Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2024 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
The term seamless web with reference to the interconnectedness of different parts of Indian Constitution was used by which of the following authors?
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (A) Granville Austin
Granville Austin, the renowned American constitutional scholar, used the metaphor "seamless web" to describe the interconnected nature of the Indian Constitution in his seminal work "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" (1966).
Key Conceptual Framework
Austin argued that the Indian Constitution forms a seamless web where different parts are intricately interwoven:
- Fundamental Rights (Part III) and Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) are complementary, not contradictory
- These provisions work together to achieve the Constitution’s social revolution objectives
- Individual liberty and social justice are interconnected goals
- Constitutional provisions cannot be understood in isolation but as an integrated whole
Austin’s Perspective
He emphasized that the framers designed the Constitution as a unified instrument for:
- Establishing a democratic framework
- Ensuring social and economic transformation
- Balancing individual rights with collective welfare
- Creating a just and equitable society
This "seamless web" concept has become fundamental to understanding Indian constitutional jurisprudence and interpretation.
