Who described the Preamble as the 'identity card of the Constitution'?
- A.N.A. Palkhivala
- B.K.M. Munshi
- C.Sir Ernest Barker
- D.Dr B.R. Ambedkar
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is N.A. Palkhivala. Nani Ardeshir Palkhivala, one of India's most eminent jurists and constitutional lawyers, called the Preamble the "identity card of the Constitution", because it tells us in one sentence what the Constitution is, where its authority comes from and what it sets out to achieve.
The other names are linked to different descriptions, and examiners use them precisely because they sound right. K.M. Munshi, a member of the Drafting Committee, called the Preamble the "political horoscope" of the sovereign democratic republic. Sir Ernest Barker, the British political scientist, described it as the "key-note" of the Constitution. Dr B.R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee, and his best-known description is of Article 32, which he called the heart and soul of the Constitution. Learn these as pairs, because questions often give the phrase and ask for the person, or the other way round.
Read the full article: Preamble of the Indian Constitution: Notes, Keywords and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allFill in the blank using words contained in the Preamble to the Constitution of India: We, ______, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens....
- A.The Supreme Court
- B.The Indian Parliament
- C.The Central Government
- D.The People of India
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The Preamble opens with the words "We, the people of India", which name the people as the source from which the Constitution draws its authority.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following word sequences is correct as per the Preamble to the Constitution?
- A.Sovereign, secular, socialist, democratic, republic
- B.Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic
- C.Secular, democratic, secular, socialist, sovereign
- D.Socialist, secular, democratic, republic, sovereign
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This is the order in which the Preamble describes India: "a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC". Socialist and secular were inserted between sovereign and democratic by the 42nd Amendment in 1976; before that the phrase read "sovereign democratic republic".
Read the full explanation →Which among the following words were added to the Preamble in the 42nd amendment of the Indian constitution?
- A.Socialist
- B.Democratic
- C.Republic
- D.Sovereign
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The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 added three words to the Preamble: "Socialist" and "Secular" to the description of India, and "Integrity" to the phrase "unity and integrity of the Nation".
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution of India?
- A.Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship
- B.Fraternity assuring human dignity
- C.Equality of status and employment
- D.Justice, social, economic and administrative
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These are the exact words the Preamble uses for liberty, and they appear in it just as written here. Each of the other options changes one word of the real text, which is exactly how this question catches people.
Read the full explanation →The idea of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution is borrowed from the Constitution of _______.
- A.USSR (Present Russia)
- B.Canada
- C.Britain
- D.United States of America
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The idea of beginning a constitution with a preamble was borrowed from the Constitution of the USA, whose own text opens with the words "We the People".
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