No plan to remove 'socialist' and 'secular' from Constitution's preamble: Government in Parliament

The Central government on Thursday informed the parliament that as of now, it has no plan to reconsider or remove the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the preamble of the Constitution.

It clarified that no formal process has been initiated to change these provisions.

"The government’s official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words "socialism" and "secularism" from the preamble of the constitution. Any discussions regarding amendments to the preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions," the government stated.

The government cleared its stand in response to a question by Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman.

He asked:

• Whether it is a fact that government is moving forward to reconsider the use of the words socialism and secularism in the Preamble of the Constitution;

• Whether an atmosphere is being created by the office-bearers of some social organisations in this regard; and

• The stand of government regarding reconsideration of use of words socialism and secularism in the preamble of the Constitution

The Ministry of Law and Justice replied that while there may be discussions or debates in certain public or political circles, no formal decision or proposal has been announced by the government regarding amendments to these terms.

"Regarding the atmosphere created by office bearers of some social organizations, it is possible that certain groups are expressing opinions or advocating for reconsideration of these words. Such activities can create a public discourse or atmosphere around the issue, but this does not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the government," the ministry said.

Further, it referred to the Supreme Court's decision in the case titled Dr Balram Singh and Others v Union of India and Another where the top court recognised the parliament's power to amend the preamble.

"In November 2024, the Supreme Court of India in the case of Dr. Balram Singh and others Vs. Union of India and Another’s the Court has also dismissed petitions challenging the 1976 amendment (42nd Constitutional Amendment) affirming that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution extends to the Preamble. The Court clarified that "socialism" in the Indian context signifies a welfare state and does not impede private sector growth, while "secularism" is integral to the Constitution's basic."

The words 'socialist' and 'secular' were not present in the original preamble of the Constitution.

They were inserted through the 42nd amendment in 1976 during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

[Read Central government reply]