Discuss the following features of the Indian Constitution : Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Republic.

Discuss the following features of the Indian Constitution : Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Republic.

Ans.

In the Preamble to the Constitution of India, India has been declared as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic.

(i) Sovereign : A nation is a sovereign when it is free in its internal matters from any foreign interference and its external policy is guided only by its own interests. By declaring India Sovereign, the makers of our Constitution have thrown away all the yokes of foreign dominance.

(ii) Secular : Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion, but there is no official religion. Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.

(iii) Socialist : This word was added to the Preamble later on to lay stress on the resolve of the nation to strive for socialism that envisages equitable distribution of national income to all sections of the society.

(iv) Democratic : This word denotes that we have chosen democracy as our way of life and will govern ourselves through democratic institutions.

(v) Republic : A republic is a nation which has an elected person as the Head of the State with no hereditary right.