Hinglish

What Shaped the Indian Constitution?

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 10: The Constitution of India — An Introduction · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 10.3

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Many freedom fighters sat in the Constituent Assembly, bringing the freedom movement's ideals: equality and justice for all, freedom, fraternity, preserving our heritage, and using the Constitution as a tool to achieve these. The struggle also answered practical questions: how to give every adult the vote, separate the powers of the three organs, guarantee fundamental rights, amend the Constitution, and divide work between the Centre and the States.

India's civilisational heritage shaped it too: respect for different points of view, nature as sacred, the pursuit of knowledge, respect for women, vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam ("the world is one family") and sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ ("may all be happy"). Our long tradition of sabhās, saṅghas, rājadharma and an emphasis on people's duties found a place, for example in the Fundamental Duties. Begum Aizaz Rasul told the Assembly that women's equality was "no new concept" for India but an old ideal now affirmed.

In the spirit of "let noble thoughts come to me from every side", the makers studied other democracies' constitutions: liberty, equality and fraternity from France's revolution of 1789, the Directive Principles from Ireland, and an independent judiciary shaped by the USA, along with ideas from the UK and Australia.

Explore: where did the idea come from?

  1. Sort each idea.

Remember

  • The freedom movement gave ideals of equality, justice and freedom, and answers to how to achieve them.
  • India's heritage and the best ideas from other democracies were also built in.

Quick check

The ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity were adopted from …

  1. France
  2. Ireland
  3. the USA
  4. Australia
Answer

France. They come from the French Revolution of 1789.

Think about it

Why might Begum Aizaz Rasul have said women's equality was "no new concept" for India?

One answer

Because Indian tradition had long honoured learned and powerful women; social conditions had weakened this in practice, and the Constitution restored it in law.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.