MPPSC 2023 Prelims Paper-I · Question 89 of 100

Correct — C, Forty-second Constitutional Amendment. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 inserted the words 'Socialist' and 'Secular' into the Preamble (changing 'Sovereign Democratic Republic' to 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'), and also added 'unity and integrity of the Nation' to the Fraternity clause.

• (a)First Constitutional Amendment — The 1st Amendment (1951) dealt with free-speech restrictions and land-reform protection (Ninth Schedule) — it did not alter the Preamble's wording.
• (b)Second Constitutional Amendment — The 2nd Amendment (1953) adjusted the ratio for Lok Sabha representation of population — unrelated to the Preamble.
• (d)Forty-fourth Constitutional Amendment — The 44th Amendment (1978) was a post-Emergency corrective amendment (e.g. removing the right to property as a Fundamental Right); it did not change the Preamble's wording.

The Preamble, as adopted on 26 November 1949, originally described India as a 'Sovereign Democratic Republic'. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 — passed during the Emergency — inserted 'Socialist' and 'Secular' before 'Democratic Republic', and added 'unity and integrity of the Nation' to the Fraternity clause. This is the ONLY amendment to date that has altered the Preamble's text.

MPPSC/UPSC test this from either direction — 'which words were added' or 'which amendment added them' — and the trap options are usually other high-profile amendments (1st, 44th) that changed OTHER parts of the Constitution but never touched the Preamble.

• 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 is the only amendment to have altered the Preamble's text.
• Words added: 'Socialist', 'Secular' (before 'Democratic Republic'), and 'unity and integrity of the Nation' (in the Fraternity clause).
• Before 1976, the Preamble read 'Sovereign Democratic Republic' — without Socialist or Secular.
• The 42nd Amendment is often called the 'Mini-Constitution' for its wide-ranging changes.

• Attributing the Preamble change to the 44th Amendment (the OTHER major post-Emergency-era amendment)
• Forgetting that 'unity and integrity of the Nation' was also added alongside Socialist and Secular

Almost always 'which amendment added Socialist/Secular to the Preamble' or a statement-based question on the Preamble's original 1949 wording versus its post-1976 wording — lock the chain: 42nd Amendment ↔ 1976 ↔ Socialist + Secular + integrity.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Besides 'Socialist' and 'Secular', which other phrase was added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment?

  • (a)'We, the people'
  • (b)'unity and integrity of the Nation'
  • (c)'Justice, social and economic'
  • (d)'Republic'

  Answer(b) 'unity and integrity of the Nation' — added to the Fraternity clause alongside Socialist and Secular.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  What was the exact wording of the Preamble's description of India when the Constitution commenced on 26 January 1950?

  • (a)Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
  • (b)Sovereign Democratic Republic
  • (c)Sovereign Secular Republic
  • (d)Sovereign Socialist Republic

  Answer(b) Sovereign Democratic Republic — 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were added only later, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.