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Functions and Significance of the Constitution

The document discusses the functions and importance of constitutions, focusing on the Indian Constitution. It provides details on: 1. The key functions of constitutions are to provide basic rules, specify government power, and limit that power through fundamental rights. 2. The Indian Constitution gives people a fundamental identity by agreeing to basic norms and values. 3. An effective constitution is promulgated through a popular process, protects individual freedoms, and has balanced institutional design with checks and balances. 4. The Indian Constitution is considered a "living document" because it can be amended through a process that ensures no group can unilaterally subvert it.

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104 views4 pages

Functions and Significance of the Constitution

The document discusses the functions and importance of constitutions, focusing on the Indian Constitution. It provides details on: 1. The key functions of constitutions are to provide basic rules, specify government power, and limit that power through fundamental rights. 2. The Indian Constitution gives people a fundamental identity by agreeing to basic norms and values. 3. An effective constitution is promulgated through a popular process, protects individual freedoms, and has balanced institutional design with checks and balances. 4. The Indian Constitution is considered a "living document" because it can be amended through a process that ensures no group can unilaterally subvert it.

Uploaded by

raj pandey
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

“Chapter 1: CONSTITUTION: WHY AND HOW?

[Link] is a Constitution?
Constitution is the document or set of documents that seeks to perform certain functions like :-
{ mentioned below}

[Link] do we need constitution? What are the functions of constitution?

1. The first function of a constitution is to provide a set of basic rules that allow for minimal
coordination amongst members of a society.
2. The second function of a constitution is to specify who has the power to make decisions in a
society. It decides how the government will be constituted.
3. So the third function of a constitution is to set some limits on what a government can impose
on its citizens. These limits are fundamental in the sense that government may never trespass
them.
3.1 The most common way of limiting the power of government is to specify certain
fundamental rights that all of us possess as citizens and which no government can ever be
allowed to violate.
3.2 In practice, these rights can be limited during times of national emergency and the
constitution specifies the circumstances under which these rights may be withdrawn
4. The fourth function of a constitution is to enable the government to fulfill the aspirations of a
society and create conditions for a just society.
5. Constitution gives Fundamental Identity to people.

Q. How Constitution gives Fundamental Identity to people?

1. By agreeing to certain basic norms and principles one constitutes one’s basic political
identity.
2. It defines the fundamental values that we may not trespass. So the constitution also gives
one a moral identity.
3. It may be the case that many basic political and moral values are now shared across different
constitutional traditions.

Q. What makes a Constitution very effective?

1. MODE OF PROMULGATION:
a) This refers to how a constitution comes into being. Who crafted the constitution and how
much authority did they have?
b) In many countries constitutions remain defunct because they are crafted by military
leaders or leaders who are not popular and do not have the ability to carry the people with
them.
c) The most successful constitutions, like India, South Africa and the United States, are
constitutions which were created in the aftermath of popular national movements.
d) The Indian Constitution was never subjected to such a referendum, but nevertheless
carried enormous public authority, because it had the consensus and backing of leaders
who were themselves popular.
2. THE SUBSTANTIVE PROVISION OF A CONSTITUTION:
a) It is the hallmark of a successful constitution that it gives everyone in society some
reason to go along with its provisions.
b) The more a constitution preserves the freedom and equality of all its members, the more
likely it is to succeed.
3. BALANCED INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN:

a) Another important aspect of intelligent institutional design is: that a constitution must
strike the right balance between certain values, norms and procedures as authoritative,
and at the sometime allow enough flexibility in its operations to adapt to changing needs
and circumstances. Too rigid a constitution is likely to break under the weight of change;
a constitution that is, on the other hand, too flexible, will give no security, predictability
or identity to a people.
b) An intelligent system of checks and balances has facilitated the success of the Indian
Constitution.
c) The Indian Constitution, for example, horizontally fragments power across different
institutions like the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary and even independent
statutory bodies like the Election Commission.

Q. Why Indian Constitution is called a “Living Document”?


By striking a balance between the possibility to change the provisions and the limits on such
changes, the Constitution has ensured that it will survive as a document respected by people.
This arrangement also ensures that no section or group can, on its own, subvert the Constitution.

Q. How Indian Constitution was made?

Formally, the Constitution was made by the Constituent Assembly which had been elected for
undivided India.
It held its first sitting on 9 December1946 and reassembled as Constituent Assembly for
divided India on 14 August 1947.
Its members were chosen by indirect election by the members of the Provincial Legislative
Assemblies that had been established under the Government of India Act, 1935.
The Constituent Assembly was composed according to the plan proposed by the committee of
the British cabinet, known as the Cabinet Mission.

