide you with some amazing facts which will truly prove amusing for you.

Indian Polity

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Indian Polity can be best defined by the Politics of our country itself. India works within a definite framework which is according to the Indian Constitution. India is known as a parliamentary democratic republic where the President of India is elected as the head of the nation, and he is the head of the whole governing unit. Thus, we see Indian governance and polity rows in the same boat.

Dual Polity of Governance 

This is based on the federal structure of the government. Our country follows a dual polity system, i.e., where the system is partially federal in nature, consisting of the central authority at the center and the states being its periphery.

The Constitution

The Constitution defines organizational powers and their limitations quite vividly. Both central and state government is well recognized. The Preamble of the Constitution is too rigid, and it dictates any further amendments to the Constitution, which is considered the supreme. This means all the laws made in our country must abide by the principles of the Constitution.

Indian Polity Constitution

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Polity is the basic structure of the state which has been extensively defined in our constitution, and this is also framed by the laws, rules, and procedures which are not covered by the constitution. The word polity originates from the Greek word called “polis”, which means the state or a city particularly. So, Indian Polity means the type, nature, constitutional, and other extra-constitutional provisions of the Indian state, and the structure of the state is well defined in the constitution.

Our Constitution is called the instrument of India. Via this constitution, the governments work, or you can say according to which the government works. This is the supreme law of India. The Constitution lays down the basic principles, which are established in the structure, procedures, powers, and in duties of the citizens. 

The Indian Constitution is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in this entire world, which contains more than 444 articles in 25 parts, 12 schedules added with more than 97 amendments. The constitution was being adopted by the constituent assembly on 26th November in the year 1949, and this came into effect on the 26th of January in the year 1950.

The Making of the Constitution of India

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The Constitution of India came into force on the 26th of January in the year 1950. Although, this process of the evolution of the constitution originated many years, even before India got its independence. For the fact, the constitution of India had its origination from the struggle fought for independence from Britain as well as the demand for responsible and for the constitutional government.

Most of the political part is being borrowed from the constitution of Britain, which has a lot of input from other constitutions also. Back at the time when India got its independence on the 15th of August 1947, the Constituent Assembly was set up as the sovereign body which framed the Constitution as well as other ordinary laws.

The Preamble of the Constitution of India

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The Preamble is known as the introduction letter of the Indian Constitution. The preamble was amended by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of the year 1976, in which here they added three new words - Socialist, Secular, and Integrity. The Preamble also serves as the introductory part of the constitution. The part secures justice, liberty, equality for all the citizens of India and also promotes fraternity among the people. 

What does the Preamble State?

We, The people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens:

Justice, social, economic, and political

Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship;

Equality of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

In our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this constitution. 

• These are the words cited from the Constitution of India. This means the preamble is stating to constitute our country into a sovereign but a socialist economy, where the country will function with the power of Indians and not by any supreme leader. Our country is a democratic and republic nation for its citizens to uphold the virtues of - justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

What are the Four Components of the Preamble?

1. The Preamble says that the source of authority of the Constitution lies with the Indians.

2. The Preamble declares India to be a socialist, secular, secular, democratic, and also a republic nation.

3. This also states that its objectives are to secure the nation for justice, liberty, equality to all the citizens and promote a sense of fraternity which would maintain the unity and the integrity of this nation.

4. It also mentions the date (that is, November 26, of the year 1949) on which the constitution was being adopted.

The Keywords of the Preamble

The keywords of the preamble are as follows:

• Sovereign

The Preamble addresses India as a Sovereign State. 'Sovereign' this term means that India has their own independent authority, and our country is not a dominion or dependent on any other state or any other external power which is controlling it. 

• Socialist

The word 'Socialist' was added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in the year 1976. Socialism means achieving socialist power through democratic means. 

• Secular

The word which is 'Secular' was incorporated in the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in the year 1976. This term secular in the Constitution means that all the religions in India will get equal respect, protection, and support from all the states. 

• Democratic

The term Democratic means that the Constitution has established a form of government that gets its authority from the will and rights of the people, the Indians, which is expressed via the election. 

• Republic

In a Republic country, the head of the state is being elected by the people who are directly or indirectly by the local people. In India, the President is the head is elected directly or indirectly by the people.

• Justice

The term ‘Justice’ in the Preamble spells out three distinct forms. They are - Social, economic, and political. This is secured through various provisions of the Fundamental and the Directive Principles of the government. 

• Liberty

Liberty will imply the absence of restraints or the domination on the activities of an individual like that of freedom from slavery, imprisonment, despotism, etc. The Preamble provides the freedom of liberty of thought, expression, any belief, or faith, and also worship.

• Equality

Equality means there must be the absence of privileges or any form of discrimination against any section of society. The Preamble will provide for the status of equality and opportunity to all the people of the country. The Constitution strives to provide all the social, economic, and political equality in the country.

• Fraternity

Fraternity here means the sense of brotherhood. The Preamble also addresses the nation to promote fraternity among the people while assuring the dignity of the individual and exemplifying there is strength in unity and integrity in the nation.

Did You Know?

1. Originally the constitution was written in Hindi and in the English language. Also, both these copies were signed by the members of the Parliament. 

2. The English version of the Constitution was 117,369 words long. It contained 444 articles in 22 parts, with 12 schedules and 115 amendments. It will take almost 15 hours to go through the constitution. 

3. Indian Constitution is the longest constitution in the entire world. In contrast, the Constitution of Monaco is the shortest, with only 3,814 words. 

4. The Father of the Indian Constitution was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

5. The Indian Constitution was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, it was published in Dehradun. The constitution was written in an Italic style. 

6. Each Page of the constitution was decorated by the Artists from Shantiniketan. Shantiniketan was a neighbourhood that was expanded by Rabindra Nath Tagore. 

7. To be accurate enough, it took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to write the final draft of the constitution. 

8. The original copies of the Constitution are stored in helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament of India.