Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nelson Mandela and seven other leaders sent for life imprisonment in 1964 for opposing the
Apartheid regime.
Apartheid - Racial discrimination unique to South Africa
It divided and labelled people on the basis of their skin colour
Native people of South Africa - Black
People of mixed races - Coloured
Ruling society - White
Blacks were forbidden from living in white areas, could work in white areas only if they had a
permit.
All services were separate for the Blacks & Whites, Blacks could not visit the Churches where
the Whites worshiped, could not form associations or protest against the terrible treatment.
Since 1950 Blacks, Coloured and Indians fought under the leadership of African National
Congress, included many worker unions and Communist Party. Several countries supported
them.
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into
a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all
its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the
Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do
HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
Institutional Design
Constitutional Amendment Process
Article 368 of Constitution deals with procedure of amendment of the Constitution. The Constitution
can be amended in three different ways :-
(a) Some categories of amendment like creation of new States, creation or abolition of second
chamber of the States, changes in the citizenship, etc., require only a simple majority in both the
Houses of the Union Parliament. In this case amendment of the Constitution is made in a flexible
manner.
(b) Certain other provisions of the Constitution in order to be amended, require a majority of the
total membership in each House of Parliament and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the
members present and voting in each House of parliament. The bulk of the Constitution can be
amended in this way.
(c) Certain categories of amendment like the Presidential powers and mode of election, the extent of
the Executive and Legislative Powers of the Union or the States, the provision regarding the Supreme
Court and the High Court, the representation of States in Parliament etc. require :-