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Governance & Society Cluster181 Verified Questions
Preamble of the Indian Constitution & Basic Structure Doctrine GK Questions & Answers
The Preamble to the Indian Constitution encapsulates the foundational philosophy, institutional objectives, and values envisioned by the Constituent Assembly. Rooted in the Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946, and unanimously adopted on January 22, 1947, the Preamble was adopted on November 26, 1949, taking effect on January 26, 1950. It proclaims India to be a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' and secures to all citizens Justice (social, economic, and political), Liberty (of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship), Equality (of status and opportunity), and Fraternity assuring individual dignity and national unity.
The constitutional status of the Preamble was delineated across seminal judicial pronouncements. In the Berubari Union case (1960), the Supreme Court held that the Preamble was not an integral part of the Constitution. However, the landmark 13-judge bench in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) overruled Berubari, affirming that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution and subject to amendment under Article 368, provided its basic structure remains intact. Consequently, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 amended the Preamble, inserting the terms 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'and Integrity'.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
Drafted based on Jawaharlal Nehru's historic Objectives Resolution, introduced on December 13, 1946, and adopted on January 22, 1947.
Proclaims the sovereign nature of India: 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' with commitments to Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
Declared an integral part of the Constitution by the 13-judge Supreme Court bench in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973).
Amended only once by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, which inserted 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'and Integrity'.
Serves as an interpretative aid for constitutional ambiguities but is neither a direct source of legislative power nor justiciable on its own.
Showing 25 Curated Questions181 Total in Bank
1ID: GK-POL-00071
easyPreamble, Salient Features & Sources
The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution were borrowed from the constitution of which country?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution were inspired by the French Revolution and French Constitution.
2ID: GK-POL-00145
hardPreamble Features
The "Berubari Union" advisory opinion (1960) delivered by the Supreme Court ruled on the Preamble in what manner before being overruled in Kesavananda?
Verified Explanation
In Re: Berubari Union (1960), the court held the Preamble is not part of the Constitution; this was explicitly reversed in Kesavananda Bharati (1973).
3ID: GK-POL-00159
easyPreamble & Salient Features
Which three words were added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976?
Verified Explanation
The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 amended the Preamble to introduce the words "Socialist", "Secular", and "Integrity".
4ID: GK-POL-00208
easyPreamble Features
The constitutional ideals of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution were inspired by which historic revolution?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in the Indian Preamble were adopted from the motto of the French Revolution (1789–1799).
5ID: GK-POL-00251
easyPreamble & Salient Features
Which Constitutional Amendment Act added the terms "Socialist", "Secular", and "Integrity" to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
Verified Explanation
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 amended the Preamble to insert the words "Socialist", "Secular", and "and Integrity".
6ID: GK-POL-00301
easyPreamble & Salient Features
In which landmark 1973 case did the Supreme Court rule that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution and established the 'Basic Structure' doctrine?
Verified Explanation
In the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), the 13-judge bench held that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution and propounded the Basic Structure doctrine.
7ID: GK-POL-00391
hardPreamble & Salient Features
In the Berubari Union Case (1960), what was the Supreme Court's initial ruling regarding the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
Verified Explanation
In the In Re Berubari Union Case (1960), the Supreme Court opined that the Preamble is a key to open the mind of makers, but is not a part of the Constitution (this view was later reversed in Kesavananda Bharati, 1973).
8ID: GK-POL-00541
easyPreamble & Salient Features
The ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution of India were inspired by which historic revolution?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in the Preamble were adopted from the motto of the French Revolution (1789).
9ID: GK-POL-00550
easyPreamble & Salient Features
Which three words were added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976?
Verified Explanation
The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, inserted the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'and Integrity' into the Preamble of the Constitution.
10ID: GK-POL-00585
hardPreamble & Salient Features
In which case did the Supreme Court explicitly reverse its earlier In Re Berubari Union stance and hold that the Preamble IS an integral part of the Constitution?
Verified Explanation
In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the Supreme Court rejected the Berubari opinion and established that the Preamble is an integral part of the Indian Constitution.
11ID: GK-POL-00598
easyPreamble & Salient Features
The Preamble to the Indian Constitution declares India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic. Which two words were added to this declaration by the 42nd Amendment Act in 1976?
Verified Explanation
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976 added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the Preamble.
12ID: GK-POL-00612
mediumPreamble & Salient Features
The ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India were borrowed from which historic world event?
