WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
India is free to conduct its own affairs, both internal and external.
Commitment to social and economic equality through democratic means.
No official religion; all religions are treated equally by the state.
Government by the people, for the people, through elected representatives.
Head of state is elected, not hereditary.
The Preamble was adopted on 26th November 1949, the same day the Constitution was adopted. It reflects the aspirations and ideals of the Indian people as they emerged from colonial rule to establish a democratic, secular, and socialist republic.
The words "Socialist" and "Secular" were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, during the Emergency period. This amendment also changed "unity of the Nation" to "unity and integrity of the Nation".
The Preamble is considered the soul of the Constitution. While it is not enforceable in courts, it serves as a guide for interpreting the Constitution and understanding its basic structure. The Supreme Court has held that the Preamble is a part of the Constitution and can be used to interpret ambiguous provisions.
In the landmark case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), the Supreme Court held that the Preamble indicates the basic structure of the Constitution, which cannot be amended by Parliament.