Class 7 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 10 – The Constitution of India: An Introduction with easy NCERT and CBSE Notes, complete book solutions, important concepts and Questions & Answers. Learn about the Indian Constitution, democracy, rights, duties and the structure of government with simple Class 7 study material.
Class 7 Social Science
Chapter 10 – The Constitution of India — An Introduction
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
— Dr. Rajendra Prasad
The Constitution of India is the basic rulebook of the country. It explains how the government works, protects citizens’ rights, describes citizens’ duties and gives important values and goals for the country.
1. What is a constitution, and why do we need one?
2. How was the Indian Constitution prepared?
3. How did our freedom struggle and civilisational heritage influence the Constitution?
4. What are the key features of the Constitution of India? Why is it still relevant, even though it was written more than seventy years ago?
Meaning of Constitution
A constitution is a document that lays down the basic principles and laws of a nation.
It explains:
- How the legislature, executive and judiciary work.
- The roles and responsibilities of the organs of government.
- Checks and balances between different organs.
- The rights and duties of citizens.
- The long-term goals and aspirations of the nation.
LET’S REMEMBER:
Recall that in Grade 6, we saw the meaning of the word ‘constitution’—a document that lays down the basic principles and laws of a nation. In small groups of three, list all the questions that come to your mind about a country’s constitution.
The Constitution as a Rulebook
A constitution works like a rulebook for a country. It gives common rules that everyone, including the government, is expected to follow.
It helps prevent confusion and provides a way to settle disagreements.
LET’S EXPLORE
Imagine that your school has reached the final tournament in kabaddi at the state-level. The opponent is a strong team that has won the tournament two years in a row. They are aiming to win a third time, a hat-trick. The match is on, and a player from your team has just got one of the players from the other team ‘out’; then a dispute breaks out. The player from the other team insists that she had already crossed into her team area before your team player caught her. The referee has seen that the player from the other team was indeed ‘out’. To settle the dispute amicably, she pulls out a little official rulebook. The team captains confer with the referee and look at the rules. They then agree that the player was indeed ‘out’, and your team has won the state-level trophy.
Discuss in your group what might have happened if there was no official rulebook that the referee and the team captains could refer to. What is required to ensure everyone agrees to abide by the rulebook? What might happen if the team captains did not agree to refer to the rulebook at all?
Think of a game that you play often and list the rules you follow. Each group will then present their set of rules to the rest of the class. Listen to each presentation, discuss the rules, and work together to decide on a common set of rules for the game. What challenges do you face in reaching a consensus on rules that everyone agrees with?
What could be the ‘rulebook’ for a country? How would it be made?
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Political system | Explains the system of government. |
| Government structure | Explains how government is formed. |
| Functions of government | Explains the work of different organs. |
| Rights and duties | Explains important rights and duties of citizens. |
| Values and ideals | Includes values such as equality, justice, fraternity and freedom. |
| Guiding principles | Gives direction to the government. |
Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 to prepare the Constitution. It initially had 389 members. After Partition, its strength became 299. There were 15 women members.
The Constituent Assembly began its work on 9 December 1946. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was its Chairman.
The Drafting Committee was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950.
LET’S EXPLORE
In small groups, try to find out the names of people from your region who may have participated in the making of the Constitution. What sources can you use to gather this information?
Three Important Influences
- The Indian freedom movement.
- India’s civilisational heritage and culture.
- Useful ideas from constitutions of other countries.
Influence of the Freedom Movement
- Equality for all.
- Justice for all.
- Freedom.
- Fraternity.
- Preservation of India’s cultural heritage.
- Use of the Constitution to achieve important ideals.
How do we make sure that every adult citizen has a right to vote?
How do we ensure that the powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary are kept separate?
How do we guarantee that every individual’s fundamental rights are respected?
What should be the process if we want to amend the Constitution?
What should be the relationship between the Central and State governments?
India’s civilisational heritage has influenced the Constitution. Important ideas include:
- Respect for different points of view.
- Nature as sacred.
- Pursuit of learning and knowledge.
- Respect for women.
- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family.
- Sarve bhavantu sukhinah – may all creatures be happy.
- Importance of duties in governance.
LET’S REMEMBER
In the chapter on “Unity in Diversity, or ‘Many in the One’ ” in Grade 6, we studied what makes India one country and the underlying unity that embraces the diversity.
This idea of India being one country is embedded in the Constitution.
LET’S REMEMBER
Earlier, we described various types of governance systems that we experimented within India—from the janapadas, sanghas, rulers and their councils, Kauṭilya’s concept of saptānga, rājadharma and so on. On the whole, there has been a great emphasis on the duties and role of the people in governance. It was, therefore, quite natural that the Constitution makers would incorporate these ideas of our civilisational heritage into our Constitution—‘Fundamental Duties’, for instance, are part of it.
