Question

Which word was added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976?

Hint:

Think about the 1976 amendment passed during the Emergency that changed the Preamble wording.

Answer 1

The correct answer is Secular.

In 1976, the government brought in the 42nd Amendment, which is often called a mini Constitution because it changed so many parts of the document.

• It inserted Socialist and Secular before the word Democratic in the Preamble.
• It also added the phrase Unity and Integrity of the Nation in place of just Unity.
• These changes were meant to state clearly the values the country already followed in practice.
• Secular means the government does not favor or oppose any religion.

So when a question asks about a word added by the 42nd Amendment, both Socialist and Secular are correct, but Secular is the word most commonly asked about.