The origin of the word Preamble is derived from the Latin word “praeambulus”, which means walking before, and that is what the preamble does, it walks before any speech or any sort of document, it tells about what’s coming. The definition of the Preamble states that” A preamble is an introductory statement in a document that defines the documents’ ideology and objectives. The first country which introduced the concept of the preamble in its constitution was America. After America, many countries including India followed this convention. The preamble of a constitution includes the connotations of its framers, the history behind its creation, and the core values and principles of nations. For acquiring in-depth knowledge of the origin of the Indian constitution and preamble, law aspirants choose online legal certification courses as they provide information about the requirement of the constitution and how it was structured. 

History of Preamble of Indian Constitution:  

The preamble is based on the draft submitted by Jawaharlal Nehru in the constituent assembly called “Objective Resolution”. This objective resolution laid down the basic ideas and principles on which the constitution should be created by the assembly. It was presented on January 22, 1947, in the constituent assembly. Nehru presented it before the assembly start making the constitution, and after 2 years, 11 months and 17 days, the assembly presented the Constitution of India, which includes the Preamble( introductory statement), on the framework of Objective Resolution. The draft of the preamble which was presented in the year 1947 in the constituent assembly was not accepted at once and was listed for discussion, but in 1948 after making certain amendments this was finally accepted and adopted by the members of the Constituent assembly’s member.

Components of Preamble:

The need for a preamble is undeniable as it provides fundamental values as well as tells about highlights of the constitution. The Indian constitution is the largest written constitution in the world with diverse things covered in it, so having a well organized and systematic yet detailed preamble was a necessity. Keeping in view, the framers of the constitution chose the elements of the constitution very carefully. There are 4 ingredients of the preamble of the Indian constitution, which are as follows;

Source of Constitution:

The first words of the Preamble go as, “ We, The people of India…..” which clearly states the source of authority of the Constitution is made evident. This describes that the main power of the Indian government and all administrative system is by the people of India, which also emphasise the sovereignty in India. Sovereignty signifies the independent authority of the states. It also summarizes that the people of India are the author of the Constitution. After two centuries of British rule, sovereignty and freedom were things that were highly valued by the Indian citizen, the preamble not only gives them the power of authority but also proves it through democracy.

Nature of the Indian State:

The nature of India and Indian states are Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and republican polity. The preamble here justifies the nature of the Indian state for being, Sovereign, which means that the state has command over every subject and no external source or other authority can control it, Socialist means democratic secularism ( a political-economic system that provides social, economic, and political justice), Secular, means India is a secular state with no official religion( giving citizen liberty to choose their religion and live the way they want), Democratic, means the government at all level(i.e, union, state, ground or local level) are chosen by the citizen of India, and Republic, which means head or leader of India is chosen by the people, not by hereditary monarch like ancient times.

Objectives of the Indian Constitution: 

The main objective of the Indian constitution is to make amicability throughout the country, there are several factors which affect this aim and also the harmony of the country such as, 

Justice: To bring social, political, and economical justice, is one of the main objectives of the Indian constitution. So that no citizens suffer any kind of mistreatment or injustice. Preamble through, Social justice means to establish a society free from any discrimination, Political justice means that no prejudice against the poor section, Economical justice means all political offices will be open to all citizens of India.

Equality: The term equality itself signifies the reason for which it is one of the main aims of the Indian constitution, which is to provide an equal number of opportunities for all things without discrimination. This also states that Everyone is equal before the law.

Liberty: The term Liberty in the Indian constitution means, that everyone has the right to choose the life they want to live, this includes the liberty of thoughts, expressions, faith and worship. But this doesn’t mean that people can do anything of their will, there will be dire consequences if one doesn't follow the law.

Fraternity: Fraternity means the sense of brotherhood, also it ensures the dignity of an individual as well as promotes the unity and integrity of the nation. The feeling of fraternity is promoted by the single citizenship system. According to this brotherhood is above all rules and regulations as well as caste or colour. 

Date of its Adoption:

The preamble also consists of the day and year in which the Indian constitution was formally adopted by the constituent assembly, this signifies the importance of this day. “November 26, 1949” was the date of adoption while 26 January 1950, was when the constitution came into effect. 

Preamble of the Indian constitution articulates:

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, expressions, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and 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. 

The preamble of the constitution is such a comprehensive and important topic that every law aspirant, as well as every citizen of India, should be versed in it by heart. Knowing the constitution of the country is a major requirement for every law student, that’s why many law aspirants opt for online law certification courses in India to learn about constitutional law. Remember the preamble is like the spirit of the constitution which represents its ideology and is only amended once till it was adopted, memorizing the whole constitution is difficult, so try and remember the preamble to know more about our country’s objective, nature and source of authority.