What is the 42nd Amendment in the Preamble?
Asked by: Mozell Kirlin | Last update: January 31, 2026Score: 4.8/5 (57 votes)
The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 significantly altered India's Preamble by adding the words "Socialist," "Secular," and "Integrity," changing "unity of the Nation" to "unity and integrity of the Nation," making India a "Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic". This amendment, passed during the Emergency, aimed to reinforce the nation's commitment to socialist principles, secularism, and national unity.
What is the 42nd Amendment of the Preamble?
Amendment of the Preamble
The 42nd Amendment changed the description of India from a "sovereign democratic republic" to a "sovereign, socialist secular democratic republic", and also changed the words "unity of the nation" to "unity and integrity of the nation".
What were the key changes in the 42nd Amendment?
Key Changes Introduced by the 42nd Amendment
It added the words “Socialist,” “Secular,” and “Integrity” to the Preamble. This change aimed to reflect the government's commitment to a more inclusive and equitable society. These additions emphasized the importance of social justice and national unity.
What is the difference between the 42nd and 44th Amendment?
Ans. The 42nd Amendment significantly expanded executive powers and restricted civil liberties, while the 44th Amendment aimed to restore democratic principles, limit executive authority, and safeguard Fundamental Rights.
What changes did the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 bring to the Preamble?
42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
Also known as the constitution act, 1976, this act made the following changes in the constitution: Reduce the power of the supreme court and the high court. Laid down fundamental duties for citizens. Terms- socialist, secular and integrity were added to the Preamble.
The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976. Decoded By Shagun Pahwa | Indian Polity
What three words were added to the 42nd Amendment?
The Constitutional 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 amended and added three new words – Socialist, Secular and Integrity in it.
Has the Preamble ever been amended?
The Preamble has been amended only once so far, in 1976, by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976.
What was deleted by the 44th Amendment?
[Editorial Comment - Article 31 of the Indian Constitution was repealed and replaced by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act in 1978. The original Article 31 dealt with the right to property, but it was repealed and replaced by Article 300A.
Who proposed the 42nd Amendment?
The 42nd Amendment Act was enacted by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. It transformed India from a unitary system of governance to a federal one. This amendment effectively changed the “Indian Union” into a federation with three federal systems of government in addition to the Indian Union.
What powers were given to the President?
veto bills and sign bills. represent our nation in talks with foreign countries. enforce the laws that Congress passes. act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.
What are the two phrases that were brought through the 42nd Amendment?
The 42nd Amendment Act: It was enacted by Indian National Congress headed by Indira Gandhi. Words 'Socialist', 'Secular' and 'Integrity' were added in Preamble. The 42nd Amendment Act is also known as 'Mini-Constitution'.
Was India secular before the 42nd Amendment?
With the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. However, the Supreme Court of India in the 1994 case S. R. Bommai v. Union of India established the fact that India was secular since the formation of the republic.
How many directive principles were added by the 42nd Amendment of 1976?
First 42nd Amendment 1976 – It added four new directive principles- Article 39, Article 39A, Article 43A and Article 48A.
What are the three new words added to the Preamble?
The words "socialist", "secular" and "integrity" were later added during the Indian emergency by Indira Gandhi.
Is the Preamble part of the Constitution or not?
Kesavananda Bharati case
The preamble is a component of the constitution, according to the thirteen-judge bench, as follows: The constitution's preamble serves as an introduction. The prologue does not have any legal authority, but it does play a significant part in interpreting the statutes.
Which two words have been incorporated in the Preamble of the 42 Amendment?
The correct answer is _C. 42nd Amendment_. Under the 42nd Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution, 1976, the words "socialist" and "secular" were added to the Preamble of the Constitution.
Why is part 7 removed?
Ans. Part 7 dealt with Part-B states. After the 7th Constitutional Amendment, 1956, Part-B states were merged with others, making this part redundant, so it was repealed.
Who was the creator of the First Amendment?
The freedom of religion, composed in part by the right to free expression, had become a pivotal tenet of the American Revolution, and was extensively defended as such by James Madison, the lead author of the First Amendment.
When were secular and socialist added?
Thus, we can say that the words "Socialist and Secular" were added to the Preamble through 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. Social and economical equality.
What is the forgotten amendment?
The Third Amendment to the United States Constitution is often referred to as the "forgotten amendment" due to its relative obscurity compared to other constitutional protections.
What is the 31st amendment of the Constitution?
It was made compulsory for the President to give consent to the Constitution Amendment Bill. Amend article 31. Insert article 31C. Restrict property rights and compensation in case the state takes over private property.
What was eliminated by the 24th amendment?
The Twenty-fourth Amendment (Amendment XXIV) of the United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax to vote in federal elections.
Is a Preamble legally binding?
A preamble is not legally enforceable, but it is an important aid in gaining an understanding of why an agency is acting or refusing to act.
What is the 106th Amendment?
106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 ensures one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Assemblies & Delhi Assembly, post-delimitation.
What is the 97th Amendment all about?
The 97th Amendment Act of 2011 granted cooperative societies constitutional recognition and protection. In this context, it amended the Constitution in three ways: It established the right to organise cooperative organisations as a basic right (Article 19)