Page 120 - SST Class 08

The salient features of the Indian Constitution are in government jobs for these sections. This, they
the Adult Suffrage, Parliamentary System, believed, would help people belonging to these
Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. It sections to uplift their social and economic status.
provides a combination of federal and unitary Universal Adult Franchise : The Constitution
forms of governance at the center and the granted all Indian citizens above the age of 21
powers of the government have been clearly the right to vote in the elections and choose their
stated in the three lists: Central, State and leaders. This was the true essence of democracy.
Concurrent.
Three Lists : The Constitution divided powers
The President is the constitutional head of the between the Central government and the State
state while the Prime Minister is the head of the governments. It made three lists. The subjects in
Executive. The Prime Minister is the leader of the the Union List were to be looked after solely by
party that has a majority in the Lok Sabha. The the Central government. The subject in the State
Indian Parliament has two houses - the Rajya list were to be looked after solely by the State
Sabha or upper house and the Lok Sabha or governments. The subjects in the concurrent list
lower house. Each state has its own government were to be the joint responsibility of both the
headed by the Chief Minister who remains the Central and the State governments.
leader of the majority party in the respective
PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT
Legislative Aassembly. Thus, democratically
Once the initial problems were sorted out, the
elected governments rule the nation and provi-
next objective was building a strong agricultural
sion is made for periodical elections.
and industrial base. To achieve it, the Planning
The judiciary remains the upholder of the consti-
Commission was set up in 1850. The Five-Year
tution. The Indian judiciary system consists of the
Plans were formulated to hasten the process of
Supreme Court at the centre and High Courts in
development. They were framed, executed and
the states. The subordinate courts in each state
monitored by the Planning Commission. The
are under the control of the High Court.
government took the lead in setting up heavy
Features of the Constitution of India industries such as steel, and in building dams.
Some features of the Constitution of India are Jawaharlal Nehru, realising the importance of
given below. dams, called them the ‘temples of modern India’.
Equality Before Law : The Constitution The public sector was given the responsibility of
declared that all Indians, irrespective of their mobilising resources and developing infrastruc-
caste, religion and gender, are equal before the ture. The private sector had limited role to play.
law of the country. People of all castes, commu-
nities, regions and religions would enjoy the
same rights. No person would face any kind of
discrimination.

Special Privileges for Disadvantaged
Indians : The farmers of the Constitution
believed that for centuries some sections of
society had been deprived and discriminated
against. They therefore made provisions for
granting reservations of seats in legislatures and
The Refugees during Partition
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