In the following quotation, “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 ‘X’ .......... do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.” ‘X’ stands for

The concluding line of the Preamble refers to the date on which the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution. The Assembly finalized and passed the Constitution on 26 November 1949, when the document received the President of the Assembly’s signature and was declared passed; some provisions were given immediate effect from that date while full commencement was on 26 January 1950 [1]. The Preamble itself was adopted last and on 26 November 1949 the people of India in the Constituent Assembly “adopted, enacted and gave to themselves the Constitution,” making “the twenty-sixth day of November, 1949” the correct insertion for ‘X’ [2].

Sources

1. [1] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 2: THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 20
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 35: Making of the Constitution for India > Constituent Assembly > p. 617