Constitution Day today: History, celebrations, significance

November 26 is observed as Constitution Day or 'Samvidhan Diwas' every year, which commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India. On November 26, 1949, the Constitution was adopted and it came into effect on January 26, 1950.

In 2015, the Union ministry of social justice notified the decision of the Centre to celebrate November 26 as Constitution Day to promote constitutional values among citizens, according to a government website.

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who became the first law minister of India in the Congress-led Centre, was appointed as the chairman of the constitution drafting committee in 1947 and was given the responsibility of writing the country's new constitution.

American historian Granville Seward Austin has described the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar as 'first and foremost a social document'.

Parliament to celebrate Constitution Day

Parliament will observe Constitution Day on Friday and President Ram Nath Kovind will lead the celebrations from the Central hall from 11am onwards. President Kovind, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will address the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in the celebrations in Parliament and Vigyan Bhawan. Later in the day, PM Modi will inaugurate the two-day Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court, at 5:30pm in Vigyan Bhawan.

Congress, other opposition parties to skip celebrations

A delegation of 13 opposition parties led by Congress will skip the Constitution Day celebrations in Parliament on Friday.

The opposition parties are skipping the event to protest what they have said is the Centre's disrespect towards them, its refusal to their demands and hastened passage of bills in Parliament, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday.