Question 8 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Polity & Governance

Question

What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. A Sovereign Democratic Republic

Strategy: Focus on the precise wording of the Preamble as it stood in 1950. 'Sovereign Democratic Republic' were the words used then. 'Secular' and 'Socialist' were inserted only much later. Options with these extra terms can be immediately discounted, pointing directly to option B as the historically accurate constitutional status on 26th January 1950.

Key Info: On 26th January 1950, the day the Constitution of India came into effect, the Preamble described India as a 'Sovereign Democratic Republic'. The original Preamble did not include the words 'Secular' and 'Socialist.'

These terms were inserted later by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, resulting in the current phrase: 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.' The 42nd Amendment, enacted during the Emergency in 1976, explicitly introduced 'Secular' and 'Socialist' into the Preamble.

The key terms in the Preamble have the following meanings:
- **Sovereign:** Implies complete independence, both internally and externally.
- **Democratic:** Denotes that the government is elected by the people.
- **Republic:** Indicates a head of state who is elected and not hereditary.
- **Secular:** Signifies equal respect and protection for all religions.
- **Socialist:** Aims for social and economic equality.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: A democratic Republic

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic