Why November 26 is celebrated as Constitution Day in India? Here's all you need to know

Every year on November 26th, India celebrates Constitution Day or Samvidhan Divas to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution. On the occasion of BR Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary, the Union Cabinet declared November 26 as Constitution Day.

The primary goal of commemorating this day is to raise public awareness of the Constitution and its values. Previously, this day was observed as 'National Law Day.'

Notably, the current Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, but it was decided that it would take effect almost two months later, on January 26, 1950.

During the two-month break, members of the constituent assembly read it thoroughly to identify any errors.
Before adopting the Constitution, the Constituent Assembly met for two years, eleven months, and eighteen days, that is for a total of 166 days. It was originally written in both English and Hindi and signed by every member of the assembly.

The Indian Constitution is the world's largest written constitution, and it took approximately 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete.

The original copy of the constitution was handwritten and is kept in the Library of Parliament but the original copies of the constitution were penned down by renowned writer Prem Narayan Raizada. Each page of the constitution has a gold leaf frame and the opening page of each chapter has some form of artwork.

The Indian Constitution's basic structure is based on the Government of India Act of 1935. It established all Indian federations with provinces and princely states as units and divided powers between the centre and the states.
The Indian Constitution is both rigid and flexible, inspired and unique. The Indian Constitution is the source of legitimacy for the rights of the state's citizens. Every judge and jury derive their authority from this document, and it is from here that the authority of each government—union, state, or local—flows. The Indian Constitution is the very foundation of this country.

Commemorating the Constitution is a way of honouring the legacy that gave birth to it and reaffirming commitment to the vision it enshrines. Even more importantly, commemorating the day helps to raise awareness about this document. This initiative disseminates information about people's rights and responsibilities, as well as knowledge about how their country works.

Extending wishes to the citizens of India on the occasion of Constitution Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and said, “Today, on Constitution Day, we pay homage to those greats who gave us our Constitution and reiterate our commitment to fulfill their vision for our nation”.

PM Modi will be also addressing the occasion at the Supreme Court, praising the pillars of our democracy that have strengthened our nation economically, politically, and socially.

Similarly, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also tweeted on the occasion, “An ode to our age-old democratic principles & values, our Constitution reflects the essence of Bharatvarsh. As we observe #ConstitutionDay, I urge everyone to recall the contribution of our freedom fighters and founders of our Constitution by upholding the values enshrined”.