November 26th is celebrated as Constitution Day in India, because it was adopted on 26th November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950.
The provisions relating to citizenship, elections, provisional parliament, temporary and transitional provisions were given immediate effect on November 26, 1949, and the rest came into effect when the Constitution came into force on 26th January 1950.
Take the quiz and check your basic understanding of the Constitution of India.
What is a Constitution?
A constitution is a set of basic principles, rules, and regulations according to which a country/state is conducted. This includes the method by which the state is organised, the distribution of powers among the 3 organs of government (Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary), the scope and manner of exercise of governmental functions, and the relation of the government to the people over whom its authority is exercised. Similarly, according to the set of rules, the people also enjoy their rights and meet their obligations.
Few facts of the Indian Constitution:
- It is handwritten and the world’s longest constitution. It took 2 years, 11 months, and 17 days for the assembly to finish writing the constitution.
- When it came into effect, it had 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules. After amendments, now it has 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules.
- It was adopted on 26th November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950.
- The original copies written in Hindi & English, are kept in special helium-filled cases in the Parliament of India Library.