Q1.
But what exactly is a constitution, and why is it so important?
Answer
A constitution is the document that lays down the basic principles and laws of a nation — how it will be governed, who will hold power, how that power is limited, and what citizens can claim and must do.
It is important for three plain reasons the chapter brings out:
- It binds even the most powerful. The President takes an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend” it. The prime minister, the council of ministers and the judges all promise to follow its provisions. No one in office is above it.
- It settles disputes without a fight. Like the referee's rulebook in the kabaddi match, it is a written authority that all sides have accepted in advance.
- It records what the country stands for. Equality, justice, freedom and fraternity are not left to anyone's mood — they are written into the Preamble and into the Fundamental Rights.
Did you know? Because the original handwritten copy is so precious, it is kept in a helium-filled glass case in Parliament (Fig. 10.2). Helium does not react with paper or ink, so the pages do not decay.