Constitution Day, also known as ‘Samvidhan Diwas’ is observed on November 26 every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution in India. It is also known as National Law Day.

On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India, which came into effect on January 26, 1950. 

On November 19, 2015, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment decided to celebrate November 26 as ‘Constitution Day’ to promote Constitution values among citizens. The day also pays tribute to the first law minister of India, Dr BR Ambedkar, who played a pivotal role in drafting the Indian Constitution.

The Constitution of India, the foremost law of the country, was drafted between December 1946 and December 1949. Interestingly, it was neither printed nor typed. The document was handwritten and calligraphed in both Hindi and English. It is built upon several principles based on the constitutions of the US, Ireland, Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, the USSR, France, South Africa, Japan, and other countries.

The longest written constitution in the world, which was first planned out in 1928, lays down the framework specifying fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, duties and directive principles of Indian citizens.