The Preamble reveals the four most important components of the Indian Constitution. Those include :
- Source of Authority of the Constitution : People
- Nature of the Indian State : Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic and Republic
- Objectives of the Constitution : Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
- Date of adoption of the Constitution : November 26, 1949
| Keywords | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sovereign | India is neither a dependency nor a dominion of any other nation but an independent state. There is no authority above it, and it is free to conduct its own internal and external affairs. Being a Sovereign state, India can either acquire a foreign territory or cede a part of its territory in favour of a foreign state |
| Socialist | India follows democratic socialism (not Communistic Socialism), as it hold faith in the mixed economy, where both public and private sectors co-exist side by side. Social equality : No discrimination on the grounds of caste, colour, creed, sex, religion, or language. Everyone has equal status and opportunities. Economic equality : The government will endeavor to make the distribution of wealth more equal and provide a decent standard of living for all. |
| Secular | Indian Constitution provides same status and support to all religions of the nation. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion, and there is no official religion |
| Democratic | The first part of the preamble “We, the people of India” and, its last part “give to ourselves this Constitution” clearly indicate the democratic spirit involved even in the Constitution. In India, the supreme power will be possessed by the people i.e., The people of India elect their governments at all levels (Union, State and local) by a system of universal adult franchise; popularly known as "one man one vote". |
| Republic | India will have an elected head called the President. The post of the President Of India will not be hereditary. All public offices will be opened to every citizen without any discrimination. |
| Justice | Social Justice : No discrimination on the grounds of caste, colour, creed, sex, religion, or language. Everyone has equal status and opportunities. Economic Justice : The government will endeavor to make the distribution of wealth more equal and provide a decent standard of living for all. Political Justice : All citizens should have equal political rights, equal access to all political offices and equal voice in the government. |
| Liberty | Liberty provided by the constitution is not absolute but qualified, i.e., liberty has to be enjoyed within the limitations. Citizens of India have got liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, through their Fundamental Rights, enforceable in court of law, in case of violation. |
| Equality | There will not be any special privileges to any section of the society and equal opportunities will be provided to everyone without any sort of discrimination. |
| Fraternity | Brotherhood. Everyone must promote and respect the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation. |
