Constitutions and Law

The original constitution provided for three categories of amendments.

Uniform civil code is envisaged in article 44 of the constitution of India.

The Directive principles of state policy are enshrined in part IV of the Indian constitution.

Universal Adult Suffrage is the right of citizens in a given society who are entitled to vote in an election to select, at periodic intervals when these elections are called, a government to represent them.

After 50 years of constitution coming into force, the government of India has set up a National Commission for Review of Working of Constitution under the chairmanship of a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice is Ranganath Mishra.

Economic and social planning is listed in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, meaning both the Union and State governments can legislate on it.

The provision of article 36I B which was inserted by the constitutional 91st Amendment 'a disqualified member shall be disqualified to hold any remunerative political post'.

Article 24 of the constitution states that no child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment. 

Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings shall be continued against the President or Governor of a State during his term of office.

In P. Rathinam vs Union of India, Supreme Court supported the decision of the High Court of Bombay. In Maruti Sripati Dubal case, court held that under Article 21 'right to life' also include right to die and laid down that section 309 of Indian Penal Court which deals with ‘attempt to commit suicide is a penal offence’ unconstitutional.

By virtue of Article 141 of the Indian Constitution, judgments of supreme courts are binding on all court of India.

The Constituent Assembly, elected indirectly, drafted and adopted the Indian Constitution between 1946 and 1949. While the Drafting Committee led by B.R. Ambedkar did the writing, the full Assembly of 299 members debated and approved each article.

The Indian Constitution establishes a parliamentary form of government, where the executive is responsible to the legislature.

While the Constitution has federal features, the practical implementation and the distribution of powers lean towards a quasi-federal structure, often described as federal in form but unitary in bias.