UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 64 of 150

Correct — D, Federal. The Preamble declares India to be a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic', so the words Sovereign, Democratic and Secular all appear in it (Socialist and Secular were inserted by the 42nd Amendment, 1976). The word 'Federal' is nowhere in the Preamble — indeed the Constitution deliberately avoids it, describing India instead as a 'Union of States' in Article 1. India's structure is often called 'federal in form', but that term is not used in the Preamble.

• (a)Sovereign — Wrong — 'Sovereign' is one of the opening descriptors of the Republic in the Preamble, so it IS mentioned.
• (b)Democratic — Wrong — 'Democratic' appears in the phrase 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'; it is very much in the Preamble.
• (c)Secular — Wrong — 'Secular' is in the Preamble; it was added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), but it is present.

The Preamble to the Constitution of India describes the state as a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' and sets out the objectives of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976). The word 'Federal' does not appear anywhere in the Constitution; Article 1 calls India a 'Union of States'.

All four options describe features associated with India, so the discriminator is textual: which word literally occurs in the Preamble. Recall the exact Preamble phrase 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' — Sovereign, Democratic and Secular are there; Federal is the outsider, because the makers avoided the term (choosing 'Union of States').

• The Preamble calls India a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'.
• 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
• The word 'Federal' appears nowhere in the Preamble or the Constitution.
• Article 1 describes India as a 'Union of States', not a 'Federation'.

• Assuming 'Federal' is in the Preamble because India is a federal country — the word is never used
• Forgetting that Socialist and Secular were added later (42nd Amendment, 1976), yet ARE present in the Preamble

UPPSC & UPSC ask which word/objective is (or is NOT) in the Preamble — memorise the exact phrase 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' and that 'Federal' is excluded.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which two words were added to the Preamble of the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976?

  • (a)Sovereign and Republic
  • (b)Socialist and Secular
  • (c)Democratic and Federal
  • (d)Unity and Integrity

  Answer(b) Socialist and Secular — inserted by the 42nd Amendment, 1976 (which also added 'Integrity').

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Article 1 of the Constitution describes India as a

  • (a)Federation of States
  • (b)Confederation of States
  • (c)Union of States
  • (d)Unitary State

  Answer(c) Union of States — the makers avoided the word 'Federation', reflecting India's indestructible union.