Question

Write a short note on basic principles of Indian Constitution.

Answer 1

The Supreme Court in its landmark judgment on the Keshavananda Bharati Case argued that the basic principles of the Indian Constitution could not be changed or amended in any circumstances. As they form the basic structure of the Constitution which cannot be undermined. This includes:
1) Sovereignty and Republic- this means that the ultimate authority of the government comes from the people. Also, there is no external authority that controls India.
2) Fundamental rights- a democratic system is one which grants each citizen certain fundamental rights. These rights are guarded by our Constitution and form the guidelines for framing the laws.
3) Federalism- India has a strong central government with states as subsidiary units. The power flows from top to bottom.
4) Independent judiciary- it is the third organ of government which conducts all the legal work. It is both independent and unbiased.
5) Secularism and socialism also came to form a part of basic structure. These words were added to the Indian Constitution by the 42nd amendment act 1976. Thus, these basic principles form the strength of our democracy which cannot be disturbed.