Which of the following statements with reference to the Preamble to the Constitution of India are correct ? 1. The word 'secular' comes before the word 'socialist'. 2. The word 'justice' comes before the word 'equality'. 3. The word 'fraternity' comes after the word 'liberty'. Select the answer using the code given below :

The Preamble to the Constitution of India defines the nature of the Indian State as a 'SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC' [2]. Therefore, the word 'socialist' precedes 'secular', making statement 1 incorrect. Regarding the objectives of the Constitution, the text explicitly lists them in the following order: JUSTICE (social, economic, and political), LIBERTY (of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship), EQUALITY (of status and of opportunity), and FRATERNITY (assuring dignity and unity) [2]. Consequently, 'justice' correctly appears before 'equality' [2], and 'fraternity' correctly appears after 'liberty' [1]. This sequence confirms that statements 2 and 3 are accurate representations of the Preamble's structure. The 42nd Amendment of 1976 inserted 'socialist' and 'secular' in that specific order [3].

Sources

1. [2] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 3: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CONSTITUTION > EVERY Constitution has a philosophy of its own. > p. 22
2. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > INGREDIENTS OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
3. [3] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 10: The Constitution of India — An Introduction > EQUALITY > p. 225