Indian Constitution at Work
1. Constitution: Why and How?
o A constitution is a fundamental law that determines the structure,
functions, and principles of a government.
o It defines the powers and responsibilities of government institutions.
o Why Needed: To avoid misuse of power, protect citizens' rights, and
establish rule of law.
o How Made: Through the Constituent Assembly (1946–1950), chaired by
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Diagram: Structure of Indian Constitution Formation
People of India
|
Constituent Assembly
|
Drafting Committee → Indian Constitution (1950)
2. The Philosophy of the Constitution
o Inspired by values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
o Embodied in the Preamble of the Constitution.
o Aims to create a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.
Diagram: Values in the Preamble
Justice | Liberty | Equality | Fraternity
3. Rights in the Indian Constitution
o Fundamental Rights:
Right to Equality (Art. 14–18)
Right to Freedom (Art. 19–22)
Right against Exploitation (Art. 23–24)
Right to Freedom of Religion (Art. 25–28)
Cultural & Educational Rights (Art. 29–30)
Right to Constitutional Remedies (Art. 32)
Diagram: Tree of Fundamental Rights
Fundamental Rights
/ | \
Equality Freedom Religion ...
4. Executive
o President: Head of state, mostly ceremonial.
o Prime Minister & Council of Ministers: Real executive power.
o Executes laws, appoints officials, conducts foreign affairs.
Diagram: Executive Branch
President
↓
Prime Minister → Council of Ministers
5. Legislature
o Parliament of India: Bicameral – Lok Sabha (Lower House), Rajya Sabha
(Upper House).
o Makes laws, controls finances, checks the executive.
Diagram: Parliament Structure
Parliament
├── Lok Sabha
└── Rajya Sabha
6. Judiciary
o Independent body, interprets laws, protects rights.
o Supreme Court (top), High Courts, District Courts.
Diagram: Judiciary Hierarchy
Supreme Court
↓
High Courts
↓
District Courts
Political Theory
1. Political Theory: An Introduction
o Study of political ideas, principles, institutions.
o Helps in understanding rights, justice, governance.
o Explores key ideas like democracy, power, liberty, equality, and justice.
2. Concept of State and its Elements
o State: A political organization with government, population, territory, and
sovereignty.
o Elements:
Population: People who live in the state.
Territory: Geographical area controlled by the state.
Government: The organization that rules the state.
Sovereignty: Supreme power of the state to make decisions.
Diagram: Elements of State
State
├── Population
├── Territory
├── Government
└── Sovereignty
3. Political Norms
o Set of values guiding political behavior.
o Democracy
Meaning: Government by the people.
Types:
Direct Democracy: People make decisions directly (e.g.,
ancient Athens).
Indirect Democracy: Representatives are elected to make
decisions (e.g., India).
Merits:
Ensures participation and accountability.
Protects individual rights.
Prevents concentration of power.
Demerits:
Decisions can be slow.
Risk of majority domination over minority.
o Liberty
Freedom to act and express within law.
Types:
Civil Liberty: Freedom of speech, religion, etc.
Political Liberty: Right to vote, participate in governance.
Economic Liberty: Right to work and earn.
o Equality
Equal rights and opportunities for all.
Types:
Social Equality: No discrimination based on caste, religion,
etc.
Economic Equality: Fair distribution of wealth.
Political Equality: Equal voting rights.
Diagram: Liberty and Equality as Pillars of Democracy
Democracy
/ \
Liberty Equality
Contemporary World Politics
1. The End of Bi-Polarity
o Bi-polarity: Division of world power between the US and USSR during the
Cold War.
o Ended with the collapse of USSR in 1991.
o Led to unipolar world with US dominance initially.
o Rise of regional powers and shifting alliances followed.
2. Contemporary Centers of Power
o United States: Still influential globally in economy, military, and
diplomacy.
o European Union (EU): Economic and political bloc of European nations.
o China: Rising superpower, strong in trade, tech, and military.
o India: Emerging power due to population, economy, and democratic
governance.
o BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – major developing
nations.
Diagram: Multipolar World Order
USA EU China India Others
↘ ↙ ↘ ↙
Global Influence Network
3. International Organizations
o United Nations (UN): Maintains peace, develops friendly relations
among nations.
Key Organs: General Assembly, Security Council, ICJ, WHO, UNESCO,
etc.
o WTO: Promotes global trade and resolves trade disputes.
o IMF & World Bank: Provide financial assistance and development
support.
o ASEAN, SAARC, G20: Promote regional cooperation.
Politics in India Since Independence
1. Challenges of Nation-Building
o Partition: Caused large-scale displacement, violence, and refugee crisis.
o Integration of Princely States: Over 500 princely states merged under
Sardar Patel.
o Rehabilitation of Refugees and setting up new administrative
structures.
o Drafting a New Constitution and establishing democracy.
2. Era of One-Party Dominance
o Indian National Congress dominated politics post-independence (1950s–
1970s).
o Reasons: Legacy of freedom struggle, strong leadership (e.g., Nehru).
o Emergence of opposition in later years (e.g., Janata Party in 1977).
o Critics argued lack of effective opposition weakened democracy.
3. Recent Developments in Indian Politics
o Rise of coalition politics (1990s onwards).
o Growth of regional parties and issue-based politics.
o Increased participation of youth and women in politics.
o Role of media and social media in shaping public opinion.
o Focus on development, digital governance, and nationalism.
Diagram: Timeline of Indian Political Trends
1950s: One-party rule (INC)
1977: Opposition victory (Janata Party)
1990s: Coalition Era
2014+: Majority governments return
