The Constitution of India
Exercise
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. The Constituent Assembly framed the constitution of India.
2. The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November, 1949.
3. 26 January is celebrated as the Republic Day in India.
4. The Preamble is the introductory statement to Constitution.
5. The Constitution of India is regarded as an instrument of social change.
B. Match the following.
=
|
Feature |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
1. Democratic |
a. Fair and equal distribution of wealth. [2] |
|
2. Socialist |
b. State headed by an elected representative of the people. [5] |
|
3. Secular |
c. Government, of the people, by the people and for the people. [1] |
|
4. Sovereign |
d. No discrimination on basis of religion. [3] |
|
5. Republic |
e. Free from foreign interference and control. [4] |
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. The Drafting Committee was headed by _____ .
a. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. [ ]
b. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. [✓]
c. Dr. Rajendra Prasad. [ ]
d. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. [ ]
2. The word ______ was added in the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment Act in 1976.
a. Sovereign. [ ]
b. Democratic. [ ]
c. Republic. [ ]
d. Socialist. [✓]
3. The ________ is the head of the Indian State.
a. Prime Minister. [ ]
b. Speaker. [ ]
c. President. [✓]
d. Citizen. [ ]
4. ________ is responsible for making laws to accomplish the goals of the Constitution.
a. Constituent Assembly. [ ]
b. Drafting Committee. [ ]
c. President. [ ]
d. Government. [✓]
5. _________ is one of the objectives of the Constitution of India.
a. Democracy. [ ]
b. Secularism. [ ]
c. Liberty. [✓]
d. Sovereignty. [ ]
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Name any five members of the Constituent Assembly.
= Name of five members of the Constituent Assembly are - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Sarojini Naidu.
2. When was the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly held?
= The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on 9 December, 1946.
3. What was the function of the Drafting Committee?
= The Drafting Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, was responsible for the compilation for the individual accounts and drafting the Constitution of India.
4. How long did it take to create the Constitution of India?
= It took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to create the Constitution of India.
5. Why is the Constitution regarded as an 'instrument of social change'?
= The Constitution of India establishes a just social order by elimination of inequality and injustice. It is, thus, regarded as an 'instrument of social change.'
E. Answer the following questions in details.
1. What is a Constitution? What is the significance of the Preamble to the Indian Constitution?
= A constitution is a legal document based on which a country is governed. It clearly defines the organisation, powers and functions of the government and also contains the rights and duties of its citizens.
The Preamble is the introductory statement to the Constitution. It conveys the values, visions and objectives of the Constitution. The Preamble is considered as the 'key to the constitution.'
2. What was the role of the Constituent Assembly in creating the Constitution of India?
= The Constituent Assembly of India comprised elected representatives from various regions, political parties, occupations, religions, castes and classes of India.
The Constituent Assembly was divided into several small committees responsible for different tasks, for instance, the National Flag Committee, the Fundamental Rights Committee, Committee of Rules of Procedures.
The Constituent Assembly worked intensely on the constitution for 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days and created the lengthiest constitution of the world. The constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949. It came into effect nationwide on the 26 January 1950.
3. Explain the characteristics of nature of the state of India, as stated in the Preamble.
= The Preamble states the nature of the state of India, as well as the primary objectives of the constitution. The nature of the state as specified in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, and republican country.
Sovereign State : The Indian state is a sovereign state, which means that it is an independent country and is governed by its own people.
Socialist State : The Indian state is a socialist state, which means that it ensures a fair and equal distribution of the country's wealth among all its people.
Secular State : India is a secular state with no official religion. People are free to follow any religion.
Democratic State : The Government of India is a government 'of the people, by the people and for the people'. The government is elected by the people of the country and is accountable to them.
Republic State : The Indian state is a republic state, which means that the head of the state is an elected representative of the people, and not a monarch or dictator.
4. Explain the objectives of the Constitution of India.
= The Constitution of India works towards securing justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity to all its citizens.
Justice : The Constitution secures social, economic and political justice to all the citizens of India. It means conferring an equal status to every individual, irrespective of the caste, creed, religion, race, sex, wealth, and social status.
Liberty : People of India have the liberty and freedom of speech, though and expression. They are also free to follow their individual faiths and beliefs.
Equality : The Constitution of India recognises that all citizens of India are equal in the eye of law. They will be protected by the laws of the land. It enforces that the state of India cannot discriminate between people on the basis of caste, class, religion, sex, status (economic, social or political), or domicile.
Fraternity : Fraternity is the feeling of oneness and brotherhood among different sections of the society.
5. How do the objectives stated in the Preamble ensure the growth and development of the nation?
= The Constitution of India works towards the realisation of the objectives mentioned in the Preamble. To accomplish its goals, the government of India is responsible for making appropriate laws.
The Constitution of India establishes a just social order by elimination of inequality and injustice. It is, thus, regarded as an 'instrument of social change.'
However, these ideals enumerated by the people of India. Hence, we must vow to strive towards securing the justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for the people of our country.