CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMS) SPECIAL

Quick Revision Notes™

on Indian Constitution
1. Idea for a Constituent 12. SOCIALIST, SECU- (Article 23). (Article 44).
Assembly for drafting a con- LAR, INTEGRITY—these —Against child labour —Free and compulsory
stitution for India was first words were added to the (Article 24). education (Article 45).
provided by Bal Gangadhar Preamble later, through the 19. The Right to Consti- 21. Fundamental duties
Tilak in 1895. 42nd Amendment, 1976. tutional Remedies is provid- are contained in part IV(A).
2. The elections for the 13. The Preamble con- ed under Article 32. The There are ten fundamental
first Constituent Assembly tains aims and objectives of Constitution provides that duties listed in the Constitu-
were held in July 1946. Ini- our Constitution. High Courts and the tion. This idea was borrowed
tially it had 389 members, 14. Fundament Rights Supreme Court can issue from Russia.
but later the reformed are contained in Part III— various writs (written 22. The Vice President is
Assembly had 324 members. called “Magna Carta” of the orders) to safeguard free- the Chairman of the Rajya
3. The State of Hydra- Constitution. The idea was dom of an individual. There Sabha. However, he is not a
bad did not participate in borrowed from USA. Initial- are five types of writs: member of any House.
elections to the Constituent ly there were 7 fundamental Habeas Corpus—“may I 23. If a member is found
Assembly. rights, now there are only 6. have the body”—it orders to sitting in another House of
4. The first meeting of (The Right to Property was present reasons as well as Parliament, of which he is
Constituent Assembly was deleted by the 44th amend- physical presence of a body not a member, he has to pay
held on December 9, 1946— ment in 1978. It is now a in court, within 24 hours of a fine of Rs 5000.
its president was Dr Sacchi- judicial right—it has been arrest. 24. Rajya Sabha has 250
danand Sinha. moved to Article 300(A).) Mandamus—issued to members—238 elected and
5. The second meeting 15. The Supreme Court person, office or court—to 12 nominated by the Presi-
was held on December 11, judgement in Keshwanand enforce duties—also called dent. Uttar Pradesh elects
1946. Its president was Dr Bharti vs Kerala case provid- “Param Aadesh”. maximum number of mem-
Rajendra Prasad. ed that Fundamental Rights Prohibition—issued to bers for the Rajya Sabha (34),
6. The Objectives Reso- can be altered by the Parlia- inferior courts, by superior followed by Bihar (22) and
lution was passed under ment as long as the basic courts—it prohibits (stops) Maharashtra (19).
chairmanship of J.L. Nehru. structure of the Constitution action of acts outside their 25. In one year time, the
7. The Draft of Indian remains intact. jurisdiction. President must hold at least
Constitution was presented 16. The Minerva Mills Quo Warranto—it asks two meetings of the Rajya
in October 1947. President of case ruling of the Supreme how one has gained unau- Sabha.
the Drafting Committee was Court, however, ruled that thorised office. 26. If a state of Emer-
Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Fundamental rights are basic Certiorari—Higher gency is declared, the Lok
8. The Flag Committee part of the Constitution. The Court takes over case from Sabha is dissolved, but not
worked under J.B. Kripalani. power to alter them was lower courts. the Rajya Sabha (It is a per-
9. The total time con- snatched away. Dr Ambedkar has called manent House).
sumed to prepare the draft 17. Fundamental Right this article as “soul” of the 27. Lok Sabha has 547
was 2 years, 11 months, 18 of Equality provides for: Constitution. members—545 elected and 2
days. Total 11 meetings —Equality in govern- 20. Directive Principles nominated from the Anglo-
were held for this. ment jobs (Article 16). of State Policy act as guide- Indian Community.
10. The Indian Constitu- —No discriminations lines or morals for the gov- 28. During a state of
tion was enacted on Novem- (Article 15). ernment. They are contained emergency, the tenure of Lok
ber 26, 1946 and put into —No untouchability in Part IV of the Constitu- Sabha can be extended by a
force on January 26, 1950. (Article 17). tion. They were borrowed maximum of one year.
11. The Constitution —Abolition of titles from Ireland. Some impor- 29. Maximum number
today has 444 Articles and 12 (Article 18). tant directive principles are: of members of Lok Sabha are
schedules. Originally there 18. The important free- —Gram Panchayats elected from Uttar Pradesh
were 395 Articles and 8 doms granted are: (Article 40). (80 members), followed by
schedules. —Against exploitation —Uniform civil code Bihar (54) and Maharashtra
559 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER
 CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMS) SPECIAL

