Constitution Day or Samvidhan divas, is being celebrated today across the country to mark the adopting of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949. It came into force on 26th January, 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of Indian Republic. The government has planned year long activities throughout the country to mark 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution.

A joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament will be held today to celebrate the Samvidhan Divas. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will also attend the function. On the occasion, the President will inaugurate a digital exhibition through video conferencing from the Central Hall of Parliament. In view of the joint sitting at 11 AM, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will meet at 2 PM.

Various sections of the society will do a mass reading of the Preamble to the Constitution at 11:00 am today. It is aimed at reiterating and reorienting the citizens towards the values and principles expressed in the Constitution and encouraging all Indians to play their rightful role in strengthening the Indian Democracy. It also aims to create awareness of Fundamental Duties as enshrined in the Constitution.

Constitution Day was first celebrated in 2015, when Narendra Modi Government decided to mark the day as a tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar who played an important role in its framing as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. The constituent assembly took two years, eleven months and seventeen days to accomplish the stupendous task of drafting the historic document. It had many members who fought for the freedom of the country and came from different regions, religions, communities reflecting the country’s diversity.

The Constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty and endeavours to promote fraternity. The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. The Indian constitution stood the test of the time as India has been a successful democracy unlike many others who had become independent in the same time.

The Constituent Assembly was established to draft a constitution for India. It lasted for nearly three years in which many debates on the need for a constitution were held on numerous occasions. In his address on 17th December 1946 in one of the debates, Drafting Committee chairman Dr B R Ambedkar underlined the need to have a common ground in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
 
Chairman of Union Constitution Committee Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous Tryst with Destiny speech at the august assembly on the eve of India’s Independence.

In his address in the assembly on 15th August 1947, Rules of Procedure Committee Chairman, Rajendra Prasad called for a clear vision for the nation.