Bhubaneswar: The final draft of the Indian Constitution, which is the longest in the world, was adopted November 26, 1949. It was legally enforced January 26, 1950, the day that we celebrate as Republic Day ever since. Here are some lesser known facts that you probably didn’t know about the Indian Constitution.
‘Babasaheb’ was ready to burn it.
“My friends tell me that I have made the Constitution. But I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it out if it doesn’t protect the interest of the minorities,” said Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. He is regarded as the Father of the Indian Constitution’. Ambedkar made the comment in the Rajya Sabha September 2, 1953 during a debate on amendment.
The Constitution was originally written in Hindi and English
The original copies of the Indian Constitution were written in Hindi and English. Each member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution, signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English
The English version has 117,369 words
There are a total of 117,369 words in the English version of the Constitution of India which contains 444 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 115 amendments.
Longest Constitution in the world
With so much of writing, the Indian Constitution is the longest of any sovereign country in the world. In its current form, it has a Preamble, 22 parts with 448 articles, 12 schedules, 5 appendices and 115 amendments.
The Constitution wasn’t typed or printed
Both the versions of the Indian Constitution, Hindi and English, were handwritten. It is the longest handwritten constitution of any country.
Handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada
The original Constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style with beautiful calligraphy. The Indian Constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
Each page was decorated by artists from Shantiniketan
The original Constitution is hand-written, with each page uniquely decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.
The original copies are stored in special helium-filled cases
The original copies of the Indian Constitution, written in Hindi and English, are kept in special helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament of India.
It took nearly 3 years to write it down
The Constituent Assembly, which first met December 9, 1946, took precisely two years, 11 months and 18 days to come up with the final draft.
2,000 amendments were made to the first draft
When the draft was prepared and put up for debate and discussion, over 2000 amendments were made before it was finalised.
January 26, 1950: The Constitution was legally enforced
Passed by the Constituent Assembly November 26, 1949, the Indian Constitution came into effect January 26, 1950. The date January 26 was chosen to commemorate the declaration of Purna Swaraj (complete Independence) of 1930.
Constitution of India: A ‘Bag of Borrowings’
The Indian Constitution is often called a ‘bag of borrowings’. It is called so because it has borrowed provisions from the constitutions of various other countries including Britain, France, the USSR, Japan, Germany and the US. However, it is much more than a mere copy of other constitutions.
Amended only 94 times in over 60 years
Amended only 94 times in the first 62 years, the Constitution of Indian has stood the test of time. As of January 2019, there have been 103 amendments to the Indian Constitution since it was first enacted in 1950.