What is meaning of Constitution?

The Constitution is the fundamental set of principles and laws that establish how a government operates.
The Constitution defines the structure of the government, the rights of the people, and the powers and responsibilities of different branches of the government.
It serves as the supreme law of a nation or state, guiding legal and political decisions.

Sources of Constitution of India

The sources of Constitution of India are as follows:

Federal Scheme– Division of powers between the Centre and the States.
Office of the Governor– Role and powers of the Governor as the head of state.
Judiciary– Structure of courts – provisions for the Supreme Court and High Courts.
Public Service Commissions– Establishing commissions such as the UPSC and State PSCs.
Emergency Provisions– Framework for handling extraordinary situations in the country.
Administrative Details– The basic administrative structure and governance mechanisms.

Parliamentary System of Government– Close relationship between the executive and legislature organs of the government.
Rule of Law– No individual is above the law.
Legislative Procedure– Procedure for enacting laws.
Single Citizenship– India provides single citizenship to all citizens.
Cabinet System– Role of Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
Prerogative Writs- Citizens receive protections for their Fundamental Rights and acquire specified privileges.
Parliamentary Privileges- They represent the distinct advantages which both Members of Parliament receive through their membership of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Bicameral System- A bicameral system applies to governments when their legislative body contains two chambers, so in India, it has Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

Fundamental Rights– Fundamental rights that safeguard the personal liberties of the citizens.
Independence of the Judiciary– The judicial system operates independently from both legislative and executive branches.
Judicial Review– The power of courts to review the laws made by the legislature.
Impeachment of the President– The President may face impeachment to remove them from their position.
Removal of Supreme Court and High Court Judges– The process that allows judges on both the Supreme Court and High Court to be removed from their positions.
Post of the Vice-President– The role and responsibilities of the Vice-President.

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) – The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) serve as fundamental guidelines for national governance to establish socio-economic justice through equality among citizens of the country.
Nominations of Members to Rajya Sabha – The provisions of nomination of members in the Rajya Sabha.
Methods of Election of the President – The system for electing the Indian President through an electoral college.

Federation with a Strong Centre– India follows a federal system where the Centre has overriding powers.
Residuary Powers with the Centre– Unspecified powers that remain with the central government.
Appointment of State Governors by the Centre– Role of Governors as representatives of the Union Government in States.
Advisory Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court– The Supreme Court provides legal advice to the Indian President.

Concurrent List– The division of subjects between the Centre and States where both can legislate.
Freedom of Trade, Commerce & Intercourse– It promotes economic unity between states.
Joint Sitting of Parliament- A method of breaking any deadlock that may occur between the two Houses of Parliament, i.e. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency– Allows suspension of rights in times of national crisis.

Fundamental Duties– Responsibilities of citizens towards the nation.
Ideal of Justice (Social, Economic, and Political) in the Preamble– Commitment to an equitable society.

Republic– According to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, India is a sovereign, democratic, republic.
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity– These are the principles that are enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

Procedure for Amendment of the Constitution– The process used to change the Constitution is called the Procedure for Amendment of the Constitution.
Election of Members to Rajya Sabha– Member positions within Rajya Sabha are filled through indirect voting by State Legislative Assemblies.