SSC Indian Polity Notes: The Constitution and the Government
Polity is one of the most scoring parts of the General Awareness section, and 3 to 5 questions are asked from it in most SSC papers. The questions test the Articles, the amendments, the powers of the constitutional posts and the working of the government. The syllabus is limited and the facts are repeated every year, so a good revision gives certain marks.
These SSC Indian Polity notes explain the Constitution, the government and the constitutional bodies in simple language with the key articles, tables and tips. For individual chapters, you can also read the notes on citizenship in India and the Union and its territory.
What You Get in These Polity Notes
- A full map of the polity syllabus for SSC.
- The articles, parts and schedules of the Constitution in tables.
- The powers of the President, the Prime Minister, the Parliament and the judiciary.
- The list of the important amendments and the constitutional bodies.
- A study plan and the links to Indian History and Current Affairs.
Making of the Constitution
- The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was its permanent president and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
- The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950. It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to make.
- The original Constitution had a Preamble, 395 Articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules. Now it has about 470 Articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules.
- Sources: the Government of India Act 1935 (federal scheme, governor, emergency), the British constitution (parliamentary system, rule of law), the American constitution (fundamental rights, judicial review, Vice-President), the Irish constitution (directive principles), the Canadian constitution (a strong Centre), the Australian constitution (the concurrent list) and the USSR constitution (fundamental duties).
Preamble and Features of the Constitution
- The Preamble declares India a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic. The words socialist, secular and integrity were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
- The Supreme Court held that the Preamble is a part of the Constitution in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973).
- Main features: the longest written constitution, a parliamentary system, a federal system with a unitary bias, an independent judiciary, fundamental rights and duties, single citizenship and universal adult franchise.
Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Fundamental Duties
| Topic | Facts |
|---|---|
| Fundamental Rights | Part III (Articles 12 to 35). Six rights: equality (14 to 18), freedom (19 to 22), against exploitation (23, 24), freedom of religion (25 to 28), cultural and educational rights (29, 30) and constitutional remedies (32) |
| Right to Property | Removed from the fundamental rights by the 44th Amendment (1978); now Article 300A, a legal right |
| Right to Education | Article 21A (86th Amendment, 2002), for children aged 6 to 14 |
| Writs | Habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo warranto (Articles 32 and 226) |
| DPSP | Part IV (Articles 36 to 51); non-justiciable; borrowed from the Irish constitution |
| Fundamental Duties | Part IV-A (Article 51A); added by the 42nd Amendment (1976); 11 duties at present |
Dr. Ambedkar called Article 32 "the heart and soul of the Constitution".
The Union Executive
- President (Article 52): the head of the state, elected by an electoral college (Article 54), with a term of 5 years. The minimum age is 35. The President can be removed by impeachment (Article 61).
- Vice-President (Article 63): the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
- Prime Minister (Article 74 and 75): the head of the government, who is the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (Article 75).
- Attorney General of India (Article 76) is the chief legal adviser of the government.
- The President has the powers of emergency under Articles 352 (national emergency), 356 (state emergency, President's rule) and 360 (financial emergency).
The Parliament
- The Parliament has the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- Lok Sabha (house of the people): the maximum strength is 552 (at present 543 elected members); the term is 5 years; the minimum age is 25. The Speaker presides over the house.
- Rajya Sabha (the council of states): the maximum strength is 250 (238 elected and 12 nominated); it is a permanent house, and one-third of its members retire every two years; the minimum age is 30.
- A money bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations.
- Joint sitting of both houses (Article 108) is held when there is a deadlock on an ordinary bill; it is presided over by the Speaker.
- Budget (Article 112), the committees (Public Accounts, Estimates and Public Undertakings), Question Hour, zero hour, adjournment motion and no-confidence motion are the important terms.
The Judiciary and the States
- The Supreme Court (established on 28 January 1950) is the highest court. The judges retire at 65. The Chief Justice and the judges are appointed by the President after consulting the collegium. It has original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction, and it can issue writs under Article 32.
- High Courts (Article 214 onwards): the judges retire at 62, and they issue writs under Article 226. The Calcutta High Court is the oldest.
- Subordinate courts, Lok Adalats and tribunals deliver justice at the lower level. PIL (public interest litigation) lets any person approach the court for the public interest.
- The Governor (Article 153) is the head of the state and is appointed by the President. The Chief Minister heads the council of ministers of the state. The state legislature has a Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and in some states a Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad).
- Union territories are administered by the President through an administrator or a lieutenant governor.
- Federalism: the Seventh Schedule has the Union List (the 100 subjects), the State List (61 subjects) and the Concurrent List (52 subjects).
