The Indian Constitution is a comprehensive legal document that lays down the framework of the Indian political system and serves as the supreme law of India. Here are some of the salient features of the Indian Constitution:
Written Constitution: The Indian Constitution is one of the longest written constitutions in the world, with 448 articles and 12 schedules.
Federal Structure: The Indian political system is based on federal principles, meaning that powers are divided between the central government and the state governments.
Parliamentary Democracy: India follows a parliamentary system of government, where the executive is responsible to the legislature.
Fundamental Rights: The Indian Constitution guarantees a range of fundamental rights to its citizens, including the right to equality, freedom of speech and expression, religion, and life and personal liberty.
Directive Principles of State Policy: The Indian Constitution lays down a set of guidelines, known as the Directive Principles of State Policy, which are intended to serve as goals for the Indian government to strive towards.
Independent Judiciary: The Indian judiciary is an independent branch of government with the power to interpret the Constitution and enforce the laws.
Secularism: The Indian Constitution guarantees that the state will not discriminate on the basis of religion, and India is a secular country, with no official religion.
Bicameral Legislature: The Indian Parliament consists of two houses, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
Emergency Provisions: The Indian Constitution provides for the declaration of a state of emergency in times of war, external aggression, or armed rebellion, and provides for the suspension of some of the fundamental rights during such a state.
Amending Procedure: The Indian Constitution is a flexible document and can be amended by a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament, subject to the ratification of at least half of the state legislatures.