Democratic Constitution of India

The Constitution of India is a democratic one. Having been framed in mid-twentieth century it has contained various novel features. It aims at preserving unity in a country filled with diverse races, language, religions and cultures. It is designed to meet essentially the needs and requirements of the Indian soil. Some critics, both oriental and occidental, go out of the way in pointing out some of the defects of the Indian Constitution. Those critics seem to be oblivious of Montesquieu's maxim that political institutions cannot be transplanted in other soils without undergoing some changes. In this book an attempt is made to study the spirit of the Constitution. Although the book is primarily designed to meet the needs of students of higher classes, it may be helpful to research scholars and general public. It is hoped that the book wqill help in some measure to spread a knowledge of our constitutional system and also help understanding the system of Government in which we live.

This book is the outcome of a series of lectures I was invited to deliver on our  Constitution in 1967 by the Principal, Tribal Orientation and Study Centre of Ministry of Community Development and Cooperation Government of India located at Gopabandhunagar, Bhubaneswar. I am grateful to the authority of the Tribal Orientation and Study Centre for the honour they had given to me. Being pressed hard by my students, I decided to bring those lectures in a book form. The Fourth General Election of India held in February. 1967 brought some significant change in our constitutional system. I have revised the various chapters of this book in the light of the changes brought by the said election and ir contains all the latest facts and figures on the Indian Constitution including a study of the Fourth General Election and the recent trends in Centre-State relations.