Indian Polity & Constitution — The Complete Basics
A beginner-friendly overview of Indian Polity for SSC-CGL: the Constitution's making, the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, DPSP, key Parts and Articles, borrowed features, and a quick self-check quiz.
By the PadhoDost Team · 📖 8 min read · Updated 4 August 2026
Part of SSC CGL & Banking prep🧠 The Constitution as a rulebook
Every board game comes with a rulebook that says who can do what, whose turn it is, and what counts as a foul. The Constitution of India is the country's rulebook. It decides the powers of the government, the rights of citizens, and the limits everyone must respect — so that the huge 'game' of running a democracy is fair for all its players.
How the Constitution Came to Be
The Constitution was framed by the Constituent Assembly. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee and is known as the 'Father of the Indian Constitution'. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949 (celebrated as Constitution Day), and it came into force on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day). It originally had 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 8 Schedules — since grown to around 470 Articles, 25 Parts and 12 Schedules through amendments.
| Feature | Part | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Rights | Part III | 12 - 35 |
| Directive Principles (DPSP) | Part IV | 36 - 51 |
| Fundamental Duties | Part IV-A | 51A |
| The Union (President, Parliament) | Part V | 52 onwards |
| Amendment of the Constitution | Part XX | 368 |
Fundamental Rights — The Citizen's Shield
The six Fundamental Rights
- ✓Right to Equality (Articles 14-18).
- ✓Right to Freedom (Articles 19-22).
- ✓Right against Exploitation (Articles 23-24).
- ✓Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25-28).
- ✓Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29-30).
- ✓Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32) — called the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution by Dr. Ambedkar.
Note that the Right to Property was removed as a Fundamental Right by the 44th Amendment (1978); it is now only a legal right under Article 300A. Alongside rights, the Constitution lists Fundamental Duties in Article 51A — originally 10, added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), and now 11 after the 86th Amendment (2002).
📝 Borrowed features — which idea came from where
Fundamental Rights -> borrowed from the USA (Bill of Rights).
Directive Principles of State Policy -> borrowed from Ireland.
Parliamentary form of government and rule of law -> from the United Kingdom.
Federation with a strong Centre and residuary powers -> from Canada.
So a common exam question 'Fundamental Rights are inspired by which country?' -> answer: USA.
Quick facts to lock in
- ✓Preamble words 'Socialist', 'Secular' and 'Integrity' were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976).
- ✓Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee.
- ✓Fundamental Rights are justiciable (enforceable in court); DPSP are not directly enforceable.
- ✓Right to Constitutional Remedies is Article 32.
- ✓The power to amend the Constitution lies in Article 368.
⚡ Quick check
The Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution are primarily inspired by the Constitution of which country?
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