Q40. The Preamble to the Constitution of India declares which of the following dates for the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly?
[DSSSB MTS, 28 July 2026, Shift 2]
(A) 26 November 1950
(B) 26 November 1947
(C) 26 November 1949
(D) 26 November 1948
Answer: (C) 26 November 1949
Explanation: The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, and this date appears in the Preamble itself. Most provisions took effect on 26 January 1950. The adoption date and commencement date are therefore different constitutional milestones.
Q39. Which of the following cases for the first time held the Preamble to be part of the Constitution?
[RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I, 16 June 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Golaknath Case, 1967
(B) Kesavananda Bharati Case, 1973
(C) S. R. Bommai Case, 1994
(D) Berubari Case, 1960
Answer: (B) Kesavananda Bharati Case, 1973
Explanation: In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the Supreme Court recognised the Preamble as part of the Constitution and developed the basic structure doctrine. Earlier, the Berubari advisory opinion (1960) had regarded it as outside the Constitution. The Preamble nevertheless creates no independently enforceable rights.
Q38. The Preamble to the Constitution of India is primarily based on which resolution drafted and introduced by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru?
[RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I, 15 June 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Fundamental Rights Resolution
(B) Objectives Resolution
(C) Directive Principles Resolution
(D) Fundamental Duties Resolution
Answer: (B) Objectives Resolution
Explanation: Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946. Adopted on 22 January 1947, it expressed the ideals of popular sovereignty, justice and equality. Its underlying principles later shaped the Constitution’s Preamble.
Q37. Which term in the Preamble indicates that India has an elected head of state, not a hereditary one?
[RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I, 14 June 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Secular
(B) Socialist
(C) Sovereign
(D) Republic
Answer: (D) Republic
Explanation: A republic has a head of state whose office is not inherited. In India, the President is indirectly elected for a fixed term. This distinguishes the constitutional republic from a hereditary monarchy, while democracy describes the people’s role in political authority.
Q36. Which term in the Preamble best illustrates that India has no official state religion and treats religions equally?
[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard and Excise Constable, 30 April 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Sovereign
(B) Secular
(C) Democratic
(D) Socialist
Answer: (B) Secular
Explanation: Secularism means that the Indian state has no official religion and upholds equal religious freedom and protection. Although freedom of religion was present in the original Constitution, the word “Secular” was explicitly inserted into the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment.
Q35. The Preamble declares India to be which of the following?
[RRB NTPC (Graduate) CBT-I, 25 March 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Sovereign, Federal, Secular, Democratic, Republic
(B) Sovereign, Socialist, Federal, Democratic, Republic
(C) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic
(D) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Union
Answer: (C) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic
Explanation: The Preamble identifies India as a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. “Socialist” and “Secular” entered this description through the 42nd Amendment of 1976. Although India has a federal constitutional system, the word “Federal” does not appear in its Preamble.
Q34. The Preamble primarily serves as which of the following?
[RRB NTPC (Graduate) CBT-I, 17 March 2026, Shift 3]
(A) A schedule to the Constitution
(B) A guiding principle for interpretation
(C) A financial guideline
(D) An enforceable part of law
Answer: (B) A guiding principle for interpretation
Explanation: The Preamble expresses the Constitution’s philosophy and objectives, helping courts interpret unclear provisions. It forms part of the Constitution but does not independently confer enforceable rights or governmental powers. Specific constitutional articles, rather than the Preamble alone, supply legal authority.
Q33. Which of the following words is mentioned in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution regarding “Justice”?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 14 November 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Secular
(B) Socialist
(C) Sovereign
(D) Economic
Answer: (D) Economic
Explanation: The Preamble specifies three aspects of justice: social, economic and political. Economic justice seeks to reduce inequalities in resources and opportunities. “Secular”, “Socialist” and “Sovereign” describe the nature of the Indian state, not the separate dimensions of justice.
Q32. The Preamble secures “liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship”. This is a key provision for:
[DSSSB TGT (Social Science), 10 November 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Imposing a single culture
(B) Accommodating social and religious diversity
(C) Restricting social differences
(D) Promoting only economic equality
Answer: (B) Accommodating social and religious diversity
Explanation: These liberties recognise the freedom of individuals to think, express ideas and follow different faiths. They support a plural society rather than uniform beliefs. Constitutional safeguards, including freedom of religion and expression, give practical effect to these Preamble commitments.
Q31. Which of the following statements with reference to the Preamble are correct?
1. “Secular” comes before “Socialist”.
2. “Justice” comes before “Equality”.
3. “Fraternity” comes after “Liberty”.
