HT Correspondent
BISWANATH CHARIALI, Nov 25: The National Human Rights and Crime Control Bureau (NHRCCB) extends greetings on Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, through its president, Nishant Thard, in a press release issued by Mrinmay Kr Nath, the state media officer of the organisation. Constitution Day is celebrated in India every year on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, on November 19, 2015, notified the government of India’s decision to observe November 26 annually as Constitution Day to promote constitutional values among citizens.
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The Constitution of India was framed by a Constituent Assembly established under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946. The Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, and elected Dr Sachhidanand Sinha, the oldest member of the Assembly, as the Provisional President. On December 11, 1946, Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as the permanent chairman.
The Constituent Assembly set up 13 committees for framing the Constitution, including a Drafting Committee under the chairmanship of Dr BR Ambedkar. Based on the reports of these committees, a draft of the Constitution was prepared by the seven-member Drafting Committee.
The Constitution of India is the longest written Constitution in the world, containing 395 Articles, 22 Parts, and 12 Schedules. It was not typeset or printed but handwritten and calligraphically inscribed in both English and Hindi. The Constitution was entirely handcrafted by artists from Shantiniketan under the guidance of Acharya Nandalal Bose, with the calligraphy executed by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in Delhi.
The original copies of the Constitution are preserved in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India. Each part of the Constitution begins with a depiction of a phase or scene from India’s national history. These illustrations, largely in the miniature style, represent vignettes from different periods of Indian history, including the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic period, the Gupta and Maurya empires, the Mughal era, and the national freedom movement. Through this artistic journey, Nandalal Bose showcased 4,000 years of India’s rich history, tradition, and culture.
The people of India are the ultimate custodians of the Constitution. Sovereignty resides in them, and it is in their name that the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution empowers citizens, who, in turn, empower it by adhering to its principles, protecting it, and striving to make it meaningful through their actions. The Constitution belongs to everyone and requires collective preservation.
When the Constitution was adopted in 1949, there were no provisions for Fundamental Duties for citizens, although Part III of the Constitution included Fundamental Rights. The Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, which was constituted by the Government to ensure that individuals did not neglect their duties while exercising their Fundamental Rights.
The 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act, 1976, introduced a new Chapter IV-A, consisting of Article 51-A, which outlined a Code of Ten Fundamental Duties for citizens. These duties are a reminder that while the Constitution grants Fundamental Rights, it also demands that citizens observe certain norms of democratic conduct. Rights and duties are inherently co-relative.
The concept of Fundamental Duties aligns with Article 29(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and similar provisions in other modern constitutions. It was inspired by the USSR and reflects Indian tradition, mythology, religion, and cultural practices, codifying values integral to the Indian way of life. Initially, ten Fundamental Duties were listed. The 86th Amendment in 2002 added an 11th duty to this list.