According to this plan:


a) Each Province and each Princely State or group of States were allotted seats proportional to
their respective population roughly in the ratio of 1:10,00,000. As a result the Provinces (that
were under direct British rule) were to elect 292 members while the Princely States were
allotted a minimum of 93 seats.

b) The seats in each Province were distributed among the three main communities, Muslims,
Sikhs and general, in proportion to their respective populations.
c) Members of each community in the Provincial Legislative Assembly elected their own
representatives by the method of proportional representation with single transferable vote.
d) The method of selection in the case of representatives of Princely States was to be
determined by consultation.

Composition of the Constituent Assembly:

a. Due to the Partition under the plan of 3 June 1947 those members who were elected from
territories which fell under Pakistan ceased to be members of the Constituent Assembly.
b. The number of members in the Assembly was reduced to 299.
c. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.
d. 284 members were actually present on 24 January 1950 and appended their signature to the
Constitution as finally passed.
e. The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.
f. Although, the members of the Assembly were not elected by universal suffrage.
g. The Assembly had 28 members from the Scheduled Castes.
h. The Congress dominated the Assembly occupying as many as 82% of the seats in the
Assembly after the Partition.

REMARK:- Only one provision of the Constitution was passed without virtually any debate: the
introduction of universal suffrage (meaning that all citizens reaching a certain age, would be
entitled to be voters irrespective of religion, caste, education, gender or income).

President of Constituent Assembly: Dr. Rajendra Prasad


Chairman of Drafting Committee: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Procedures:

a. The importance of public reason was emphasized in the mundane procedures of the
Assembly as well.
b. The Constituent Assembly had eight major Committees on different subjects.
c. Usually, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel or [Link] chaired these
Committees..
d. Each Committee usually drafted particular provisions of the Constitution which were then
subjected to debate by the entire Assembly.
e. The Assembly met 160 days, spread over 2 years and 11 months. Its sessions were open to
the press and the public alike.

OBJECTIVE REVOLUTION:

The resolution that defined the aims of the Assembly moved by Nehru in 1946. This
resolution encapsulated the aspirations and values behind the Constitution.
Based on this resolution, our Constitution gave institutional expression to these
fundamental commitments: equality, liberty, democracy, sovereignty and a cosmopolitan
identity.
{MAIN POINTS OF OBJECTIVE REVOLUTION ( pg. 20)}

Provisions adapted from constitutions of different countries:

Common questions

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The Indian Constitution was created by the Constituent Assembly, initially elected for undivided India, but later reassembled for divided India. Its members were indirectly elected, with key figures including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of the Assembly, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee. The process involved consideration and drafting by major Committees and open debates over 160 days .

A balanced institutional design contributes to the success of a constitution by providing checks and balances, fragmenting power horizontally among institutions like the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary, and allowing flexibility to adapt to changes . This ensures the constitution remains relevant and resilient, preventing any single section or group from subverting it .

The Indian Constitution maintains national unity and identity by striking a balance between adaptability and the preservation of core values, thus ensuring its status as a 'Living Document' respected by the people. It prevents any section or group from unilaterally altering the constitution while fostering a collective identity through shared principles .

Fundamental rights are significant in limiting government power as they establish inviolable freedoms that the government cannot trespass. These rights protect citizens from arbitrary authority and ensure a framework of legal norms that safeguard individual liberties even during national emergencies, as defined by the constitution .

The Objective Resolution, moved by Jawaharlal Nehru, encapsulated the foundational aims of equality, liberty, democracy, sovereignty, and a cosmopolitan identity, serving as a guiding framework for the Indian Constitution. It provided institutional expression to these values, ensuring they were deeply embedded in the constitutional fabric .

The key functions of a constitution include providing a set of basic rules for societal coordination, specifying who has decision-making powers, setting limits on governmental power through fundamental rights, enabling the fulfillment of societal aspirations for justice, and giving a fundamental identity to the people . These functions are essential as they ensure orderly governance, protect individual freedoms, and maintain the integrity and values of society .

The introduction of universal suffrage was significant for ensuring equal political rights regardless of religion, caste, education, gender, or income, embodying democratic ideals. It was achieved without debate, reflecting a consensus on this fundamental democratic principle within the Constituent Assembly, dominated by progressive leaders from Congress .

Excessive rigidity in a constitution can lead to its collapse under changing social and political circumstances, as such inflexibility fails to accommodate necessary reforms. Conversely, excessive flexibility can undermine stability by providing insufficient security and predictability, leading to potential identity loss for the nation .

The mode of promulgation affects the effectiveness of a constitution by influencing its legitimacy and acceptance among the populace. Constitutions crafted by unpopular leaders or through non-democratic means tend to be defunct, while those emerging from popular national movements or with public authority, like India’s, gain acceptance and effectiveness .

The flexibility of a constitution impacts its longevity and effectiveness by allowing it to adapt to changing societal needs without losing core values. A balanced flexibility ensures security and predictability while accommodating progress, as demonstrated by the Indian Constitution’s success in enduring as a respected document .

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