Constitution scripture of modern India: Prez Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday dubbed the Constitution the scripture of modern India and urged the nation to stay true to its plurality and flexibility to make things work. Frequent house disruptions, routine adjournment of cases, nontransparent political funding and pollution are violative of people’s right to justice, the President said, speaking at the Law Day function at the Vigyan Bhavan here.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi warned there would be a sharp descent into chaos if the advice of the Constitution was not heeded. The Constitution was formally adopted by the people on November 26, 1949. It was formally observed as Law Day at the instance of distinguished jurist LM Singhvi.

“The Constitution is the modern scripture of independent India. It is an inspirational and living document, an ideal of the society we are and the even better society we are striving to be,” Kovind said.


The Constitution is not only aspirational, but also flexible and accommodative of various streams of thought, he said. “If we continue to be true to this spirit, the Constitution can serve India for all times to come.”

The CJI, flanked by justices MB Lokur and Kurian Joseph, stressed on the need to heed the advice of the Constitution. “Our Constitution is the voice of the marginalised as well as the prudence of the majority. It is in our best interest to heed its advice, if we do not, our hubris will result in sharp descent into chaos.”

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called for “judicially manageable” standards of constitutional morality so that the yardstick of testing legislative and executive action does not vary from judge to judge and court to court.