No plan to remove ‘secular’, ‘socialist’ from Preamble: Govt amid calls to revisit inclusion of term
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New Delhi: The Union government has no plans to remove the words “secular” and “socialist” from the Preamble of the Constitution, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Parliament. His remarks come amid growing demands from certain groups to revisit the inclusion of the two terms.
Responding in writing to a question raised by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman, Meghwal said the government has not initiated any formal process to amend the Preamble. He added that any change to it would require “thorough deliberation and broad consensus.”
Meghwal also cited a Supreme Court ruling from November 2024, which upheld the 42nd Constitutional Amendment of 1976 that had introduced the words "secular" and "socialist" into the Preamble.
“The court clarified that ‘socialism’ in the Indian context signifies a welfare state and does not impede private sector growth, while ‘secularism’ is integral to the Constitution’s basic structure,” the Union law minister added.
The issue resurfaced in public discourse last month when Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale remarked that the two terms were not part of the Preamble of the Constitution drafted by B.R. Ambedkar, and their relevance today "must be reviewed."
Hosabale’s comments sparked political backlash, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that the RSS-BJP alliance is hostile to the Constitution. "The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice. The RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want 'Manusmriti'. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," Gandhi had said.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
