India celebrates its 66th Republic Day on Monday, January 26th 2015. Republic Day in India is celebrated to mark the day in the year 1950 when the constitution came into force. Here are 10 facts about India’s constitution you may not know.Â
1.   Our Indian constitution is the longest written constitution. It comprises of 448 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 118 amendments. The American Constitution is the shortest in the world! The earliest form of a constitution in the world was found in Iraq dated 2300 B.C
2. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who is known as the father of Indian Constitution took 2 years 11 months and 18 days to draft the Indian Constitution.
3.   The Constitution of India was handwritten in both English and Hindi. You can find the original copies kept in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India.
4. It took about 2 years 11 months and 17 days for the Constituent Assembly to pass the constitution post it was presented.
5. 284 members of the Constituent Assembly, which also included 15 women, signed the hand-written documents on January 24, 1950, which came into force two days later on January 26, 1950. It is believed that it was raining outside the Parliament on the day Constitution was signed and people considered it a good omen.
6. The Indian constitution is often referred as bag of borrowings—it has taken various features and parts from other constitutions. The concepts of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was taken from the French constitution, the concept of 5 year plans was taken from the USSR, the Directive principles (socio-economic rights) was taken from Ireland, the law on which the Supreme Court functions was taken from Japan and so on.
7.  The Indian Government adopted national emblem of India (the adapted version of Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka with the wheel, bull, and horse) on 26 January, 1950
8. The Preamble is the basic structure of the Constitution and it says people are the ultimate authority and the Constitution emerges from them.
9. Under the Constitution there is only one domicile, i.e. domicile of the country and there is on separate domicile for a State.
10. Article 19 guarantees freedom of speech, freedom to assemble peacefully without arms, to form associations or unions, to move throughout the territory of India, to reside and settle in any part of territory of India, to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.