Know more about your Constitution!

A Constitution serves several purposes. It is a set of rules and regulations guiding the administration of a country. Let us know more about the Indian Constitution which is the supreme law in India.

Every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution, Constitution Day (National Law Day) is celebrated in India on 26 November.

On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India.

Here are some interesting facts about the Indian constitution which everyone must know:

• B.R. Ambedkar played a major part in drafting the Constitution which covered a wide range of guarantees and protections.

• With 25 parts containing 448 articles and 12 schedules, the Indian Constitution is the longest written constitution in the world.

• The original Constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style with beautiful calligraphy and devoted his six months to complete the writing. On the other hand, Nandalal Bose along with his team of artists from Shantiniketan painstakingly illustrated each page of the Constitution.

• The Constituent Assembly was the first Parliament of Independent India. Dr Sachchidananda Sinha was the first president (temporary Chairman of the Assembly) of the Constituent Assembly when it met on 9 December, 1946.

• The Constituent Assembly took precisely 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to come up with the final draft. When the draft was prepared and put for debate and discussion, over 2000 amendments were made, before it was finalised.
  

  Know more about your Constitution!

• The original copies of the Indian Constitution were handwritten in Hindi and English and the original copies are kept in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India.

• A total of 284 members of the Constituent Assembly signed the constitution, which came into being on 26th January 1950.

• Indian Constitution has borrowed provisions from 10 other countries which include Britain, Ireland, USA, Japan, France, Former USSR, South Africa, Germany, Australia, and Canada.

• The first amendment was made through the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 and was moved by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Nehru. The First Amendment Act amended articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376. As of now, our Constitution has undergone a total of 150 amendments.

• On 11 June 1947, the Nizam in Hyderabad issued a declaration to the effect that he had decided not to participate in the Constituent Assembly of either Pakistan or India and did not send any representative till the end.

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