New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said India can become a fully developed nation by 2047 if the Constitution is followed “in letter and spirit”, as he urged citizens and public representatives to internalise its values in governance and daily life.
Addressing a Constitution Day function in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building, now called Samvidhan Sadan, Birla said the country’s founding document had transformed India into a vibrant democracy and continues to serve as its moral and institutional anchor.
“Today, it is our collective goal to make India a developed country by 2047. This goal will be achieved only when we imbibe the values and ideals of the Constitution and implement them in letter and spirit,” he said, noting that the framers had given “a visionary charter” after intense deliberations on November 26, 1949.
Birla stressed that while the Constitution guarantees fundamental rights, it also expects citizens to discharge their duties responsibly. Progress, he said, will be sustainable only when governance is transparent, institutions are accountable and every individual respects the rule of law.
He called upon MPs, MLAs and elected representatives at all levels to ensure that debates remain dignified and that legislatures function as platforms for informed discussion rather than disruption.
The Speaker also underlined that the Constitution had provided the framework to protect the rights of marginalised communities and to strengthen social justice, and said it was the duty of every generation to safeguard these gains while pushing for rapid economic growth.
Constitution Day, marked annually on November 26, commemorates the adoption of the Constitution in 1949. Events were held across the country, with readings of the Preamble in Parliament, state legislatures, schools and public institutions, and special programmes highlighting the document’s role in shaping modern India.