Constitution Day, also celebrated as National Law Day or Samvidhan Diwas in India, is observed on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution.
The Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949 and was implemented on January 26, 1950. However, the process of celebrating Constitution Day on 26 November is not very old as it was only 15 November 2015,that the Ministry of Social Justice decided that the tradition of celebrating the Constitution would be started and since then, Constitution Day is celebrated on this day.
The Constitution Day is also celebrated to pay a tribute to Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who was the first law minister of India, who is also known as the father of the constitution. A constitution is the foundation of every democratic society. The Preamble to the Indian Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. It aims at securing Justice, Liberty, Equality to all citizens and promotes fraternity to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation.
The Indian constitution is the lengthiest written Constitution in the world. The Constitution checks and balances the power of governance. An impartial Judiciary, independent of the legislature and the executive, is one of the main features of the Constitution. The Constitution provides fundamental rights to its citizens including the right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation. etc which are justiciable and an individual can move the Supreme Court or any High court if there is any violation of these rights.
The fundamental rights of the people are also accompanied by the Fundamental Duties. By the 42nd Amendment 1976 fundamental duties were added in the Constitution. TheConstitution contains a chapter on the Directive Principles of State Policy that are in the nature of directives to the Government to implement them for establishing social and economic democracy in the country. Though not justiciable, these principles are considered fundamental in the governance of the country.
There are many autonomous institutions set up under the Constitution which perform a key role, such as Election Commission (responsible for holding free and fair elections), Public Service Commissions (responsible for selection to government services) and Auditor General (for independent audit of the accounts of the Government and its agencies).
One of the strengths of the Constitution is that it is a dynamic instrument that can evolve with time either by its interpretation or amendment. The Indian Constitution has been amended 105 times so as not to stand in the way of growth and development of our nation and her people. The success of the Indian Constitution, for a country as diverse and complex as India, continues to intrigue, impress and inspire experts around the world.
Limugha L Jakha,
B.A 5th Semester,
Para Legal Volunteer,
Fazl Ali College Legal Aid Cell
