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Chapter 03

Salient Features of the Constitution

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~29 min read

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Constitutional Identity: What Makes the Indian Constitution Distinct

  • The Indian Constitution combines features drawn from several constitutional systems with adaptations suited to Indian conditions.
  • Its distinctive character lies in the combination of federalism, parliamentary government, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, judicial review, single citizenship, emergency provisions and local self-government.
  • Several original features have been substantially modified through constitutional amendments.
  • The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 made extensive changes and is popularly called the "Mini-Constitution".
  • The Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) established that Parliament's amending power under Article 368 is subject to the Basic Structure Doctrine.

Inside this chapter

What Salient Features of the Constitution covers

  1. Constitutional Identity: What Makes the Indian Constitution Distinct
  2. Lengthy and Detailed Written Constitution
  3. Constitution Drawn from Multiple Sources
  4. Blend of Rigidity and Flexibility
  5. Federal System with a Unitary Bias
  6. Parliamentary Form of Government
  7. Parliamentary Sovereignty and Judicial Supremacy: A Synthesis
  8. Integrated and Independent Judiciary
  9. Fundamental Rights
  10. Directive Principles of State Policy
  11. Fundamental Rights vs Directive Principles
  12. Fundamental Duties
  13. Secular State
  14. Universal Adult Franchise
  15. Single Citizenship
  16. Independent Constitutional Bodies
  17. Emergency Provisions
  18. Three-Tier Government
  19. Constitutional Status of Co-operative Societies
  20. Major Constitutional Amendments That Shaped Its Present Character
  21. Basic Structure and Constitutional Supremacy
  22. Important Parts of the Constitution
  23. Important Articles: Rapid Recall
  24. Schedules: Rapid Recall
  25. Major Sources: Exam-Oriented Matching
  26. Criticism of the Constitution
  27. Why the Constitution Is Detailed
  28. Constitutional Features: High-Value Comparison Map
  29. Prelims Traps
  30. Amendment Map for Rapid Revision
  31. Judgment Map
  32. Feature-to-Article Recall
  33. Final High-Yield Recall
Practise the questions100 exam-pattern MCQs on this chapterRevise with flashcards100 cards, scheduled for you
All 36 chapters in Indian Polity
  1. Historical Background
  2. Making of the Constitution
  3. Salient Features of the Constitution
  4. Preamble of the Constitution
  5. Union and its Territory
  6. Citizenship
  7. Fundamental Rights
  8. Directive Principles of State Policy
  9. Fundamental Duties
  10. Amendment of the Constitution
  11. Basic Structure of the Constitution
  12. Parliamentary System
  13. Federal System
  14. Centre–State Relations
  15. Inter-State Relations
  16. Emergency Provisions
  17. President
  18. Vice-President
  19. Prime Minister
  20. Central Council of Ministers
  21. Cabinet Committees
  22. Parliament
  23. Supreme Court
  24. Judiciary - Judicial Review and Judicial Activism, PIL
  25. Governor
  26. Chief Minister
  27. State Council of Ministers
  28. State Legislature
  29. High Court
  30. Tribunals
  31. Subordinate Courts
  32. Panchayati Raj
  33. Municipalities
  34. Union Territories
  35. Elections - Election Laws, Electoral Reforms
  36. Anti-Defection Law

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