The Preamble of the Indian Constitution

📘 Explanation / व्याख्या:

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution was amended by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 during the Emergency period under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

• The words “Socialist” and “Secular” were added to reflect India’s commitment to social equality and religious neutrality.

• The phrase “unity of the nation” was also changed to “unity and integrity of the nation.”

This amendment made the Preamble more comprehensive and is often referred to as the “Mini-Constitution” because it made significant changes to many parts of the Constitution.

भारतीय संविधान की प्रस्तावना में संशोधन 42वें संविधान संशोधन अधिनियम, 1976 के द्वारा किया गया। यह संशोधन आपातकाल के दौरान प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी के कार्यकाल में लाया गया।

• “समाजवादी (Socialist)” और “पंथनिरपेक्ष (Secular)” शब्द जोड़े गए, ताकि भारत की सामाजिक समानता और धार्मिक तटस्थता को प्रतिबिंबित किया जा सके।

• “राष्ट्र की एकता” को बदलकर “राष्ट्र की एकता और अखंडता” किया गया।

इस संशोधन ने प्रस्तावना को अधिक व्यापक बनाया और इसे अक्सर “लघु संविधान (Mini-Constitution)” कहा जाता है।

🌟 Extra Facts / अतिरिक्त तथ्य:

1️⃣ Other Changes by 42nd Amendment

• Introduced Fundamental Duties (Article 51A)

• Curtailed the powers of judiciary relative to Parliament

• Extended the term of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies from 5 to 6 years (later reversed)

• Strengthened Directive Principles of State Policy over Fundamental Rights

2️⃣ Memorization Tip 🧠

• “1976 = Socialist + Secular + Duties” → Easy to remember for exams

3️⃣ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

• Federal and Parliamentary → Already part of Constitution, not added in 1976

• Democratic and Republic → Present in original Preamble (1950)

• Unity and Integrity → Phrase modified slightly, but the added key words are Socialist & Secular