November 26, 1949: entry into force of the Indian Constitution

Indian Emblem by User:Indianvipjatt On November 26, 1949, the Indian Constitution, approved by the Constituent Assembly on January 26, 1949 (Republic Day), came into force.The Constituent Assembly, which was presided over by B. R. Ambedkar, had been elected by universal suffrage and met for the first time on December 9, 1946, when India had not yet obtained the Independence that was formalized on August 15, 1947. This is the Preamble of the Constitution in the current text: 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 twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. The Indian Constitution is the longest of all known constitutions, counting 395 articles and 12 schedules. Its length is also due to the size, diversity, and variety of the territory and population of the State (cultural, linguistic, religious, social, etc.). India, also referred to by its ancient name of Bharat, is established as a Union, a parliamentary Federal Republic with the classic tripartite division of powers (legislative, executive, and judiciary) typical of Western liberal constitutions. The States are currently 29, to which are added 7 territories under special administration, including the territory of the capital, Delhi. The powers of the Central State and those of the Federal States are subdivided within the Seventh Schedule attached to the constitutional charter: Union List (central powers): 97 State List (powers of States): 66 Concurrent List (competing powers): 47 Needless to say, this division has often required the intervention of the highest Indian judicial body, the Supreme Court, to resolve jurisdictional conflicts. Each State has its own institutions (President, Governor, Parliament, etc.) and its own official language. India has a President who performs functions of guarantee and representation, and who is elected by the Parliament integrated with representatives from the State Parliaments. The Parliament is divided into the Upper House or Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). In addition to legislating, Parliament appoints the Prime Minister, who is usually—though not necessarily—the leader of the party or coalition that emerges victorious from the polls. Hindi in the Devanagari script is established by Article 343 as the official language of the Union. The use of English was initially envisioned for fifteen years in official documents and courts of law, but has since been continuously extended until the present day. Alongside Hindi as the language of the Union, 22 other official languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule, namely: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Nepali, Konkani, and Manipuri.