NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 10 The Constitution of India — An Introduction
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
A constitution is a country's rulebook. It is a document that spells out a nation's basic principles and laws: the framework of the three organs of government ( legislature, executive, judiciary ) and their roles; the checks and balances among them; the rights and duties of citizens; and an outline of the nation's long-term goals and aspirations. Most constitutions also state the values and ideals the country is committed to. The Constitution of India was written by a Constituent Assembly. Formed on 9 December 1946 with 389 members (reduced to 299 after Partition), of whom 15 were women , and chaired by Dr. Rajendra Prasad . Its members were elected by the legislative assemblies of the provinces. The drafting work was done by a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar . The Constitu
- Chapter opening
- Recalling the meaning of ‘constitution’ from Grade 6
- Republic Day and the book in the glass case
- The kabaddi rulebook
- The Parts and Schedules of the Constitution
- The questions India had to answer before independence
- Members of the Constituent Assembly from your own region
- Begum Aizaz Rasul on the equality of women, 22 November 1949
- The Constitution is a living document
- The features of the Preamble in everyday life
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | A document that spells out a nation's basic principles and laws, and how it will be governed | Page 211 | India's is the world's largest written constitution |
| Constituent Assembly | The body that drafted and adopted the Constitution of India | Page 214 | Formed 9 Dec 1946; 389 → 299 members; 15 women; Chairman Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Drafting Committee | The committee that prepared the initial text of the Constitution | Page 214, Fig. 10.3 | Chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, independent India's first Law and Justice minister |
| Republic Day | 26 January, the day the Constitution came into effect in 1950 | Pages 210 and 214 | Adopted 26 Nov 1949, in force 26 Jan 1950 |
| Separation of powers | Keeping the powers of legislature, executive and judiciary distinct, with checks and balances | Pages 211 and 220 | Legislature makes laws · executive implements them · judiciary tests them against the Constitution |
| Fundamental Rights | Basic rights guaranteed to every citizen, which can be claimed in a court of law | Pages 220–222, Fig. 10.14 | Right to Equality (Art. 14), Right to Freedom (Art. 21), Right against Exploitation, Right to Education (Art. 21-A) |
| Fundamental Duties | What every citizen is expected to do for the nation and for fellow citizens | Page 222, Fig. 10.14 | Added as Part IV-A in 1976; six of them are listed in the infographic |
| Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) | Goals the government should try to achieve — the social and economic vision of the framers | Pages 220–222 | Not enforceable in court; guidelines rather than strict rules (Arts. 38, 41, 44, 47, 48-A, 49) |
| Preamble | The opening statement of the Constitution, which sets out the values it upholds | Page 225, Fig. 10.16 | Sovereign · Socialist · Secular · Democratic · Republic; Justice · Liberty · Equality · Fraternity |
| Amendment | A change made to the Constitution after rigorous debate in Parliament | Page 223 | 42nd (1976) added ‘Socialist’, ‘Secular’, ‘Integrity’; 73rd (1992) added Panchayati Raj |
| Parts and Schedules | The sections into which the Constitution is organised | Don't Miss Out, page 212 | 25 Parts and 12 Schedules today; 22 Parts and 8 Schedules in 1950 |
| Helium | A gas that does not react with paper or ink, used to preserve the original Constitution | Margin note, page 210, Fig. 10.2 | The original copy is kept in a helium-filled glass case in Parliament |
| Prem Behari Narain Raizada | The calligrapher who wrote the text of the Constitution by hand | Don't Miss Out, page 223 | Nandalal Bose and his team illustrated the pages (Figs. 10.6–10.13) |
| Universal adult franchise | The right of every adult citizen to vote, regardless of caste, gender, wealth or education | Pages 216 and 220 | India gave it to all citizens from the very beginning |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 209
- Recalling the meaning of ‘constitution’ from Grade 6 — LET'S REMEMBER Page 210
- Republic Day and the book in the glass case — In-text Questions Page 210
- The kabaddi rulebook — LET'S EXPLORE Page 212
- The Parts and Schedules of the Constitution — DON'T MISS OUT Page 212
- The questions India had to answer before independence — In-text Questions Page 213
- Members of the Constituent Assembly from your own region — LET'S EXPLORE Page 215
- The ‘how’ and ‘what’ questions answered by the freedom struggle — In-text Questions Page 216
- Begum Aizaz Rasul on the equality of women, 22 November 1949 — LET'S EXPLORE Page 221
- The Constitution is a living document — LET'S EXPLORE Page 223
- The features of the Preamble in everyday life — LET'S EXPLORE Page 226
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions and activities Page 227