Every year on November 26, India observes Samvidhan Divas or National Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The year 2025 marks the 76th anniversary of that historic moment and the 75th year of the Constitution coming into force on January 26, 1950. As the world’s longest written constitution and the foundational document of the planet’s largest democracy, the Indian Constitution remains a living testament to the vision of a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic that guarantees justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity to over 1.4 billion citizens.
The formal recognition of November 26 as Constitution Day began only in 2015, when the Government of India, on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar—the chief architect of the Constitution—declared it a national commemoration. Since then, the day has grown from quiet official ceremonies into a vibrant nationwide celebration that reaches schools, colleges, panchayats, courts, and social media platforms. In 2025, with India completing seventy-five years as a constitutional republic, the celebrations acquired a special resonance under the banner of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” transitioning into “Viksit Bharat @2047.
”The theme chosen by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs for Constitution Day 2025—“Our Constitution, Our Pride: Building a Viksit Bharat”—perfectly captures the dual spirit of reverence for the past and aspiration for the future. It reminds every citizen that the Constitution is not merely a legal text gathering dust in the Parliament library but a dynamic instrument that has guided India through wars, emergencies, economic crises, social upheavals, and technological revolutions while continually expanding the horizons of rights and justice.
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The Making of a Miracle Document
To appreciate the significance of November 26, one must revisit the extraordinary circumstances in which the Constitution was born. In the shadow of Partition’s violence, with millions displaced and communal passions raging, 389 members of the Constituent Assembly (later reduced to 299 after partition) representing every region, religion, caste, and ideology labored for two years, eleven months, and eighteen days. They held eleven sessions, debated for 167 days, and considered over 7,600 amendments. The Drafting Committee under Dr. Ambedkar synthesized global best practices—parliamentary democracy from Britain, fundamental rights inspired by the American Bill of Rights, directive principles from the Irish Constitution, and emergency provisions from the Weimar Republic—into a uniquely Indian framework.
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When the Constitution was finally adopted on November 26, 1949, Jawaharlal Nehru called it “a machine with a soul.” The Preamble, handwritten in flowing calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada and illuminated by Nandalal Bose and his Shantiniketan artists, remains one of the most beautiful expressions of democratic aspiration ever created. That original copy, preserved in a helium-filled case in the Parliament library, continues to inspire millions who read aloud the Preamble on Constitution Day.
Seventy-Five Years of Resilience and Evolution
By 2025, the Indian Constitution has been amended 106 times—an average of almost 1.4 amendments per year—demonstrating both its flexibility and the changing needs of a growing nation. Landmark amendments such as the First (1951), which introduced reasonable restrictions on free speech to balance individual liberty with social reform; the Forty-Second (1976), which inserted “socialist” and “secular” during the Emergency; the Seventy-Third and Seventy-Fourth (1992), which constitutionalized panchayati raj and urban local bodies; and the One Hundred and Third (2019), which provided 10% reservation for economically weaker sections, reflect the document’s ability to evolve without losing its core identity.
The judiciary, as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution, has played an equally transformative role. From the Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) that established the “basic structure” doctrine—ensuring that Parliament cannot destroy essential features like democracy, secularism, or federalism—to the Navtej Singh Johar (2018) decriminalization of homosexuality, the Privacy judgment (2017), and the Sabarimala women’s entry case, the Supreme Court has repeatedly expanded the meaning of life and liberty under Article 21. In 2025, as India debates issues ranging from same-sex marriage to data privacy and climate justice, the Constitution continues to serve as the final arbiter.
Constitution Day 2025: A Nationwide Celebration
This year’s celebrations were unprecedented in scale and creativity. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, led the central event in the historic Central Hall of Parliament by reading the Preamble along with Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from across the political spectrum—a powerful visual of constitutional unity amid political diversity. For the first time, the event was live-streamed in 22 scheduled languages and Indian Sign Language, reaching remote tribal hamlets and island communities.
Across the country, more than 2.5 lakh government and private schools organized “Preamble reading” ceremonies at 11:26 a.m.—symbolizing the date November 26. Over 100 million students participated, many posting videos with the hashtag #MyConstitutionMyPride. Universities held mock constituent assemblies where students debated contemporary issues such as Uniform Civil Code, One Nation One Election, and climate rights as if they were drafting new articles.