The Constitution makers studied constitutions of several countries to understand ideas that could be useful for India.
| Country | Influence Mentioned in the Chapter |
|---|---|
| France | Ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. |
| Ireland | Directive Principles of State Policy. |
| USA | Concept of an independent judiciary. |
Three Organs of Government
| Organ | Main Function |
|---|---|
| Legislature | Makes laws. |
| Executive | Implements laws. |
| Judiciary | Ensures laws are followed and interprets the Constitution and laws. |
Three Levels of Government
- Central Government
- State Government
- Local Government
Important Parts of the Constitution
- Fundamental Rights
- Fundamental Duties
- Directive Principles of State Policy
- Democratic government
- Separation of powers
- Electoral system
| Part | Easy Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fundamental Rights | Important rights protected by the Constitution. |
| Fundamental Duties | Important responsibilities citizens should follow. |
| Directive Principles of State Policy | Guidelines and goals for the government. |
LET’S EXPLORE
Read the quotation given below. Which article of the Constitution do you think she was referring to? Why do you think she said that the equality of women was not a new concept for India? Discuss in the class.
The Constitution can be changed when new needs arise. These changes are called amendments.
- Fundamental Duties were added in 1976.
- Panchayati Raj was integrated into the Constitution through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1992.
- Constitutional amendments are debated before being accepted.
There was a time when people were not allowed to fly the national flag at their homes. This changed in 2004 when a citizen felt it was his right to express pride in his country and challenged the rule in court. The Supreme Court agreed, saying that flying the flag is part of the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Expression. We can now fly the tricolour with pride, keeping in mind that it should never be dishonoured.
We studied the Panchayati Raj System in Grade 6. This was not a part of the original Constitution; it was integrated in it in 1992 with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act.
Can you find out the amendments made to the Constitution in the past ten years?
The Constitution is also an important work of art.
- Prem Behari Narain Raizada wrote the text by hand.
- Nandalal Bose and his team illustrated its pages.
- The illustrations show scenes from India’s history and cultural heritage.
The Preamble contains the guiding values of the Constitution. It begins with the words:
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA
Below is the list of features given in the Preamble. Read them closely from the image above and write down examples of the application of these values in daily life around you. Two have been completed to help you with the exercise.
| Features of the Preamble | How we see them in our daily lives |
|---|---|
| Sovereign | ________________________________________ |
| Secular | A person does not have to take permission from the State to practice the rituals of their religion if the practice does not interfere with anyone else’s day-to-day life. |
| Republic | ________________________________________ |
| Justice | The State provides equal opportunity to all in jobs, regardless of gender, caste, religion, etc. |
| Liberty | ________________________________________ |
| Equality | ________________________________________ |
| Fraternity | ________________________________________ |
Sovereign: India makes its own decisions.
Republic: The head of the state is elected.
Liberty: A person can express ideas within the law.
Equality: Students receive equal opportunities at school.
Fraternity: People help and respect one another.
- The Constitution is the guiding rulebook of India.
- It protects citizens’ rights.
- Citizens also have Fundamental Duties.
- India’s freedom struggle influenced the Constitution.
- India’s civilisational heritage influenced its values.
- Useful ideas from other countries were also studied.
- The Constitution defines the social, economic and political structure of the country.
- It provides a parliamentary form of government.
- It is a living document that can be amended.
1. “The Constituent Assembly had representatives from diverse backgrounds in India.” Why do you think it was important to have a diverse set of representatives from all over India?
2. Read the statements below carefully and identify which key features / values in the Constitution of India are reflected in each statement.
a. Sheena, Rajat, and Harsh are standing in a line. They are excited to cast their first vote in the general elections.
b. Radha, Imon, and Harpreet study in the same class in the same school.
c. Parents must make arrangements to ensure their children’s education.
d. People of all castes, genders, and religions can use the village well.
3. It is said that ‘All citizens in India are equal before the law’. Do you think this is a fact? If yes, why? If not, why not? Formulate your arguments.
4. You have learnt that ‘India is the only country that provided universal adult franchise to its citizens from the beginning.’ Can you explain why India did it?
5. How did the freedom struggle inspire the making of the Constitution of India? How did India’s civilisational heritage inspire some of the key features in the Constitution of India? Explain.
6. Do you think we, as a society, have achieved all the ideals of the Constitution? If not, what can we each do as citizens to move our country closer to these ideals?
7. Read the clues carefully to solve the crossword on the next page to uncover important concepts from the Indian Constitution.
Across
2. The branch of government that makes laws.
7. The part of the Constitution that outlines the duties of citizens towards the country.
8. The highest court in India that protects the Constitution.
9. A system where the head of state is elected, not hereditary.
10. The process by which the Constitution can be changed over time.
Down
1. The group of people who wrote the Indian Constitution.
3. The statement at the beginning of the Constitution that tells us the values it upholds.
4. The document that lays out the rules and laws of a country.
5. The gas used to preserve the original Constitution safely.
6. Basic rights given to every citizen, like freedom and equality
| Topic | Remember |
|---|---|
| Constitution | The basic rulebook of the country. |
| Constituent Assembly | The body that prepared the Indian Constitution. |
| Adopted | 26 November 1949. |
| Came into effect | 26 January 1950. |
| Drafting Committee Chairman | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. |
| Chairman of Constituent Assembly | Dr. Rajendra Prasad. |
| Three organs | Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. |
| Three levels | Central, State and Local. |
| Rights | Fundamental Rights. |
| Duties | Fundamental Duties. |
| Government guidelines | Directive Principles of State Policy. |
| Guiding values | Preamble. |
| Living document | The Constitution can be amended according to constitutional procedures. |
Try this worksheet to revise the chapter 10, practise important questions, and check your understanding. It will help you strengthen your preparation and identify the topics that need more revision.
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