8. Institutional Ethics and Constitutional Symbolism

c. India’s First Constitution Museum

Notes for Students

Context of the Article: India’s first Constitution Museum has been inaugurated at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonipat, Haryana, to mark the 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution of India. It is a significant institutional development that strengthens constitutional literacy, deepens civic engagement, and symbolically reaffirms democratic and ethical values embedded in the Indian polity.

UPSC Paper Topic Belongs To:
GS Paper II – Indian Constitution, Constitutional Values, Role of Judiciary and Parliament
GS Paper IV – Ethics in Governance, Role of Institutions, Symbolism and Public Morality
Essay – Nation-Building and Constitutional Morality

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Role of Constitutional Symbolism in Deepening Democracy
2. Institutional Ethics and Public Memory
3. Significance of the Constitution Museum in Public Education
4. Role of Visual Culture and Technology in Civic Engagement
5. Legal and Ethical Reflections on Constitutionalism in India

Why in News

In November 2024, the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, and the Hon’ble Minister of State for Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, inaugurated India’s first Constitution Museum at O.P. Jindal Global University. The museum commemorates the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India and is part of a broader national effort to institutionalise constitutional literacy and democratic ethics. The museum incorporates holography, robotics (with a Constitution-themed guide robot S.A.M.V.I.D.), immersive art, and multimedia storytelling to showcase India’s constitutional history and the sacrifices of the founding framers—including special exhibits on women members of the Constituent Assembly.

Features of the News

1. Institutionalising Constitutional Morality:
   
   1. The Constitution Museum operationalises B.R. Ambedkar’s call for cultivating constitutional morality—not merely adherence to the letter of the law but the spirit behind it.
   2. Speaker Om Birla highlighted how the Constitution is not merely a legal text but a transformative document anchoring India’s social and political evolution.
      
2. Art, Ethics, and Public Memory:
   1. The museum features sculptures such as “Founding Mothers” and “Insaaf ki Devi” that reflect ethical ideals of justice, inclusion, and equality.
   2. It houses photolithographic reproductions of the original Constitution, acknowledging calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada and artist Nandalal Bose—preserving their ethical contribution to nation-building.
      
3. Technological Innovation and Accessibility:
   1. IIT Madras collaborated with JGU to develop S.A.M.V.I.D., a robotic guide, combining AI and ethics education.
   2. The use of holograms, animations, and murals reimagines constitutional pedagogy for younger generations, addressing Article 51A (Fundamental Duties), especially the duty to cherish and follow the Constitution.
      
4. Gender and Democratic Inclusion:
   1. The museum explicitly showcases the contribution of 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly, like Dakshayani Velayudhan, Hansa Mehta, and Durgabai Deshmukh—symbolising gender-inclusive ethics in constitutional history.
      
5. Legal Symbolism and Democratic Citizenship:
   1. The exhibition’s centrepiece, titled “We, The People of India”, reframes the Constitution as a lived experience, not just a document.
   2. The initiative aligns with recent government efforts such as Sansad Bhashini and IndiaAI Mission, aimed at democratising access to legal and governance content in regional languages and digital formats.

Explainers

1. What is Constitutional Symbolism and Why Does it Matter?

Constitutional symbolism refers to the use of public institutions, commemorative spaces, rituals, national observances, and visual culture to communicate and reinforce the core values enshrined in a Constitution—liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity. These symbols are not merely decorative; they perform a vital pedagogical and emotional function in nation-building. They make abstract ideals visible, relatable, and memorable.

The inauguration of India’s first Constitution Museum is a prime example. By displaying calligraphed copies of the Constitution, busts of Constituent Assembly members, holograms of B.R. Ambedkar, and immersive artworks titled “We, the People” and “Founding Mothers”, the museum transforms textual values into cultural memory. Such symbolism fosters constitutional patriotism—anchored not in blind allegiance but in informed reverence for democratic ideals. It bridges the psychological and philosophical distance between citizens and the Constitution, especially in an era of legal apathy and institutional alienation.

Moreover, it aligns with constitutional morality—a term invoked by the Supreme Court of India in landmark rulings (e.g., Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, 2018)—that calls upon all public actors to uphold the ethical spirit of the Constitution beyond its technical content.

2. How does Institutional Ethics relate to the Constitution Museum?

Institutional ethics refers to the moral standards and norms that guide the functioning of public institutions, ensuring that they serve citizens with accountability, transparency, justice, and fairness. It is the ethical compass that prevents institutions from becoming arbitrary, corrupt, or disconnected from their constitutional mandate.

The Constitution Museum embodies institutional ethics in two primary ways:

• First, as a moral institution, it serves an educative purpose by promoting awareness about constitutional rights, duties, and processes—thereby empowering citizens to demand ethical governance.
• Second, it acts as a mirror to lawmakers and public functionaries. By honouring the sacrifices of the Constitution’s framers, especially those of marginalised groups and women, the museum creates a normative benchmark for contemporary institutions to uphold inclusivity, equity, and ethical leadership.

In this way, the museum does not merely represent the past but interrogates the present, asking whether modern institutions are living up to the ethical expectations set in 1950.

3. How does the Museum support Constitutional Literacy in India?

Constitutional literacy is not just about reading the text of the Constitution but understanding its moral vision, historical context, and practical relevance in everyday life. In a country as diverse and stratified as India, conventional legal education often fails to penetrate the broader public sphere, leaving large sections unaware of their rights and duties.

The Constitution Museum addresses this gap by using innovative pedagogical tools—digital storytelling, robotics (S.A.M.V.I.D.), 360° historical recreations, holographic speeches, and interactive art—to transform constitutional learning from passive to experiential.

By spotlighting lesser-known members of the Constituent Assembly, especially women, and curating exhibits around key provisions such as Fundamental Rights (Part III), Fundamental Duties (Part IVA), and Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV), the museum supports the NCERT’s New Curriculum Framework 2023, which emphasises constitutional values in school education.

Ultimately, the museum enhances democratic capacity by cultivating citizens who are not only aware of their entitlements but also ethically responsible in a constitutional sense.

4. What Role do Such Symbolic Institutions Play in a Democracy?

A healthy democracy requires more than just the mechanical functioning of the executive, legislature, and judiciary—it needs a democratic culture. Symbolic institutions like Constitution Museums, National Flag hoisting rights (as championed by Naveen Jindal), and observances like Samvidhan Diwas serve to nourish this culture.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar famously cautioned that political democracy must be complemented by social and economic democracy. Symbolic institutions help realise this vision by:

• Sustaining public memory of the constitutional struggle and sacrifices
• Offering citizens—especially youth—a sense of moral continuity with the past
• Reinvigorating civic responsibility and participatory citizenship

In times of rising populism, legal cynicism, and digital misinformation, such spaces serve as anchors of ethical and constitutional clarity. They remind citizens that democracy is not a gift but a shared ethical project requiring perpetual reaffirmation.

Conclusion 

The Constitution Museum at JGU represents a landmark in India’s journey toward participative, ethical, and inclusive democracy. At a time when democratic backsliding, legal illiteracy, and institutional mistrust are global concerns, such initiatives ground governance in public memory and ethical consciousness. Going forward, the government should replicate such institutions across regions, integrate museum-led learning into school curricula (via NCERT and NCF 2023), and ensure accessibility across socio-economic divides. Institutions like this are not merely commemorative—they are pedagogical, philosophical, and profoundly constitutional.