SSC
The concept of a 'Republic', with an elected head of state, and the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity in the Preamble are associated with the constitution of:
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Answer: Option B — France
Detailed Solution
The concept of a "Republic" in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, together with the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity, is generally said to have been borrowed from the French Constitution.
Meaning of "Republic":
- A republic is a state in which the head of state is elected, directly or indirectly, for a fixed period, and is not a hereditary monarch.
- In India, the President is the head of state, elected indirectly for a term of five years.
- A republic also means that political sovereignty belongs to the people, and that all public offices are open to every citizen without discrimination.
- There is no privileged class, such as a hereditary nobility.
India and Britain:
- Britain is a democracy but not a republic, because its head of state, the King or Queen, holds the office by heredity.
- India, on the other hand, is both a democracy and a republic.
France as a republic:
- France became a republic after the French Revolution, when the monarchy was abolished in 1792.
- The present French Republic (the Fifth Republic) was established in 1958 under a new constitution prepared under Charles de Gaulle.
- The motto of the French Republic is "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite".
India becomes a republic:
India became a republic when the Constitution came into force; until then, it had been a dominion, with the British King as the head of state, represented by the Governor-General.
The last Governor-General of India was C. Rajagopalachari, the only Indian to hold that post.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Britain is a monarchy; Japan has an emperor as a ceremonial head; Canada has the British monarch as its head of state.
Quick tip
Remember: concept of "Republic" in the Preamble = borrowed from France; republic = elected head of state, no hereditary ruler.
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Preamble & Salient Features — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Preamble & Salient Features, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, the meaning of its key words (sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity), and the salient features of the Constitution, such as its federal structure with a unitary bias and the parliamentary form of government. Remember that the words 'socialist', 'secular' and 'integrity' were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, the only time the Preamble has been amended. Questions also test landmark cases on the Preamble: the Supreme Court held in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) that the Preamble is part of the Constitution. Practise the Preamble and salient features questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.