Amendments, Emergency, Local Government and Constitutional Bodies
| Topic | Facts |
|---|---|
| Amendment procedure | Article 368; some amendments need only a simple majority, some a special majority and some also the ratification of half of the states |
| 1st Amendment (1951) | Added the Ninth Schedule and restrictions on the freedom of speech |
| 42nd Amendment (1976) | The mini-constitution; added socialist, secular, integrity and fundamental duties |
| 44th Amendment (1978) | Removed the right to property from the fundamental rights |
| 52nd Amendment (1985) | Anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule) |
| 61st Amendment (1989) | Reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 |
| 73rd and 74th (1992) | Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies |
| 86th Amendment (2002) | Right to education (Article 21A) |
| 101st Amendment (2016) | Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| Election Commission | Article 324 |
| UPSC | Article 315 |
| Finance Commission | Article 280 |
| CAG | Article 148 |
How to Prepare SSC Indian Polity
- Start with the making of the Constitution, the Preamble and the fundamental rights.
- Make a table of the Articles with the number and the subject, and revise it every week.
- Learn the important amendments with the year and the subject.
- Study the powers and the age limits of the constitutional posts in a table.
- Solve 20 questions after every topic and revise the wrong answers.
- Read the news about the new laws and the appointments and connect them to the topics.
Tips for the Exam
- Learn the numbers (Articles, ages, terms) together with their subject.
- Use the elimination method; polity questions often have one clearly wrong option.
- Revise the constitutional bodies and the amendments in the last week.
Practice and Next Steps
Practise with the SSC practice papers, the previous year papers and the free SSC quizzes. Revise Indian History for the background of the constitutional development, and the Indian Economy notes for the budget and the finance bodies.
Explore Other SSC Subjects
SSC exams test many subjects, so a good study plan connects them. Move to the next subject once you finish this one:
- Quantitative Aptitude Notes: Maths formulas, tricks and solved examples
- Reasoning Notes: Verbal and non-verbal reasoning topics
- English Notes: Grammar, vocabulary and comprehension
- General Awareness Notes: History, polity, geography, economy and static GK
- Computer Knowledge Notes: Computer basics, MS Office, internet and security
- General Science Notes: Physics, chemistry and biology for SSC
- Statistics Notes: Statistics for CGL Tier 2 (JSO)
- Finance and Economics Notes: Finance, accounts and economics for CGL Tier 2 (AAO)
- General Hindi Notes: Hindi grammar and vocabulary
- Current Affairs Notes: Latest national and international events
- Indian History Notes: Ancient, medieval and modern India
- Indian Geography Notes: Physical, economic and world geography
- Indian Economy Notes: Economy, budget, banking and schemes
- Civil Engineering (SSC JE) Notes: Civil engineering topics for SSC JE
- Mechanical Engineering (SSC JE) Notes: Mechanical engineering topics for SSC JE
- Electrical Engineering (SSC JE) Notes: Electrical engineering topics for SSC JE
- Stenography Notes: Shorthand, typing and transcription for Stenographer
You can also practise with the SSC practice papers, solve the previous year papers and attempt the free SSC quizzes.
Frequently Asked Questions About SSC Indian Polity Notes
How many questions come from polity in SSC exams?
Usually 3 to 5 questions of the General Awareness section come from the Indian polity.
When was the Indian Constitution adopted and when did it come into force?
It was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.
Who was the chairman of the Drafting Committee?
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
How many fundamental rights are there in the Constitution?
There are six fundamental rights in Part III of the Constitution.
Which Article provides the right to constitutional remedies?
Article 32 provides the right to constitutional remedies, and it lets a person approach the Supreme Court.
What is the minimum age to become the President of India?
The minimum age to become the President is 35 years.
Which amendment is known as the mini-constitution?
The 42nd Amendment (1976) is called the mini-constitution.
How should I prepare polity for the SSC exam?
Learn the Articles and the amendments in tables, study the powers of the constitutional posts, solve questions after each topic and revise weekly.
Which polity topics are the most important for SSC?
Preamble, fundamental rights, DPSP, fundamental duties, President, Parliament, Supreme Court, amendments and emergency provisions are asked most often.
What is the difference between Fundamental Rights and DPSP?
Fundamental Rights are enforceable by courts, so they are justiciable. Directive Principles guide the government in making laws, but courts cannot enforce them.
How many parts and schedules does the Constitution have?
At present the Constitution of India has 25 parts and 12 schedules. The original Constitution had 22 parts and 8 schedules.
How can I remember the Articles of the Constitution?
Learn the Articles in groups, such as the Articles of fundamental rights, the Articles of the President and the Articles of emergency. Write them in a table and revise it weekly, and solve the previous year papers to check your memory.