Amid growing murmurs in political backrooms and heated social media chatter, the Central government has stepped in with a firm word: the Preamble stays untouched—for now.
Responding to a pointed query in the Rajya Sabha from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman, the Ministry of Law and Justice made it crystal clear that it has no intention of revisiting or rewriting the preamble’s ideological markers—specifically, the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’.
“No formal process has been initiated. No reconsideration is on the table,” the ministry said, brushing aside speculation that a quiet effort was underway to redefine the soul of the Constitution.
MP Suman had raised concerns that a “certain atmosphere” was being stirred up by social organisation heads, nudging public opinion toward amending the Preamble. But the government drew a sharp line between noisy advocacy and actionable intent. Public discourse may ebb and flow, but the Constitution’s frontispiece, it appears, is not on the operating table.
The ministry did acknowledge that debates around such foundational concepts are not new and may even be healthy for a democracy—but reiterated that these do not amount to an official rethink.
For further clarity, the government leaned on judicial precedent, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dr. Balram Singh & Others v. Union of India, where the apex court upheld Parliament’s authority to amend the Constitution, including the Preamble. The court also reaffirmed that the 1976 insertion of ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’—courtesy of the 42nd Amendment during Indira Gandhi’s era—was valid and within constitutional bounds.
The ruling underlined that socialism in India signifies a welfare-oriented state, not a barrier to free enterprise. Likewise, secularism, the court emphasized, is not just an add-on but a foundational element of the constitutional architecture.
So, while debates may rage outside the House, inside Parliament, the message is clear: no chisel has been raised against the Preamble’s cornerstone words.
