India, Jan. 26 -- As India observes Republic Day on 26 January 2026, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Governor of Uttarakhand, reflects on the constitutional foundations that continue to shape the country's political and institutional framework. The occasion marks another year since the Constitution came into force in 1950, formally establishing India as a sovereign democratic republic governed by the rule of law.

The day serves as a reminder of the constitutional balance between individual rights and collective responsibility, authority and accountability, and freedom and governance. The adoption of the Constitution followed a period of political transition and institutional uncertainty after Independence and Partition. Over the decades, Ind...