Correct Answer – Option 1 : Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic

The correct answer is ‘Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic’.

• According to the preamble to the Indian Constitution, India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic state.
• ​Key Words In The Preamble:
• Sovereign:
  • The term Sovereign which is proclaimed by the Preamble means that India has its own independent authority and it is not a dominion of any other external power.
  • In the country, the legislature has the power to make laws which are subjected to certain limitations.
• Socialist:
  • The term Socialist was added in the Preamble by 42nd Amendment, 1976 which means the achievement of socialist ends through democratic means.
  • It is basically a Democratic Socialism that holds faith in a mixed economy where both the private and public sectors co-exist side by side.
• Secular:
  • The term Secular was incorporated in the Preamble by 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976 which means that all the religions in India get equal respect, protection and support from the state.
• Democratic:The term Democratic implies that the Constitution of India has an established form of Constitution which gets its authority from the will of the people expressed in an election.

Republic:The term Republic indicates that the head of the state is elected by the people directly or indirectly.In India, the President is the head of the state and he is elected indirectly by the people.

• Socialist and Secular were the two words added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Amendment, in 1976.
  • The earlier description of India was the Sovereign Democratic Republic.
  • It was then changed to Sovereign, Socialist, Secular Democratic Republic.