polity hard mcq

Unlike the US Constitution's Preamble, which is purely introductory, the Indian Preamble has been held by the Supreme Court to:

  1. Have no legal significance
  2. Be amendable and part of the Constitution with interpretive value
  3. Override Fundamental Rights in case of conflict
  4. Be enforceable like ordinary statutes

Answer: Be amendable and part of the Constitution with interpretive value

Preamble comparison: (a) USA: Preamble ('We the People...') is introductory statement, not source of power/rights; courts don't enforce it directly, (b) India: Preamble is part of Constitution (Kesavananda), amendable under Article 368 (subject to basic structure), used to interpret ambiguous provisions, (c) Rationale: Indian Preamble contains substantive commitments (socialist, secular, fraternity) integral to constitutional identity; US Preamble is more procedural. Reflects different constitutional philosophies: India's transformative vs USA's limited government.

Topic Preamble - Comparative Perspective
Exam Relevance Comparative constitutional law question critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams

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