Constitution and Its Purpose

Features of a Constitution

• Most countries in the world have a Constitution, but having a Constitution does not necessarily mean a country is democratic.
• A Constitution serves several purposes, primarily laying out the ideals that form the basis of a country's society.

Role of a Constitution in Society

• A Constitution defines the fundamental nature of a society, outlining the kind of country citizens aspire to live in.
• It helps reconcile differences between various communities of people who share certain beliefs but may not agree on all issues.

Constitution as a Set of Rules and Principles

• A Constitution provides a set of rules and principles that all persons in a country can agree upon as the basis of governance.
• This includes agreement on the type of government and certain ideals that the country should uphold.

Importance of Constitution in a Democracy

• In a democracy, leaders are chosen to exercise power responsibly, but there is a risk of misuse of authority, which can lead to gross injustice.
• The Constitution provides safeguards against this misuse of authority by political leaders.

Protection of Fundamental Rights

• The Indian Constitution guarantees the right to equality to all persons, prohibiting discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, gender, and place of birth.
• The Right to Equality is one of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

Prevention of Tyranny of the Majority

• The Constitution ensures that a dominant group does not use its power against less powerful people or groups.
• Rules in the Constitution protect minorities from being excluded from things routinely available to the majority.
• The Constitution prevents tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority, including inter-community and intra-community domination.

Case Study: Classroom Example

• In the classroom example, the majority (boys) decides to play cricket, dominating the minority (girls) who want to play basketball.
• The minority (girls) is being dominated by the decision taken by the majority, and their wishes are not being heard.

Role of Constitution in Protecting Larger Principles

• The Constitution helps protect against decisions that could have an adverse effect on the larger principles that the country believes in.
• A good Constitution does not allow whims to change its basic structure, guaranteeing rights of citizens and protecting their freedom.

Saving Us from Ourselves

• The Constitution saves us from ourselves by guarding against decisions that might go against our larger interests.
• It helps protect us against certain decisions that could have an adverse effect on the larger principles that the country believes in.