Objectives Resolution of Jawaharlal Nehru
The Objectives Resolution, moved by Nehru on 13 Dec 1946 and adopted 22 Jan 1947, laid the philosophical foundation for India's Preamble and Constitution.
At a glance
A resolution moved by Nehru on 13 December 1946 and adopted 22 January 1947, proclaiming India an Independent Sovereign Republic and laying down the Constitution's guiding philosophy.
Guaranteed social, economic and political justice, equality of status and opportunity, and fundamental freedoms, with safeguards for minorities and backward classes.
Formed the direct basis of the Preamble to the Constitution of India.
Timeline
The Objectives Resolution moved by Nehru in the Constituent Assembly is the founding statement of intent that later shaped the Preamble to the Constitution of India. Moved by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946 and adopted unanimously on 22 January 1947, it set out the fundamental philosophy on which independent India's constitutional structure was to rest — well before the detailed articles of the Constitution were drafted.
Background: Why the Resolution Was Needed
When the Constituent Assembly first met, it needed a statement of shared purpose before it could get down to drafting detailed provisions. Nehru, as a central figure of the national movement and later the country's first Prime Minister, moved the Objectives Resolution to place on record the values and goals that the Assembly had committed itself to achieving. It was meant to guide the subsequent work of the various committees, including the Union Constitution Committee, which explicitly noted that the Preamble and Part I of the draft Constitution were covered by the Objectives Resolution, while the remaining parts required separate deliberation.
Key Provisions of the Objectives Resolution
The Resolution proclaimed India as an Independent Sovereign Republic and laid down the broad principles that would later be echoed almost word for word in the Preamble. Its major elements can be summarised as follows.
| Provision | What it declared |
|---|---|
| Status of India | India to be an Independent Sovereign Republic |
| Composition of the Union | A Union of the erstwhile British Indian territories, Indian States, and other parts outside these that were willing to join |
| Autonomous units | Constituent territories to be autonomous units exercising all governmental powers and functions except those assigned to or vested in the Union |
| Source of authority | All power and authority of sovereign, independent India, and of its Constitution, to flow from the people |
| Justice | Social, economic and political justice guaranteed to all people |
| Equality | Equality of status and of opportunity, and equality before law |
| Freedoms | Freedom of speech, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action, subject to law and public morality |
| Safeguards | Adequate safeguards for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other backward classes |
| Integrity | Territorial integrity of the Republic and its sovereign rights over land, sea and air to be maintained |
| World peace | India's commitment to contribute to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind |
In his own words while moving the Resolution, Nehru described it as proclaiming India as an "Independent Sovereign Republic," with territories forming a Union of autonomous units possessing residuary powers, all power derived from the people, and justice, equality and freedom guaranteed to all, along with safeguards for minorities and a commitment to world peace — themes that recur through the debate record of that sitting.
From Resolution to Preamble
The Objectives Resolution is widely regarded as the basis of the Preamble to the Constitution. The Preamble, often called the introduction or preface to the Constitution, contains a summary of its essence — the jurist N.A. Palkhivala famously described it as the "identity card of the Constitution." Because the Preamble was drafted around the language and spirit of the Objectives Resolution, most of its central ideas — sovereignty, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity — can be traced directly back to the Resolution moved by Nehru in December 1946.
The Preamble was not left untouched after 1950. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 inserted three additional words into the Preamble — Socialist, Secular and Integrity — supplementing the framework that had originally been drawn from the Objectives Resolution.
Debates in the Constituent Assembly
The Resolution's ideas were tested and scrutinised as the Assembly moved from broad principles to the actual Draft Constitution. Members repeatedly measured the emerging draft against the standards the Resolution itself had set. For instance, during discussion of the Draft Constitution, one line of questioning concerned whether the provisions truly safeguarded the "inherent rights of man," guarded against the misuse of democratic forms for totalitarian ends, and ensured justice for minorities — all benchmarks traceable to the Objectives Resolution.
A specific point of debate came from member Kazi Syed Karimuddin, who noted that a footnote to the Preamble had left India's status regarding the Commonwealth undecided, even though the Objectives Resolution had already declared that India would be independent. He argued that this indefiniteness needed to be resolved, since a genuine break from Commonwealth ties was implied by the declaration of independence made in the Resolution itself.
Significance for India's Constitutional Journey
The Resolution was adopted at a moment when the country was still under British rule, yet it confidently proclaimed the republic that was to come. Independence followed some months later, on 14–15 August 1947, when Nehru — by then the first Prime Minister of free India — delivered his "tryst with destiny" address to a special midnight session of the Constituent Assembly. The nation then faced the interlinked challenges of nation-building amid diversity, establishing a working democracy, and pursuing development with equality and justice — challenges for which the Objectives Resolution had already supplied a constitutional compass.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims
- Date the Objectives Resolution was moved (13 December 1946) and the date it was adopted (22 January 1947).
- The Resolution as the basis of the Preamble; the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 and the three words it added.
- Key phrases of the Resolution: "Independent Sovereign Republic," source of power from the people, safeguards for minorities.
Mains
- Trace the influence of the Objectives Resolution on the philosophy and structure of the Constitution.
- Discuss how the values contained in the Objectives Resolution find institutional expression in the Constitution's substantive provisions.
- Examine Constituent Assembly debates that tested the Draft Constitution against the standards set by the Objectives Resolution.
FAQ
Q1. Who moved the Objectives Resolution and when? Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946.
Q2. When was the Objectives Resolution adopted? It was adopted unanimously by the Constituent Assembly on 22 January 1947.
Q3. What is the relationship between the Objectives Resolution and the Preamble? The Preamble to the Constitution is based on the Objectives Resolution drafted and moved by Nehru; the Preamble summarises the essence of the Constitution using the principles the Resolution had already laid down.
Q4. Did the Preamble change after the Constitution came into force? Yes. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 added three words to the Preamble — Socialist, Secular and Integrity.
Q5. What did the Objectives Resolution say about minorities? It provided that minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other backward classes would be given adequate safeguards.
Quick Revision
- Objectives Resolution: moved by Nehru, 13 December 1946; adopted 22 January 1947.
- Declared India an Independent Sovereign Republic; Union of autonomous units with residuary powers.
- Basis of the Preamble to the Constitution.
- Preamble amended by 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 — added Socialist, Secular, Integrity.
- N.A. Palkhivala called the Preamble the "identity card of the Constitution."
- Kazi Syed Karimuddin questioned the Commonwealth-status footnote to the Preamble in the Assembly debates.
Sources
- Constitution of India — Preamble, legislative.gov.in
- Constituent Assembly Debates, official records — Lok Sabha / Parliament of India Digital Library
Further Reference
For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:
- M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
- D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
- The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.
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