Why November 26 is being observed as Constitution Day since 2015

Why is November 26 observed as Constitution Day?

In May 2015, the Union Cabinet announced that November 26 would be observed as Constitution Day to promote “constitutional values amongst citizens”. That year also marked the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. K.M. Munshi, Muhammed Saadulah and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer were also among the committee’s members.

“This year, the country is celebrating 125th birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The ‘Constitution Day’ will be a part of these year-long nationwide celebrations. This will be a tribute to Dr. Ambedkar, who played a seminal role in the framing of the Indian Constitution as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of Constituent Assembly,” a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau said in 2015.

Ambedkar as focus

The central government’s decision was also seen as a move to claim Ambedkar’s legacy, in a bid to reach out to the Dalit community. Following the Cabinet meeting in 2015, then Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said, “Rahul Gandhi and his party never honoured Ambedkar. Neither did he get the Bharat Ratna nor was his oil painting installed in Parliament premises as long Congress was in power.”

At the time, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment decided to undertake several activities to promote Ambedkar’s ideas and philosophy, which included the setting up of the Ambedkar International Centre at 15, Janpath in New Delhi at a cost of over Rs 197 crore.

On November 19, 2015, the government formally notified November 26 as Constitution Day. Before this, the day was observed as National Law Day as Ambedkar was also the first Law Minister of India.

This year, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared his message for the day with a video compilation of his recent statements from election campaigns. In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi was often seen carrying a small copy of the Constitution with him, invoking it to make appeals to minority and marginalised social groups.

His post on X said, “The Constitution is a powerful tool to protect the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society. The stronger it is, the stronger our country will be. On this day, while paying homage to the fighters, martyrs and every member of the Constituent Assembly who protected the idea of ​​the Constitution, I reiterate my resolve to protect it.”

How the Indian Constitution was adopted  

The Constituent Assembly, the body meant to draft the Constitution of India, held its first session on December 9, 1946, attended by 207 members. Initially, the assembly had 389 members, but after Independence and the Partition of India, the strength was reduced to 299.

The assembly took over three years to draft the constitution, spending over 114 days considering the content of the draft alone. A range of sources were consulted for the draft, including the Constitutions of other countries, and suitable amendments were made to adapt the provisions to what India needed at the time.

Another major source was the Government of India Act of 1935. It introduced bicameralism — upper and lower Houses — at the Centre and in six provinces along with direct elections to these chambers. At the time, it was one of the longest pieces of legislation passed in the British Parliament.

On December 13, 1946, Nehru moved the “Objectives Resolution” that was later adopted as the Preamble on January 22, 1947, to encapsulate the basic philosophy of the Constitution.

The Drafting Committee chaired by Ambedkar was one among the over 17 committees of the Constituent Assembly. Their task was to prepare a Draft Constitution for India. Out of some 7,600 amendments tabled, this committee removed about 2,400 amendments while debating and deliberating the Constitution.

The last session of the Constituent Assembly ended on November 26, 1949, when the Constitution was adopted, and two months later on January 26, 1950 it came into effect after 284 members signed it. January 26 was chosen since the Congress’ Poorna Swaraj resolution was declared on this day in the year 1930.