(48). rebellion. (Implemented chairman is also the Prime contiguous to them. These
30. Minimum age for three times (1962, 71, 75).) Minister. merged States were included
becoming member of Lok Emergency under Article 50. The first leader of in the territories of the States
Sabha is 25 years and Rajya 356—Constitutional prob- the Opposition was Ram in Part B in the First Sche-
Sabha is 30 years. Minimum lems. (Implemented many Subhag Singh, in 1969. dule of the Constitution. The
age to be eligible for the post times, in various States like 51. The shortest Lok process of merger started
of the President is 35 years. J&K, Punjab, etc.) Sabha span was 13 days with the merger of Orissa
31. The President is Emergency under Article (12th Lok Sabha in 1998). and Chattisgarh States with
elected by members of both 360—Financial Emergency. 52. Although the Parlia- the then province of Orissa,
Houses of Parliament and (Not implemented so far). ment can pass impeachment on January 1, 1948. The last
State Legislative Assemblies. 41. The Constitution ini- motion against judges, their instance was merger of
32. The Vice President is tially recognised 14 National conduct cannot be discussed Cooch-Behar with West Ben-
elected by all members of the Languages. Later, four more by it. gal in January 1950.
Parliament. were added. These were: 53. There are at present (ii) 61 States were con-
33. To discuss an impor- Sindhi (21st amendment), 18 High Courts in India. verted into Centrally-admin-
tant topic, the normal proce- Nepali, Konkani and 54. Article 370 gives istered areas and included in
dure of the Parliament is Manipuri (71st amendment). special status to Jammu & Part C of the First Schedule.
stopped under the Adjourn- 42. To gain the status of Kashmir. (iii) The third form was
ment motion. a National Party, a political 55. The Indian Consti- consolidation of groups of
34. Decision about whe- party must be recognised in tution was the first of the States into new viable units,
ther a Bill is a Money Bill or four or more States, attaining preceding two centuries known as Union of States.
not is taken by the Lok at least 4% votes on national which was not imposed by The first Union formed was
Sabha Speaker. scale and 9% in each State. an imperial power, but was the Saurashtra Union on
35. The first High 43. The flag of the Con- made by the people them- February 15, 1948. The last
Courts in India were estab- gress party was accepted as selves, through representa- one was Union of Travan-
lished at Bombay, Calcutta, the National Flag (with few tives in a Constituent core-Cochin on July 1, 1949.
and Madras, in 1862. Alla- changes) on July 22, 1947. Assembly. As many as 275 States were
habad and Delhi were estab- 44. The new Flag Code 56. The Preamble of the integrated into five
lished next in 1866. of India gives freedom to Indian Constitution is not Unions—Madhya Bharat,
36. Maximum age to individuals to hoist the flag enforceable in a court of law. Patiala and East Punjab
remain a High Court judge is on all days, but with due It states the objects which States Union, Rajasthan,
62 years and maximum age respect to the flag. the Constitution seeks to Saurashtra and Travancore-
to remain a Supreme Court 45. The Question hour establish. Cochin. These were included
judge is 65 years. in the Parliament is observed 57. The Indian Constitu- in Part B of the First Sche-
37. The process for from 11 am to 12 noon. The tion endows the Judiciary dule. Besides, Hyderabad,
removal of Comptroller and Zero hour is observed from with power of declaring a J&K and Mysore were also
Auditor General of India is 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. law as unconstitutional if it included in Part B.
same as that of judges of the 46. Balwant Rai Mehta is beyond the competence of 59. At the time of acces-
Supreme Court. Committee suggested a the Legislature according to sion to the Dominion of
38. Attorney General is three-tier structure for Pan- the distribution of powers India, the States had acceded
the law expert to govern- chayati Raj—Gram Pancha- provided by the Constitu- only on three subjects
ment. He can participate and yat village level, Panchayat tion, or if it is in contraven- (Defence, Foreign Affairs
speak in both Houses of Par- Samiti at block level and Zila tion of the fundamental and Communications). Lat-
liament, but is not allowed to Parishad in districts. rights or of any other er, revised Instruments of
vote. 47. First Constitutional mandatory provision, e.g. Accession were signed by
39. The idea of having a Amendment—1951—put a Articles 286, 299, 301 and which all States acceded in
Lokpal to check corruption at ban on propagating ideas to 304. respect of all matters includ-
the highest level has been harm friendly relations with 58. As part of the inte- ed in Union and Concurrent
borrowed from “Ombuds- foreign countries. gration of various Indian Lists, except only those relat-
man” of Sweden. In the 48. Planning Commis- States into the Dominion of ing to taxation.
States, we have the Lok Ayuk- sion is only an advisory and India a three-fold process of 60. The process of inte-
ta. specialist body. Its chairman integration, known as the gration culminated in the
40. There are three types is the Prime Minister. Patel Scheme, was imple- Constitution (7th Amend-
of Emergencies that can be 49. National Develop- mented. ment) Act, 1956, which abol-
proclaimed by the President. ment Council is the main (i) 216 States were ished Part B States as a class
Emergency under Article body concerned with the merged into the respective and included all the States in
352—due to war or internal actual planning process. Its Provinces, geographically Part A and B in one list.

560 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER