question_answer 18)

Read the following statements about a Constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.   (a) The authority of the rules of the Constitution is the same as that of any other law.   (b) Constitution lays down how different organs of the government will be formed.   (c) Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the government are laid down in the Constitution.   (d) A Constitution is about institutions, not about values.   Follow the newspapers for any report on a discussion on any Constitutional Amendment or demand for any Constitutional Amendment. You could, e.g., focus on the demand for Constitutional Amendment for reservation for women in legislatures. Was there a public debate? What reasons were put forward in favour of the amendment? How did different parties react to Constitutional Amendment? Did the amendment take place?  

Answer:

(a) Not true An ordinary law is passed by Parliament and can be changed by it at its own will. On the other hand, the rules of the Constitution have greater authority as even the Parliament has to abide by them. For amending these rules, a special procedure has to be adopted.   (b) True The Constitution lays down in detail the structure power and functions of the three organs of the government i.e., executive, legislative and judiciary.   (c) True The rights of the citizens are laid down in the Constitution as fundamental rights. The powers of the government are divided between the executive, legislative and the judiciary which keep a check on each other thus there are limits on the power of the government.   (d) Not true A Constitution is the supreme law of the country. It lays down the composition powers and functions of the various institutions of government. The Constitution is guided by values which are found in the form of the Preamble. Principles and values like, equality, liberty, fraternity, brotherhood, secularism, justice, etc are included in the Preamble of our Constitution.