Meaning of

Constitution

“A Constitution is a set of
Laws and Rules setting up
the machinery of the
government of a state and
which defines and
determines the relations
between the different
institutions and areas of
government, the Executive,
the Legislature and, the
Judiciary, the Central, the
Regional and the Local
Governments.”
- M.V. Pylee
 PREAMBLE
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 OURSELVES THIS
BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF
THE CONSTITUTION
 The union and its territory
 Citizenship
 Fundamental Rights and Duties
 Directive Principles of State
Policy
 Provisions Regarding the
Union, States and Union
Territories
 Executive
 Parliament
 Judiciary
 Relations Between Union and
States
 Services
BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF
THE CONSTITUTION
 Finance, Property,
Contracts, Suits, Trade &
Commerce
 Emergency Provisions
 Misc., Provisions
 Scheduled and Tribal Areas
 Scheduled Castes and Tribes
 Public Service Commissions
 Official Language
 Amendment
BASIC FEATURES OF
THE CONSTITUTION
 Lengthiest
 Popular Sovereignty
 Judicial Independence
 Federal and Unitary
 Simple and Flexible
 RULES OF NATURAL
JUSTICE
 No one can be a judge in
his own cause
 No one should be
condemned without being
heard
 No one can be penalized
on the ground of conduct
which was not penal on the
day it was committed
 A Quasi-Judicial order must
be supported by reasons.
JUDICIAL ACTIVISM

“I do think people are putting

too much reliance on courts. I
also believe that courts are too
prone on problems that they
have no business getting into.
To me the idea of a court
deciding whether or not girls
should be permitted to play
little league baseball is
ludicrous. Congress too has
contributed to this glut which I
call legal pollution.”

- Thomas Ehrlich
Dean Stanford Univ. of Law
 NATURE OF
CONSTITUTION
“However good a
constitution may be, it is
true to turn out bad
because those who are
called to work it happen to
be a bad lot. However, bad
a constitution may be, it
may turn out to be good if
those who are called to
work it happen to be a
good lot”