As India celebrates Constitution Day on November 26, the nation reflects on the remarkable journey of its foundational document that has guided the world's largest democracy for over seven decades. Adopted on this day in 1949 by the Constituent Assembly, the Constitution of India stands as a living document that has evolved through 106 amendments while remaining the North Star of Indian democracy.
The Birth of a Nation's Foundation
The Constitution of India emerged from an extensive drafting process that spanned 2 years and 11 months, during which the Constituent Assembly conducted 11 sessions across 166 sitting days. The assembly comprised 299 members in total, with 229 elected representatives from 12 provinces and 70 nominated members from princely states.
The demographic composition of this historic assembly reveals interesting insights. Gender representation showed 15 women members alongside 187 men. Religious diversity was evident with 148 Hindus, 23 Muslims, 11 Christians, 6 Sikhs, 3 Parsis, and 1 Buddhist member. Politically, the Congress party dominated with 164 members, while other parties including the All India Muslim League (13 members), Independents (8 members), and Akali Dal (3 members) contributed to the diverse perspectives.
The Evolution Through Amendments
The Constitution has demonstrated remarkable adaptability through 106 amendments since its adoption. The most significant period of constitutional change occurred during the 1970s, primarily under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government, particularly in the period leading up to the Emergency.
The record for the most amendments in a single year belongs to 1990 under Prime Minister V P Singh's minority government, which saw 6 amendments. This was followed by years 1975 under Indira Gandhi and 2000 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, each witnessing 5 amendments.
Parliament's Changing Dynamics
As India's population grew exponentially, Parliament underwent periodic expansion through delimitation exercises. However, this expansion hasn't kept pace with population growth, resulting in each Lok Sabha MP representing increasingly larger constituencies. In 2019, a significant change occurred when the Lok Sabha strength was reduced to 543 seats following the abolition of nominated seats for the Anglo-Indian community.
Women's representation in Parliament has shown gradual improvement, though it remains significantly below their proportion in the population. The data reveals a positive trend, but highlights the ongoing challenge of achieving gender parity in political representation.
Analysis of Parliament's functioning reveals interesting trends over the decades. The institution has seen a reduction in both sitting days and working hours, while also passing fewer bills and increasingly relying on ordinances. The first Lok Sabha maintained the highest average annual sitting days, while the fifth Lok Sabha emerged as the most productive in terms of bills passed.
The original Constitution contained 395 Articles and 8 Schedules, making it the longest written constitution at that time with approximately 90,000 words. This has expanded to the current version with 448 Articles and 12 Schedules, reflecting the document's dynamic nature in responding to the nation's evolving needs.
The drafting process itself was monumental, beginning with a Draft Constitution containing 315 Articles and 8 Schedules, which underwent 7,635 amendments before arriving at the final version. The Constituent Assembly built upon the Government of India Act, 1935, while incorporating elements from various constitutional frameworks worldwide.
As India continues its democratic journey, the Constitution remains not just a historical document but a living framework that adapts to contemporary challenges while preserving the fundamental values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity that form the bedrock of the Indian Republic.
