History, significance of Constitution Day 2020: Everything you need to know
Also known as the ‘Samvidhan Divas,’ Constitution Day is observed every year to mark the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday led the country by reading the Preamble of the Constitution as part of Constitution Day 2020 celebrations. India observes Constitution Day every year on November 26 since 2015, when it was first announced by the ministry of social justice and empowerment.
What is Constitution Day?
Also known as the ‘Samvidhan Divas,’ Constitution Day is observed every year to mark the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The day is also celebrated in memory of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, who was the first chairman of the drafting committee that drafted the Constitution of India.
History
On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was legally adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India. The document later came into effect on January 26, 1950, becoming one of the longest written constitutions of the world. Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was the first law minister and also the first chairman of the constituent drafting committee that was entrusted with the responsibility of drafting the constitution.
In 2015, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre decided to declare November 26 as the Constitution Day. This decision was notified by the ministry of social justice and empowerment in its Annual Report for 2015-2016, wherein it announced multiple celebrations to mark the occasion.
Notably, 2015 also marked the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, for which the ministry announced various commemorative events.
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Wishes by Indian leaders
Multiple national leaders have wished the citizens of India on Constitution day. President Kovind led the celebrations by reading the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the day “as a day to express gratitude to the makers of our Constitution and to reiterate our commitment to building the India of their dreams” in a tweet.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee remembered the spirit of the Indian Constitution. “On #ConstitutionDay, homage to Dr BR Ambedkar & the Constituent Assembly who gave shape to the democratic framework of India. Let us keep the spirit of our Constitution alive - Sovereignty, Socialism, Secularist, Democratic, Republic, Justice, Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality,” she tweeted.
Barun Mitra, the secretary of the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) mobile app for government services, launched the Nyaya Bandhu application to mark the occasion. The app from the department of justice is intended to provide a free of cost service to connect with advocates and get legal advice.
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