Indian Polity- Part 1 (Source of Our Constitution)

(Source of Our Constitution)

Most of the provision of the Indian constitution have been borrowed from the constitution of several other countries as well as from the government of India Act 1935. Though sometimes this borrowing become a matter of criticism but no doubt the framers of our constitution deserve our gratitude for collecting the best features of other constitutions and modifying then in order to avoid the problems faced by them and making them suitable to the Indian Politico-Administrative system.

The major sources from which the constitution has been drawn are a follows:

A) The Government of India Act 1935: The Government of India Act 1935 provided the structure post of the constitution, and the federal scheme, judiciary, governors, emergency powers the Public Service Commissions have been borrowed from it.

B) The British Constitution: The political parts of the constitution i.e. the system of parliamentary government, cabinet system, single citizenship. Rule of law have been drawn from it.

C) The United States Constitution: The U.S. constitution became the source of the charter of Fundamental Rights, federal structure of the government, electoral college, judicial review and independence of judiciary.

D) The Irish Constitution: It provided the philosophical part i.e. the Directive Principles of State Policy method of Presidential election and the nomination of members to Rajya Sabha.

E) The Canadian Constitution: The concept of a quasi-federal form of government a federal system with a strong central government and the idea of residuary power of legislation with the centre has been borrowed from it.

F) The Australian Constitution: The various provisions regarding freedom of trade & commerce, the concurrent list of legislative subjects and the provisions for the joint sitting of the Parliament have been borrowed from the constitution of Australia.

G) The Weimar Constitution of Germany: The provision of suspension of fundamental rights during emergency has been borrowed from this constitution.

H) Constitution of the Soviet Union: On the recommendation of Sardar Swaran Singh Committee (1976), fundamental duties were incorporated into our constitution from the Soviet union Constitution.

I) Other: South Africa: Amendment of Constitution. 

J) Japan :  Procedure established by Law.