The Preamble of Indian Constitution opens with "We, the people of India", declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, and sets out four aims: justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. It is dated 26 November 1949 and has been amended only once, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
Below: the full text, the key words, the dates and cases TNPSC asks about, and 10 MCQs with answers. The Group 4 syllabus names "Preamble to the Constitution" in Unit IV, Indian Polity, which carries 15 questions (unit-wise syllabus). The Tamil version of this page gives the official Tamil text.
Preamble of Indian Constitution: full text
As amended in 1976, with the capitals of the original (official edition: legislative.gov.in):
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.
Key words in the Preamble and what they mean
What kind of state India is
Word | What it means | Added |
|---|---|---|
Sovereign | India decides its own internal and external affairs; no outside power is above it | 1949 |
Socialist | The state works to reduce inequality of income, status and opportunity; in practice a mixed economy | 1976 |
Secular | The state has no religion of its own and treats all religions equally (freedom of religion is in Articles 25 to 28) | 1976 |
Democratic | Government by elected representatives, with a vote for every adult citizen | 1949 |
Republic | The head of state, the President, is elected, not hereditary | 1949 |
The four aims
Justice: social, economic and political. Nobody is to be left out because of caste, religion or wealth.
Liberty: of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship (five kinds; TNPSC likes to ask which one is missing).
Equality: of status and of opportunity (two kinds).
Fraternity: brotherhood that assures the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation ("integrity" was added in 1976).
The opening words, "We, the people of India", say the Constitution's authority comes from the people; the last line repeats it: "give to ourselves this Constitution".
Preamble dates TNPSC asks about
Date | What happened |
|---|---|
13 December 1946 | Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly; the Preamble is based on it |
22 January 1947 | The Assembly adopted the Objectives Resolution |
17 October 1949 | The Assembly took up the Preamble after all the articles and passed it as the Drafting Committee had worded it |
26 November 1949 | The Constitution was adopted; this is the date in the Preamble, now observed as Constitution Day |
26 January 1950 | The Constitution came into force (Republic Day) |
18 December 1976 | The 42nd Amendment Act, the only amendment to the Preamble |
On 17 October 1949 a proposal to add "in the name of God" lost 41 to 68 on a show of hands (constitutionofindia.net).
How many times has the Preamble been amended? The 42nd Amendment
Once. Section 2 of the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, passed during the Emergency, made two changes:
Before | After |
|---|---|
SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC | SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC |
unity of the Nation | unity and integrity of the Nation |
Three words were added: socialist, secular and integrity. The same Act inserted the Fundamental Duties (Article 51A); questions often join the two.
On 25 November 2024 the Supreme Court dismissed petitions that wanted "socialist" and "secular" removed (Dr Balram Singh v. Union of India). As SCC Online reported, the bench held that Parliament's amending power under Article 368 extends to the Preamble and is not limited by its adoption date. Useful for current affairs questions.
Is the Preamble part of the Constitution? Four cases
Case | Year | What the Supreme Court said |
|---|---|---|
In re Berubari Union (Presidential reference) | 1960 | Not a part of the Constitution, though it is a key to the minds of its makers |
Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala | 1973 | It is a part of the Constitution and can be amended under Article 368, but not so as to change the basic structure |
LIC of India | 1995 | Repeated that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution |
Dr Balram Singh v. Union of India | 2024 | Dismissed the challenge to "socialist" and "secular" |
For statement questions: the Preamble cannot be enforced in court by itself. It neither gives the legislature power nor limits it; courts use it to read an unclear article.
Who called the Preamble the "key to the Constitution"?
In the Third Reading debate on 18 November 1949, Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava called the Preamble the most precious part of the Constitution, its soul, its key and a jewel set in it. In the debates record's English translation of his Hindustani speech: "It is the soul of the Constitution. It is a key to the Constitution." (Constituent Assembly debates).
Exam books also credit Sir Ernest Barker with "key-note", K. M. Munshi with "political horoscope" and N. A. Palkhivala with "identity card". We could not trace these to the speakers' own words, so learn them as exam-book answers, not exact quotations.
Preamble MCQs for TNPSC: 10 questions with answers
From Thervu's question bank, written by our subject teachers. Write down your choice before reading the answer. In Group 4 a wrong answer costs nothing but a blank costs 0.5 mark (shade [E], "answer not known", instead), so practise choosing between the last two options.
1. The Preamble to the Indian Constitution begins with which words?
(A) We, the People of India · (B) We, the Citizens of India · (C) We, the Representatives of India · (D) We, the Parliament of India
Answer: (A) We, the People of India. The opening says the Constitution's authority comes from the people, not from any institution.
2. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution describes India as which of the following?
