The Constitution of India, effective 26 January 1950, is the world's longest written national constitution and the supreme law governing the Republic of India.
Key Facts
- Adopted by Constituent Assembly
- 26 November 1949
- Came into effect
- 26 January 1950
- Distinction
- Longest written national constitution in the world
- Republic Day
- Celebrated annually on 26 January
- Basis document
- Government of India Act 1935
- Original preserved at
- Parliament Library Building, New Delhi (nitrogen-filled case)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Constituent Assembly was tasked with drafting a governing document for the new nation. The Government of India Act 1935, largely drafted by Samuel Hoare, provided the primary legal and structural basis for the new constitution, which the assembly worked to craft over approximately two years.
The Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the constitution on 26 November 1949. It came into effect on 26 January 1950, establishing constitutional supremacy, fundamental rights, directive principles, and citizens' duties. It declared India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, and repealed prior British parliamentary acts in Article 395 to assert constitutional autochthony.
The Dominion of India became the Republic of India upon the constitution's enactment. The Supreme Court later reinforced its authority through the Basic Structure Doctrine in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, ruling that certain fundamental features cannot be amended out of existence, ensuring the constitution's core integrity against unlimited parliamentary amendment.
Political Outcome
India transitioned from a British dominion to a fully sovereign democratic republic governed by the world's longest written constitution, establishing fundamental rights, separation of powers, and constitutional supremacy.
Dominion of India under British Crown with Government of India Act 1935 as governing framework
Republic of India governed by its own constitution with constitutional supremacy