During a school visit to a museum in New Delhi, Class 12 student Aarti stood before a large display of the signed Constitution of India. The guide explained that the document took about three years to prepare and that its drafts were discussed clause by clause by a body of Indian representatives. Aarti asked when the document began to govern the country, what its makers wanted it to change in Indian society, how the drafting work was organised, and what the mood in the country was in the years just before the drafting began. The guide asked her to answer each point from what she had studied in class.
On which date did the document Aarti is looking at come into effect?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 26 January 1950
Option (1) 15 August 1947 — Incorrect. This is Independence Day, when India was made free and also divided. The Constitution was still being framed then.
Option (2) 26 January 1950 — Correct. The Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. It is also the longest constitution in the world.
Option (3) 9 December 1946 — Incorrect. This date falls in December 1946, when the framing of the Constitution began. It marks the start of the work.
Option (4) 26 November 1949 — Incorrect. This date falls in November 1949, when the framing was completed. The document came into force some weeks later.
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