(A) Secular Federal Republic · (B) Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic · (C) Democratic Welfare Republic · (D) Federal Democratic Republic
Answer: (B) Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. The trap is "federal": that word does not appear in the Preamble at all.
3. How many times has the Preamble to the Constitution of India been amended so far?
(A) Once · (B) Never amended · (C) Thrice · (D) Twice
Answer: (A) Once. Only the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 has changed it (as of 11 October 2026).
4. Which constitutional amendment act inserted the word 'Secular' into the Preamble and also introduced Article 51A listing Fundamental Duties?
(A) 61st Amendment Act, 1988 · (B) 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 · (C) 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 · (D) 44th Amendment Act, 1978
Answer: (C) 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. It also added "socialist" and "integrity", and ten Fundamental Duties in Part IVA (the eleventh came in 2002).
5. The Preamble to the Indian Constitution is based on the 'Objectives Resolution' drafted and moved by whom?
(A) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel · (B) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar · (C) Dr. Rajendra Prasad · (D) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: (D) Jawaharlal Nehru. He moved it on 13 December 1946, and the Assembly adopted it on 22 January 1947. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee; Rajendra Prasad presided over the Assembly.
6. The ideals of 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity' in the Preamble were borrowed from the constitution of which country?
(A) USSR (Russia) · (B) United States · (C) Ireland · (D) France
Answer: (D) France. They were the watchwords of the French Revolution of 1789. Ireland is the usual answer for the Directive Principles, not the Preamble.
7. The concept of the Preamble in the Indian Constitution was inspired by the constitution of which country?
(A) United States of America · (B) Canada · (C) United Kingdom · (D) Ireland
Answer: (A) United States of America. The US Constitution of 1787 also opens with "We the People". The UK has no single written constitution.
8. In which case did the Supreme Court state that the Preamble is not a part of the Constitution?
(A) LIC of India case (1995) · (B) Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) · (C) Berubari Union case (1960) · (D) Minerva Mills case (1980)
Answer: (C) Berubari Union case (1960). The opinion came on a Presidential reference about handing over part of the Berubari Union to Pakistan; Kesavananda Bharati reversed this view in 1973.
9. In which landmark case did the Supreme Court rule that the Preamble is a part of the Constitution and can be amended without altering its basic structure?
(A) Golaknath v. State of Punjab (1967) · (B) Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) · (C) Berubari Union case (1960) · (D) Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980)
Answer: (B) Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973). The same 13-judge bench laid down the basic structure doctrine.
10. Which day is celebrated as Constitution Day in India?
(A) 26th January · (B) 26th November · (C) 15th August · (D) 2nd October
Answer: (B) 26th November, the date in the Preamble's last line (1949). 26 January is Republic Day, when the Constitution came into force in 1950.
Scored below 7? Reread the dates and cases tables and try again in two days. Count a lucky guess as wrong.
Preamble of Indian Constitution for TNPSC: how to study it
Learn the text in order: five words, then four aims, then the five kinds of liberty and two of equality. "Which word is not in the Preamble?" is a common question.
Keep the dates and cases on one page: they answer most "which statement is correct" questions.
Read the textbook: the Civics lessons of the Samacheer Kalvi Social Science books (which books to read).
Week 1 of our 90-day Group 4 study plan covers the Constitution, the Preamble, rights and duties. On Thervu, Polity questions come in Tamil and English, tests are marked the moment you submit, and wrong answers come back for revision; topic-wise tests and explanations are on Pro. For other units, try our 30 GK questions; for exam dates, the TNPSC Group 4 guide.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Preamble of the Indian Constitution adopted?
The Preamble carries the date 26 November 1949, the day the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution. The Assembly debated and passed the Preamble itself on 17 October 1949, after all the articles. The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.
How many times has the Preamble been amended?
Once. The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976 added the words socialist, secular and integrity. As of 11 October 2026 no other amendment has changed the Preamble.
Is the Preamble a part of the Constitution?
Yes. The Supreme Court said it was not in the Berubari Union reference (1960), then held in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) that it is part of the Constitution and can be amended without changing the basic structure. It still cannot be enforced in court on its own.
Who called the Preamble the key to the Constitution?
In the Constituent Assembly on 18 November 1949, Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava called the Preamble the soul of the Constitution and a key to it, according to the debates record. Many exam books also credit Sir Ernest Barker with calling it the key-note of the Constitution.
Who wrote the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
No single person. It is based on the Objectives Resolution that Jawaharlal Nehru moved on 13 December 1946, and the Drafting Committee chaired by B. R. Ambedkar gave it its final wording, which the Assembly passed unchanged.
Is the Preamble in the TNPSC Group 4 syllabus?
Yes. Unit IV, Indian Polity (15 questions in Part B), names the Preamble to the Constitution as one of its first topics in the 2026 notification.
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