The foundation of India’s democracy is the dynamic and all-encompassing Indian Constitution, which was ratified on January 26, 1950. It is still one of the world’s longest and most comprehensive constitutions, having been designed by its founders as a living document that might change to reflect the country’s changing socio-political environment. Even if the Constitution still supports democratic ideals in the twenty-first century, it faces numerous obstacles brought on by changes in society, advances in technology, and changes in international affairs. This essay investigates the Indian Constitution’s ongoing significance as well as the difficulties it faces today.
Firstly this essay emphasizes the relevance and importance of the Indian constitution that the key feature of the Indian constitution is that fundamental rights that all citizens have access to, such as equality, freedom of speech, and protection against exploitation, are a crucial discrimination component. These rights guarantee that personal freedoms be upheld and protect people from. The government’s efforts to advance social and economic welfare are guided by the Directive Principles of State Policy, which place a strong emphasis on justice, healthcare, and education.
A federal system is also established by the Constitution, which divides authority between the federal and state governments. On the other hand, it makes central authority more powerful in times of crisis. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches’ division of powers guarantees that there are checks and balances in place to keep any one branch from growing too strong.
And another characteristic of the Indian constitution is the preamble. Although it was later added, the preamble was not included in the original constitution. It also provides a thorough explanation of the philosophy behind the constitution. India is described as a socialist, secular, sovereign, and democratic republic in the preamble. It also supports justice, equality, and the freedom of its citizens. The constitution prioritizes the well-being of its citizens over the interests of the state.
After the completion of explanation of significance and importance the Indian constitution. This essay explores contemporary challenges to the core principles of the Indian Constitution. It begins by addressing the enduring issues of social and economic inequality, focusing on the widening wealth gap and controversies surrounding corporate bailouts.
And also approaches various challenges related to the Indian constitution including “One Nation One Election” is analyzed, considering its impact on democratic integrity and federal structure, secularism, Religion and the Supreme Court of India and in last imperative of union civil code in India.
Socioeconomic Inequalities vs. State Policy Directive Principle:
Socioeconomic inequalities compared to key domains like education, healthcare, employment, corruption, and legal access are all impacted by social and economic inequalities. These variations, which have their roots in unequal resource distribution, make inequality worse. The Indian Constitution’s Part IV, the Directive Principles of State Policy, offers a framework for addressing these issues and advancing just development. State policies’ corrective principle.
Education system:
Poverty and inequality are sustained by economic inequality, which restricts access to high-quality education. While Article 21 ensures the right to high-quality education, other Directive Principles, including Article 45, place an emphasis on universal education regardless of socioeconomic background. The significance of affirmative action and rules in educational institutions is highlighted by seminal instances such as Mohini Jain v. State of Karnataka (1992) and TMA Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka (2002).
The national education policy (NEP) 2020 aims to significantly revamp India’s education system from school to higher education. While it offers promising reforms like a multidisciplinary approach and increased accessibility, challenges remain especially for rural.
Healthcare:
Inequalities in social and economic status result in unequal access to medical care. While the poor rely on underfunded public healthcare systems with few resources and inadequate infrastructure, wealthier people can afford private healthcare facilities and superior medical care.
This maintains health inequalities and leads to differences in health outcomes. By putting the health needs of all citizens first, Directive Principles like Article 47 prioritize enhancing public health and granting access to healthcare in an effort to alleviate these inequities.
Employment:
Inequalities in economic status lead to unequal employment chances. People from wealthy families are more likely to have access to superior educational opportunities and professional networks, which increases their chances of landing well-paying jobs. On the other hand, members of marginalized groups encounter difficulties finding work because they lack social networks, education, and skills. In order to reduce employment injustices, Directive Principles like Article 41 support the right to work and equal employment chances. They do this by encouraging inclusive growth and fair access to job possibilities.
Corruption:
Because they produce unequal power dynamics and exploitation opportunities, social and economic imbalances are a contributing factor to corruption. The less fortunate may be increasingly marginalized as a result of wealthy people and corporations engaging in corrupt activities to preserve their status and power.
By aiming for a more equitable allocation of opportunities and resources, Directive Principles such as Article 38, which place a strong emphasis on promoting social justice and lowering economic disparities, indirectly prevent corruption. Finland is frequently included among the nations with the lowest levels of corruption worldwide. Integrity in public service is upheld in part by robust institutions, open governance, and successful anti-corruption initiatives.
One nation one election vs constitution:
A group headed by former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind has launched the One Nation One Election decisions, which aims to align state assembly elections and the Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) elections throughout India. In terms of resource preservation, the idea of “one nation, one election” can appear effective.
And time, it does present certain threats to the nation’s federal system. First of all, it might put smaller or regional parties at a disadvantage since they might lack the people or resources necessary to effectively compete at the state and federal levels at the same time. This might reduce the diversity of political representation and result in the domination of bigger, national parties.
Secularism, Religion and the supreme court of India:
The secularism that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s plan is challenged by the way caste, religion, and politics are intertwined. Secularism has been confirmed as a fundamental component of the Constitution by the Supreme Court of India in instances such as Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala.
International efforts to uphold the separation of religion and state are exemplified by the U.S. Establishment Clause and France’s prohibition on religious symbols in public institutions. Still, current discussions about public religious displays and prayer in schools show that maintaining secularism calls for constant attention to detail and legal protections.
Striving for Equality:
The case for a Uniform civil code in India: India’s lack of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) contradicts Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which outlines the Constitution’s objective of equality and social harmony. The UCC promotes gender equality and national integration by establishing a consistent legal framework for personal concerns regardless of faith, however it is not required.
Significant cases such as Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India and the Shah Bano case have emphasized its significance. However, political difficulties and concerns of religious backlash have prevented it from being implemented, which has continued discrimination and legal pluralism. Addressing this challenge and preserving the equity and justice envisioned in the constitution need cooperation between legislators, the judiciary, and civil society.
In a nutshell we have understood the relevance and importance to the Indian constitution with the challenges that contradict the Indian constitution in the 21th first century including education system, healthcare and corruption and also we could analyze about the one nation one election and what is the system uniform civil code .but we as the Indian citizen want a solution that will be valuable and comfortable in our right and don’t try to violate the Indian constitution. Because this is our legacy and symbol of our ancestor and a tribute for great figure B.R AMBEDKAR.
Endnote:
- Austin, Granville. The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1999.
- Pylee, M. V. India’s Constitution. 16th Ed. New Delhi: S. Chand Publishing, 2017.
- Asghar Au Engineer: Contemporary Challenges to Secularism and Democracy — A Religious Response April 1-15, 2005
- Pandey J.N., Constitutional Law of India, (Central Law Agency, Allahabad, 1997) p. 137
- Secularism and the Law: National Foundation for Communal Harmony New Delhi August 2002
- Donald Eugene Smith, India as a Secular State (Princeton University Press, Princeton 1963)
- Kanchankumar Tejram Shewale the Indian Constitution: Navigating Challenges in the 21st Century E-ISSN: 2582-216
- Essay on Constitution of India for Students and Children (2019, October https://www.toppr.com/guides/essays/essay-on-constitution-of-india
- Admin. (2022, December 20). Essay on Constitution of India Indian Constitution https://byjus.com/cbse/essay-on-constitution-of-india
- Deva, S. (2014b). The Indian constitution in the twenty-first century. In Cambridge University Press eBooks (pp. 343–366). https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107338333.016