News: A BJP member of the Rajya Sabha is set to move a resolution in the House seeking the removal of the phrase “socialism” from the preamble of the Constitution.
Facts:
Preamble to the Indian Constitution:
- It serves as a brief introductory statement of the Constitution that sets out the guiding purpose, principles and philosophy of the Indian Constitution.
- The preamble of the Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic. As originally enacted the preamble described India as a “sovereign democratic republic”.
- The term ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were added in the Preamble by 42nd Amendment, 1976.
- Socialist means the achievement of socialist ends through democratic means. It is basically a ‘Democratic Socialism’ that holds faith in a mixed economy where both private and public sectors co-exist side by side.
