Study the picture and answer the following questions:

(a) What purpose does the Preamble to the Constitution serve?

(b) What do the words 'We the People of India', as given in the Preamble mean?

(c) Describe the meaning of the words 'Democratic' and 'Republic' given in the Preamble.

(a) The Preamble to the Constitution of India serves two purposes:

1. It indicates the source from which the Constitution derives its authority.
2. It states the objects which the Constitution seeks to establish and promote.

(b) 'We the People of India' in the Preamble means the constitution of India derives its power and authority from the people of the country. It indicates that the Constitution of India has been made by the people of India through their elected representatives in the Constituent Assembly.

(c) Democratic - India has a democratic government, i.e., the people of India govern themselves through the elected representatives in the Parliament at the centre and Legislature in each State. These representatives are elected after every five years through universal adult franchise, i.e., by the vote of all the adults of 18 years and above according to the principle of 'one man, one vote'. No discrimination is made on the basis of sex, caste, creed or religion.

Republic - A Republic is a state, which does not have a hereditary King or Queen, but has an elected head. In our country, the head of the state, i.e., the President is elected by the members of the two Houses of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies. His term of office is five years. He is not a hereditary head as in other countries like Great Britain where the Queen or the Monarch is the head of the State.