Case Law (SC) -- The words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ became integral to the Preamble and have achieved widespread acceptance, with their meanings understood by “We, the people of India” without any semblance of doubt.
Dr Balram Singh and Others v. Union of India and Another [2024 INSC 893] dated 25.11.2025 Issue :- Insertion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble to the Constitution of India by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act in 1976. Holding:- "The majority judgment of this Court in the 9-Judge Constitution Bench in Property Owners Association and Others v. State of Maharashtra and Others [ 2024 INSC 835] has cleared any doubt and ambiguity, as it is held that the Constitution, as framed in broad terms, allows the elected government to adopt a structure for economic governance which would sub-serve the policies for which it is accountable to the electorate. Indian economy has transitioned from the dominance of public investment to the co-existence of public and private investment. 7 The fact that the writ petitions were filed in 2020, forty-four years after the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ became integral to the Preamble, makes the prayers particularly ...