CONSTITUTION DAY

Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle

of life, and its spirit is always the spirit of age !
Indians were under the shackles of British colonial rule for over
200 years. It took us extreme efforts and struggles to gain
independence from the Britishers. Our constitution did not
come into effect easily. Several acts and laws, that were
imposed chronologically in history, moulded our constitution.
These acts regulated and revised our constitution every time,
mostly favourable to the British during their colonial rule. India
had no option but to wait until independence to append its own
constitution. The formation of our constitution can be traced
back right from the Regulating Act of 1773, Pitt's India Act,
Charter Act(s) and so on until the Indian Independence Act of
1947. The journey was arduous and quite lengthy, however, it
has great significance in history. When India was declared
independent and sovereign in 1947, both the legislative and
executive powers were assigned to the Constituent Assembly.
This Assembly was responsible for drafting the new
constitution for India. Soon after the independence, Dr. B R
Ambedkar was appointed by the Assembly as the chairman of
the Drafting Committee to write India's new Constitution.

The Indian Constitution Day, also known as Sanvidhan Divas,

is a national observance in India to commemorate the adoption
of the Indian Constitution on November 26th, 1949. This day
marks the significance of the Indian Constitution, the supreme
law of India and the longest-written constitution in the world.
It is a day to reflect on the importance of the constitution and
its role in shaping India's political, social, and economic
landscape. Indian Constitution lays down the framework for
India's government, the citizens' rights and duties, and the
relationship between the different branches of government. It
also guarantees the fundamental rights of citizens, such as
freedom of speech and expression, equality before the law, the
right to life and personal liberty, and the right to education and
employment, among others. It also includes provisions for
protecting the rights of marginalised and disadvantaged groups,
such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other
Backward Classes. The constitution has also been the basis for
India's progress and development as a nation. It has ensured
that India has a federal government structure, with the
distribution of powers between the Centre and the States. It has
also ensured that the country has a balance of power between
the different branches of government, such as the Executive,
Judiciary, and Legislature. On 11th October 2015, while laying
the foundation stone of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Statue of Equality
memorial at Indu Mills compound, in Mumbai, the Prime
Minister of India, Narendra Modi made a declaration.
Government of India officially declared 26th November as the
National Constitution Day by notification in the Gazette.

The year 2015 marks the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R.

Ambedkar. Baba Saheb was the chairman of the drafting
committee of the Constituent Assembly. He played a very
significant role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution. The
idea behind choosing this day to celebrate is to spread the
importance of the Constitution as well as the ideas and thoughts
of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. It is noteworthy here that previously
we celebrated this day as National Law Day.

The ‘Preamble’ of Indian Constitution is a brief introductory

statement which sets the guiding purpose and principles of the
Constitution. It indicates the inspiration from which the
document derives its authority, meaning, and people. It was
adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26
November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950.
Schools and College students read the Preamble and take an
oath. They are taught about the significance of our Indian
constitution through special lectures. Students nowadays must
be completely aware of our country and our constitution. This
day is celebrated only to empower the youth about our
constitution. Many quiz and essay competitions were held by
universities to enhance the student's knowledge regarding the
constitution. The Ministry of External affairs ordered all
schools overseas to follow constitution day and to direct the
students to the same. The Sports department organized a
symbolic run named "Run for Equality" on 26th November
2015. The parliament was decorated to commence the
ceremony where they paid tribute to Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
This day is also celebrated solely as a thanksgiving for the
supreme service Dr Ambedkar did for our country.
Constitution Day is observed with great fervor across the
nation. It is not just a celebration; it is a reminder of our duty
to uphold the principles of our Constitution. It is a day to
reaffirm our commitment to democracy, justice, equality, and
fraternity. As we observe this day, let us pledge to work
together to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution, to
ensure a better future for all citizens.