Why was November 26 observed as India’s Constitution Day?

Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas is celebrated annually in India on 26 November. The day is also known as National Law Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution in India.

In May 2015, Narendra Modi government announced that November 26 will be observed as Constitution Day every year to promote constitutional values among citizens. This was the year that marked the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution.

Earlier, the day was observed as National Law Day as a tribute to Ambedkar, the first law minister of the country.

The Constituent Assembly, the body meant to draft the Constitution of India, held its first session on December 9, 1946, attended by 207 members, including nine women. Initially, the assembly had 389 members, but after independence and the partition of India, the strength was reduced to 299.

The Constitution of India is one of the longest hand-written documents in the world with 1,17,369 words in the English version.

It is a set of written principles and precedents of the Union of India that comprises fundamental political principles, procedures, rights, directive principles, restrictions, and duties of the government and the citizens