[UPSC CDS-II (General Knowledge), 14 September 2025]
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 2 and 3 only
Explanation: The state description reads “Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic”, so statement 1 is false. The constitutional ideals follow the sequence Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Thus Justice precedes Equality, and Fraternity follows Liberty; statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Q30. Which terms were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976?
[SSC Stenographer, 8 August 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Socialist and Secular
(B) Sovereign and Democratic
(C) Republic and Democratic
(D) Justice and Liberty
Answer: (A) Socialist and Secular
Explanation: The 42nd Amendment inserted “Socialist” and “Secular” into the description of India. It also introduced “Integrity” into the phrase concerning national unity. The other terms in the options were already present in the Preamble adopted in 1949.
Q29. The Preamble, also called the face of the Constitution, was decorated by which of the following personalities?
[Telangana High Court Junior Assistant, 16 April 2025]
(A) Acharya Nandalal Bose
(B) Beohar Rammanohar Sinha
(C) Prem Behari Narain
(D) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Answer: (B) Beohar Rammanohar Sinha
Explanation: Beohar Rammanohar Sinha is credited with the artistic decoration of the original Preamble page. Prem Behari Narain Raizada performed the celebrated calligraphy of the handwritten Constitution, while Nandalal Bose oversaw its broader artistic illustrations. Their contributions should not be confused.
Q28. Which of the following is NOT mentioned under “Liberty” in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
[SSC MTS, 4 November 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Faith and worship
(B) Thought
(C) Trust and hope
(D) Expression
Answer: (C) Trust and hope
Explanation: The Preamble enumerates liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. “Trust and hope” are not among its stated categories. This distinction is useful because examinations frequently substitute attractive expressions for the Preamble’s exact constitutional language.
Q27. The Preamble of the Constitution describes India as:
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 9 July 2024, Shift 1]
(A) A unitary state
(B) A federal state
(C) A secular state
(D) An atheist state
Answer: (C) A secular state
Explanation: The Preamble expressly describes India as secular, meaning the state does not establish an official religion and protects religious freedom. India also has federal characteristics, but “federal state” is not the term used in the Preamble; neither is “atheist state”.
Q26. When was the Preamble to the Indian Constitution amended?
[SSC Selection Post (Matriculation), 26 June 2024, Shift 1]
(A) 1981
(B) 1976
(C) 1974
(D) 1980
Answer: (B) 1976
Explanation: The Preamble has been amended only once, through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976. That amendment inserted “Socialist” and “Secular” and changed the national-unity expression to include “Integrity”. It was enacted during the Emergency period.
Q25. Who called the Preamble of the Indian Constitution “The Political Horoscope of our Constitution”?
[SSC Selection Post (Matriculation), 21 June 2024, Shift 1]
(A) Dr. K. M. Munshi
(B) Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer
(C) M. Hidayatullah
(D) Sir Ernest Barker
Answer: (A) Dr. K. M. Munshi
Explanation: K. M. Munshi, a member of the Constituent Assembly, described the Preamble as the Constitution’s political horoscope. The expression highlights how its brief text announces the future republic’s foundational principles, including popular sovereignty, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
Q24. Which is the correct order of the following terms in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
[UPPSC RO/ARO (General Studies), 11 February 2024]
(A) Socialist, Secular, Sovereign, Democratic
(B) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic
(C) Secular, Socialist, Sovereign, Democratic
(D) Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic
Answer: (B) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic
Explanation: The Preamble describes the Indian state in the sequence “Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic”. Sovereignty denotes independence; socialism expresses social and economic aims; secularism concerns religious equality; and democracy signifies government deriving authority from the people.
Q23. Consider the statements:
1. India comprises 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
2. India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government.
Which is/are correct?
[CGPSC Prelims (General Studies), 11 February 2024]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: India has 28 states and eight Union Territories. Its Preamble declares a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic, while its institutional arrangements establish parliamentary government. The word “parliamentary” comes from the constitutional framework, although it is not itself written in the Preamble.
Q22. By which Constitutional Amendment was the term “Socialist” included in the Preamble?
[MPPSC State Services Prelims (GS), 17 December 2023]
(A) First Constitutional Amendment
(B) Second Constitutional Amendment
(C) Forty-second Constitutional Amendment
(D) Forty-fourth Constitutional Amendment
Answer: (C) Forty-second Constitutional Amendment
Explanation: The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, added the word “Socialist” to the Preamble along with “Secular”. It also added “Integrity” to the expression on national unity. The change reflected an express commitment to social and economic justice.
Q21. Which of the following is mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution of India?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 27 July 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship
(B) Fraternity assuring human dignity
(C) Equality of status and employment
(D) Justice, social, economic and administrative
Answer: (A) Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship
Explanation: The first option reproduces the five liberties specified in the Preamble. The actual text promises fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual, equality of status and opportunity, and justice that is social, economic and political—not administrative.