Working a Democratic Constitution – Granville Austin

Brief Description of the Book

Working a Democratic Constitution examines how India’s Constitution has actually functioned in practice since 1950. Granville Austin shows that the Constitution is not a static legal text but a living instrument, shaped by courts, Parliament, political actors, and social movements. The book introduces the idea of the Constitution as a “seamless web” connecting Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and democratic institutions. It is a core reference for GS-2 Polity, Governance, Constitutional Morality, Judiciary, and Essay.

The following extracts may be used in OPSC answer writing:

“The Indian Constitution is first and foremost a social document.”→ GS-2 Polity / GS-4 Ethics: Transformative constitutionalism, social justice orientation of the Constitution

“The Constitution is a seamless web.”→ GS-2 Polity: Interrelationship between Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and governance goals

“Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles were designed to be complementary.”→ GS-2 Polity / Essay: Harmony between rights and welfare; rebuttal to rights vs DPSP dichotomy

“The Indian Constitution represents a conscious social revolution.”→ GS-2 / GS-4: Constitutional morality, change through democratic means

“Judicial review became the conscience of the Constitution.”→ GS-2 Polity: Role of judiciary, constitutional checks and balances

“The Supreme Court emerged as the final interpreter of the Constitution.”→ GS-2 Polity: Judicial supremacy, constitutional interpretation

“Constitutional interpretation in India has been purposive rather than literal.”→ GS-2 Polity / Essay: Living Constitution, dynamic interpretation, judicial activism vs restraint debates

“Democracy in India has depended upon constitutional institutions rather than popular consensus.”→ GS-2 Governance: Institutional stability, rule of law, checks and balances

“The success of the Constitution lay in its ability to adapt without losing its core values.”→ GS-2 / Essay: Constitutional resilience, amendments, continuity with change

“The Constitution sought to transform society through law.”→ GS-2 / GS-4: Law as an instrument of social change, affirmative action, social reform

“The working of the Constitution has been shaped as much by politics as by law.”→ GS-2 Governance: Executive–judiciary relations, political context of constitutional functioning

“The Constitution provided the framework; democracy gave it life.”→ Essay / GS-2: Role of democratic practice in sustaining constitutional ideals