Preamble of the Indian Constitution: meaning, text and key words explained

The text and where it came from

The Preamble reads: '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 Preamble is based on the Objectives Resolution, moved in the Constituent Assembly by Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946 and accepted on 22 January 1947. The Constitution itself was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, celebrated as Republic Day. The opening words, 'We, the people', are the point most often tested: they mean the Constitution draws its authority from the people of India, not from any outside power.

What the key words mean

Sovereign means India is independent and not subject to any external authority, in its internal affairs and in its dealings with other states. Socialist, in the Indian context, refers to democratic socialism: reducing socio-economic inequality through democratic means, with a mixed economy rather than state ownership of everything. Secular means there is no state religion and all religions are equally respected, with the state keeping an equal distance from all faiths.

Democratic means the government is chosen by the people through universal adult franchise, one person one vote, with citizens aged 18 and above entitled to vote. Republic means the head of state, the President, is elected for a fixed term rather than inheriting office, and public offices are open to every citizen without a privileged class. Justice is promised in three forms, social, economic and political; liberty covers thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality covers status and opportunity; and fraternity means a sense of brotherhood assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.

The one amendment, and what the courts said

The Preamble has been amended only once. By the Forty-second Amendment of 1976, during the Emergency, the words 'socialist' and 'secular' were added, and the phrase 'unity of the Nation' was changed to 'unity and integrity of the Nation'. The original Preamble therefore described India simply as a 'Sovereign Democratic Republic'.

Whether the Preamble is part of the Constitution was itself disputed. In the Berubari reference, the Supreme Court first said it was not. In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the Court overruled that view and held that the Preamble is part of the Constitution and part of its basic structure, and that it can be used to interpret ambiguous provisions. The Court has also held that the Preamble can be amended under Article 368, provided the basic structure is not destroyed. But the Preamble is not itself a source of enforceable rights: you cannot go to court claiming a right only because the Preamble mentions justice or liberty. It guides interpretation; the enforceable rights live in Part III.

Editorial disclosure

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