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Q53 (IAS/2021) Polity & Governance › Preamble, Union & Territory, Citizenship › Preamble evolution Official Key

What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2: A Sovereign Democratic Republic.

On 26th January 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect. At that specific point in time, the Preamble described India as a "Sovereign Democratic Republic". This reflected the original intent of the constituent assembly to establish India as an independent nation (Sovereign) where the people hold supreme power (Democratic) and the head of state is elected (Republic).

  • Options 3 and 4 are incorrect because the words "Socialist" and "Secular" were not part of the original Preamble. These terms were added later via the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, during the Emergency.
  • Option 1 is incomplete as it omits "Sovereign," which was a fundamental pillar of India's status upon the termination of British suzerainty.

Therefore, as of the commencement of the Constitution in 1950, the legal and constitutional identity of the Indian state was strictly a Sovereign Democratic Republic.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950? [A] A Democratic Republic [B] A Sovereign Democratic Republic …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10
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This is a classic 'Sitter' from standard Polity texts (Laxmikanth/NCERT). The difficulty isn't the content, but the attention to detail regarding the specific date (1950) versus the current text. It tests your knowledge of the 42nd Amendment's impact on the Preamble.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did the Constitution of India describe India on 26 January 1950 as a "Democratic Republic"?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > Indian Federalism > p. 3
Presence: 5/5
“India, a Union of States, is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The republic is governed in terms of the Constitution, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950. The Constitution which envisages parliamentary form of government is federal in structure with unitary features. The President of India is the constitutional head of executive of the Union. Article 74(1) of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as head to aid and advise the President who shall in exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly describes India as a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'.
  • Links that constitutional text to the adoption and commencement timeframe (constitution came into force on 26 January 1950).
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 37: First General Elections > First General Elections > p. 628
Presence: 4/5
“With the Constitution coming into force in 1950, India no longer had a dominion status and could sever any remaining links with Britain; it was a sovereign democratic republic. The provisions of the Constitution relating to citizenship and Article 324 (the Election Commission) were brought into force on November 26, 1949, while the rest of the Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950. The next year, the government wanted to go in for general elections to constitute the House of the People—the Lok Sabha—as provided for in the Constitution. The founding fathers of the Indian Constitution incorporated certain aspects of the electoral procedure in the Constitution itself (Part XV, Articles 324 to 329).”
Why this source?
  • States that with the Constitution coming into force in 1950, India was a 'sovereign democratic republic'.
  • Connects the coming-into-force date (1950) with the change in political status to a democratic republic.
Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 1: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND > REFERENCES > p. 12
Presence: 4/5
“• 1. The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949 and some of its provisions were given immediate effect. The bulk of the Constitution, however, became operative on 26 January 1950, which date is referred to in the Constitution as its 'Date of Commencement', and is celebrated in India as the "Republic Day". • 2. Report of the Indian Statutory Commission (Simon Report), vol I, pp 112 tt seq. • 3. Seton, India Office, p 81. • 4. Panikkar, Asia and Western Dominance, 1953, p 155.”
Why this source?
  • Confirms the Constitution became operative on 26 January 1950, celebrated as Republic Day.
  • Provides the specific date that ties the constitutional commencement to the republic status.
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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2014 · Q58 Relevance score: 4.97

Between the 15th August 1947 when India became free and the 26th January 1950 when she declared herself a democratic sovereign republic, the Government of India functioned under the provisions of:

IAS · 1997 · Q83 Relevance score: 3.98

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

CDS-I · 2020 · Q21 Relevance score: 2.68

Who among the following stated in the Constituent Assembly that on 26th January 1950, India was going to enter a life of contradictions?

CDS-II · 2006 · Q51 Relevance score: 2.57

According to the Preamble of its Constitution, India is a:

CDS-II · 2016 · Q57 Relevance score: 2.44

On 26th November, 1949, which of the following provisions of the Constitution of India came into effect? 1. Citizenship 2. Elections 3. Provisional Parliament 4. Fundamental Rights Select the correct answer using the code given below.