2016 · GS Paper 2 · Q5 · 12 marks
Discuss each adjective attached to the word Republic in the Preamble. Are they defendable in the present circumstances?
In short
Each adjective attached to Republic in the Preamble remains defendable because sovereignty, socialism, secularism and democracy have been reinterpreted rather than abandoned, though practice falls short. In Dr. Balram Singh (2024) the Supreme Court refused to delete "socialist" and "secular" from the Preamble.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 279 words
Sovereign
India obeys no external authority and can even cede territory through a constitutional amendment, as the 100th Amendment (2015) did for the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh.
Socialist and Secular
Added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), they mean a welfare State fighting inequality (D.S. Nakara, 1983) and equal respect for all faiths, a basic feature since S.R. Bommai (1994).
Democratic Republic
Universal adult franchise (Article 326) vests power in the people, and an elected President replaces any hereditary ruler, while Article 18 bars titles.
Sovereign and socialist
WTO and Paris commitments were chosen freely, as India's 2019 exit from RCEP talks shows, and markets since 1991 coexist with the National Food Security Act 2013 and MGNREGA.
Secular under strain
Mob lynching, condemned in Tehseen Poonawalla (2018), tests it, yet courts and the Election Commission still curb hate speech and religious appeals.
Democratic but uneven
Turnout was 65.79% in 2024, but ADR found 46% of new MPs facing criminal cases.
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Significant Provisions — Preamble & Citizenship1 question
Asked in 1 of 14 sittings since 2013
Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2016 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.