The Preamble

The Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution. In one long sentence it says who made the Constitution, what kind of country India is to be, and what the Constitution promises to its people. It is often called the soul or the identity card of the Constitution.

The text

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

The key words, one by one

• We, the people of India: the Constitution draws its authority from the people, not from a king or a foreign power.
• Sovereign: India is fully independent. No outside power can dictate its decisions, at home or abroad.
• Socialist: the State works to reduce the gap between rich and poor and to see that wealth is not held by a few. This word was added in 1976.
• Secular: the State has no religion of its own. It treats all religions equally, and every person is free to follow any faith or none. This word too was added in 1976.
• Democratic: the government is chosen by the people through free elections and is answerable to them.
• Republic: the head of the State, the President, is elected and does not inherit the post. Every public office is open to every citizen.
• Justice: social, economic and political. No one should be treated unfairly because of caste, religion, sex or wealth.
• Liberty: freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.
• Equality: equal status and equal opportunity for all.
• Fraternity: a feeling of brotherhood among all Indians, which protects the dignity of each person and the unity and integrity of the nation.

Facts to remember

• The Preamble is based on the Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946.
• It names 26 November 1949 as the date on which the Constitution was adopted.
• It has been amended only once, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, which added the words "socialist", "secular" and "integrity".
• In the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), the Supreme Court held that the Preamble is a part of the Constitution.
• The Preamble is not a source of power by itself and cannot be enforced in a court. Courts use it to understand the spirit of the Constitution when the meaning of a provision is in doubt.

Why it matters

If the Constitution is a long journey, the Preamble is the map of where it wants to go. Every law and every action of the government is expected to move towards justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Reading the Preamble aloud, as many schools do in the morning assembly, is a way of remembering this promise.