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Rajasthan Forest Guard study materials
Rajasthan Forest Guard study resources

Rajasthan Forest Guard: Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance

Rajasthan Forest Guard · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance

This domain tests the making of the Constitution, borrowed features, key articles, fundamental rights and duties, and the working of central, state and local government, including Rajasthan-specific facts.

Making of the Constitution

  • The Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946; Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution on 13 December 1946.
  • The Drafting Committee was constituted on 29 August 1947 under B. R. Ambedkar. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.

Borrowed features

  • USA: fundamental rights, judicial review, impeachment of the President. UK: parliamentary system, rule of law, single citizenship. Ireland: Directive Principles. Canada: strong centre and residuary powers. Australia: Concurrent List. Germany: emergency provisions. South Africa: amendment procedure. France: liberty, equality, fraternity. Japan: procedure established by law.

Articles to remember

  • 12 to 35: fundamental rights. 21A: free and compulsory education for ages 6 to 14, inserted by the 86th Amendment (2002). 40: panchayats. 44: uniform civil code. 51A: fundamental duties. 52: President. 153: Governor. 214: High Court. 324: Election Commission. 356: President's rule. 368: amendment.
  • The 42nd Amendment (1976) added socialist, secular and integrity to the Preamble, and the 73rd Amendment (1992) gave panchayats constitutional status.
  • Rajasthan was the first state to implement Panchayati Raj, launched at Nagaur on 2 October 1959; the state Assembly has 200 seats.

Worked example

A question asks which amendment made elementary education a fundamental right. Reasoning: Article 21A was inserted by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002, which also added the eleventh fundamental duty and changed Article 45 to a directive for early childhood care.

Traps

  • Article 32 (Supreme Court writs) is itself a fundamental right; Article 226 (High Court writs) is not.
  • The Preamble was amended once only, by the 42nd Amendment.
  • Fundamental duties are not enforceable by courts.