Verified Explanation
The tripartite ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' in the Preamble were adopted from the motto of the French Revolution (1789–1799).
13ID: GK-POL-00531
easyPreamble & Salient Features
Who moved the historic 'Objectives Resolution' in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946, which later became the foundation of the Preamble?
Verified Explanation
Jawaharlal Nehru moved the historic Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946, defining the guiding philosophy of the Indian Constitution.
14ID: GK-POL-00009
easyPreamble & Constitutional Features
Which Constitutional Amendment added the words 'Socialist, Secular, and Integrity' to the Preamble?
Verified Explanation
The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 amended the Preamble to include Socialist, Secular, and Integrity.
15ID: GK-POL-00048
hardPreamble & Constitutional Features
Which landmark case ruled that the Preamble is an integral part of the Indian Constitution and subject to amendment without damaging basic structure?
Verified Explanation
Overruling the Berubari Union judgment, the court affirmed that the Preamble is an intrinsic part of the Constitution.
16ID: GK-POL-00411
easyPreamble & Salient Features
In which landmark case did the Supreme Court of India hold that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution and can be amended under Article 368 without altering its basic structure?
Verified Explanation
In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), a 13-judge bench overruled Berubari Union and ruled that the Preamble is an intrinsic part of the Constitution.
17ID: GK-POL-00451
hardPreamble & Salient Features
In which constitutional reference case did the Supreme Court explicitly rule in 1960 that the Preamble is NOT an integral part of the Constitution (a view subsequently overruled in Kesavananda Bharati)?
Verified Explanation
In the Berubari Union Reference (1960), the Supreme Court opined that the Preamble is a key to open the mind of makers but is not part of the Constitution; this was overturned in Kesavananda Bharati (1973).
18ID: GK-POL-00655
easyConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
Under the Indian Constitution, the ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' enshrined in the Preamble were borrowed from the constitution of which nation?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution were inspired by the French Revolution (1789) and the French Constitutional tradition. In contrast, justice (social, economic, and political) was derived from the Russian Revolution.
19ID: GK-POL-00664
hardConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
In the Berubari Union case (1960), what was the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
Verified Explanation
In the Berubari Union advisory opinion (In Re: Berubari Union, 1960), the Supreme Court ruled that the Preamble is not a part of the Constitution, though it acts as a key to the minds of the framers. This stance was explicitly overruled in Kesavananda Bharati (1973), which recognized the Preamble as an integral part of the Constitution.
20ID: GK-POL-00751
easyConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
In the Preamble to the Constitution of India, the ideals of 'Justice: Social, Economic, and Political' were inspired by which historic event?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of justice (social, economic, and political) in the Preamble were borrowed from the Russian Revolution (1917). In contrast, the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity were taken from the French Revolution (1789-1799).
21ID: GK-POL-00753
hardConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
In which landmark constitutional judgment did the Supreme Court explicitly reject its earlier view in the Berubari Union case (1960) and rule that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution?
Verified Explanation
In the Berubari Union case (1960), the Supreme Court opined that the Preamble is not part of the Constitution. However, in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), the 13-judge bench rejected this view and held that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution and can be amended under Article 368 without altering its basic structure.
22ID: GK-POL-00754
easyConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
The triadic ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution were inspired by which revolution?
Verified Explanation
The ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution of India were borrowed from the motto of the French Revolution (1789-1799).
23ID: GK-POL-00756
mediumConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
What is the precise constitutional status and enforceability of the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
Verified Explanation
The Preamble is non-justiciable and its provisions are not directly enforceable in courts of law. It is neither a source of legislative power nor a limitation upon the powers of legislature, as reaffirmed in the LIC of India case (1995).
24ID: GK-POL-00852
easyConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
In which exact sequence do the five constitutional attributes of the Indian State appear in the amended Preamble?
Verified Explanation
The Preamble proclaims India to be a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'. The terms 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were inserted between 'Sovereign' and 'Democratic' by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976.
25ID: GK-POL-00853
easyConstitutional Framework, Preamble & Salient Features
Which specific date is officially recorded in the text of the Preamble as the date of adoption and enactment of the Constitution?
Verified Explanation
The text of the Preamble concludes by stating that the Constituent Assembly adopted, enacted, and gave to themselves this Constitution on the twenty-sixth day of November 1949. The full Constitution came into force on 26th January 1950.