The Supreme Court opened its doors for special public tours, and Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud delivered the annual Constitution Day lecture on “Technology and Constitutional Values in the Age of AI.” District courts organized legal literacy camps, while gram panchayats distributed illustrated copies of the Constitution in local languages. The Indian Postal Department released a special cover featuring the original calligraphy of the Preamble, and Doordarshan broadcast a new docu-drama series titled “Ambedkar and the Making of Modern India.
”Challenges That Test the Constitution
Even as India celebrated, 2025 also witnessed vigorous debates about the Constitution’s health. Critics pointed to delays in judicial appointments, concerns over media freedom, the use of sedition laws, and questions about federal balance after several states challenged central legislation. Yet, paradoxically, these very debates reaffirm the Constitution’s strength: in no other country can citizens so freely question the state’s actions and expect redress through constitutional courts.
The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act, farm laws (later repealed), and electoral bonds scheme—all tested the boundaries of constitutionalism. Each episode reminded us that democracy is not a static achievement but a daily practice. As Justice H.R. Khanna famously wrote in his dissenting opinion during the Emergency, “The Constitution is not a mere lawyer’s document; it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of the Age.
”Toward a Viksit Bharat Rooted in Constitutional Values
As India aspires to become a developed nation by 2047, the vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be reduced to GDP figures alone. A truly developed India must be one where every child—irrespective of caste, creed, gender, or geography—enjoys the fundamental rights promised seventy-five years ago. It must be a country where the directive principles cease to be mere aspirations and become lived realities: universal healthcare, free education, gainful employment, and ecological sustainability.
The youth of 2025, born long after Independence, may not remember the midnight freedom or the trauma of Partition, but they carry the Constitution in their pockets on smartphones. They remix the Preamble into rap songs, turn Ambedkar’s quotes into Instagram reels, and file PILs on environmental issues. Their energy is proof that the Constitution remains young and relevant.
Conclusion: A Pledge Renewed
On November 26, 2025, when millions of Indians read the Preamble together, they were not merely reciting words written seventy-six years ago. They were renewing a pledge—to build a nation where justice is social, economic, and political; where liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship is inviolable; where equality of status and opportunity is real; and where fraternity assures the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.
Dr. Ambedkar had warned that however good a constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad if those entrusted to work it are bad. Conversely, the Indian experience has shown that however severe the stresses, a good constitution worked by people committed to its values can transform a poor, divided, colonial society into a vibrant, plural democracy.
As the sun set on Constitution Day 2025, the illuminated pages of the original Constitution in Parliament House seemed to glow brighter than ever. They reminded us that India’s greatest strength is not its ancient civilization or its new economic power, but a simple yet revolutionary idea: that sovereignty resides ultimately in “We, the People.” As long as that idea lives, so will the soul of India.
FAQ on National Constitution Day 2025
Q. What is National Constitution Day and why is it celebrated on November 26?
National Constitution Day, officially known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated every year on 26 November to mark the day on which the Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. Although the Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day), 26 November is honored as the day the foundational document was formally accepted.
Q. When was November 26 officially declared as Constitution Day?
It was officially declared as National Constitution Day in 2015 by the Government of India, on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
Q. What was the special significance of Constitution Day 2025?
2025 marked the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution and the completion of 75 years of India becoming a Republic (1950–2025). Celebrations were held under the theme “Our Constitution, Our Pride: Building a Viksit Bharat” as part of the transition from Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to Viksit Bharat @2047.
Q. How is Constitution Day typically celebrated across India?
- Nationwide reading of the Preamble at 11:26 a.m. in schools, colleges, government offices, courts, and panchayats
- Special events in Parliament’s Central Hall led by the President, Vice-President, and Prime Minister
- Lectures, quizzes, essay competitions, and mock constituent assemblies in educational institutions
- Release of special postal covers, documentaries, and exhibitions on the making of the Constitution
- Legal literacy camps and distribution of pocket-sized Constitutions in regional languages
Q. Who was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution?
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly and is widely recognized as the principal architect of the Indian Constitution.