Mode of promulgation
Topic: Making of the Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Sources and Salient Features · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Constitution: Why and How?"
Meaning
Mode of promulgation means how a constitution comes into being and who frames it. NCERT says this decides much of a constitution's authority. Constitutions made by military rulers or unpopular leaders often stay on paper only. The most successful ones grew out of popular national movements, and their framers were trusted by the people.
Example
India's framers had huge public trust and were not seen as seeking power for themselves. India held no referendum (a direct public vote on the document), unlike Ireland in 1937. The people accepted the Constitution "by abiding by its provisions". By contrast, Japan's 1947 constitution was written under US military occupation.
Don't confuse with
- Substantive provisions: mode of promulgation is about how the constitution was made. Substantive provisions are about what it says, for example whether it gives everyone a reason to accept it.