NEW DELHI: On November 23 India’s first Constitution Museum will be inaugurated by Om Birla, Lok Sabha speaker along with Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Law Minister in Haryana's Sonipat.
O.P. Jindal Global University on Thursday proudly announced the inauguration of India’s first Constitution Museum and the inaugural session of the National Convention on the Constitution of India at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU)in Sonipat.
The Chancellor of JGU and Member of Parliament Naveen Jindal will also grace the occasion which will witness an unparalleled initiative and a landmark institution in the annals of Indian constitutional history.
Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University Naveen Jindal, M.P. (Lok Sabha) said, “We dedicate the Constitution Museum to the nation, encouraging the youth of India who are the leaders of tomorrow, to embrace the Constitution of India as a beacon of knowledge that shapes and governs the future of our country. The first-of-its-kind Constitution Academy is an ambitious project which has never been envisaged by any other institution in India".
He said that the Constitution has guided the country towards equality, development, balance, and growth while protecting its people and staying true to India’s spirit as a free and independent nation.
In fact, the JGU has established India’s first Constitution Museum to enrich the understanding of the Constitution with various sections highlighting its significance and the historical debates that shaped its creation.
According to a press statement, the museum will feature engaging installations and interactive displays that illuminate the journey of the Constitution over the past 75 years.
The museum will be a key destination for understanding the Constitution, with sections dedicated to each part of the document and its significance. Through many formats—textual, audio-visual, experiential— the museum will ignite visitors’ interest in the Constitution, its evolution and its various components.
Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, the founding Vice -Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University said “The year 2024 commemorates the 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution, which took place on November 26, 1949, but came into force on January 26, 1950. This marked the inception of India as a Democratic Republic. India today is revered not just as the world’s largest democracy, but as a country governed by a set of forward-looking and equitable provisions enshrined in its Constitution".
"The museum pays homage to this exceptional document representing the hopes and aspirations of a billion-plus people. It is also a tribute to those remarkable men and women who spent years drafting the Constitution. At the helm was Dr B. R. Ambedkar, known and revered as the Architect of the Constitution", he said.
Towards this end, cutting edge technology, AI driven interactive experiences, 3-D installations and progressive displays will be a key part of this novel museum, the first of its kind to be established at any educational institution.
The collaboration between the O.P. Jindal Global University and the celebrated Centre for Technical Expertise at IIT Madras will bring to life an unprecedented experience to commemorate the most significant document that defines India as a Republic.
An official statement further said that the S.A.M.V.I.D. project will utilise advanced language models making visitors’ experience interactive, providing guided tours and detailed information about the exhibits, including profiles of every member of the Constituent Assembly and their pivotal contributions to the Constitution.
This collaboration signifies a significant step towards integrating technology into educational and cultural experiences.
After the inauguration, a dedication ceremony of the Constitution Museum and the Rights and Freedoms Academy will take place on November 26- the day India observes the Constitution Diwas. The Constitution Day Lecture on the theme ‘Giving to Ourselves’ – The Constitution of India will be delivered by Professor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former High Commissioner and Ambassador, and former Governor of West Bengal.
Furthermore,sources said that the sculptures in "The Constitution Gardens", a part of the Constitution Museum" visually narrate the principles of liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity embedded in the Constitution.
Inspired by illustrated manuscripts and key excerpts, these artworks celebrate India's geographical diversity while reflecting the unifying vision of the Constitution.
Rajesh P. Subramanian's sculpture, ‘We, The People of India’, embodies "unity in diversity," a core constitutional principle. Made from stone and bronze, it showcases India's cultural evolution through historical monuments, with symbols like the Charkha and Ashoka Chakra representing self-reliance and justice.
In the ‘Echoes of Liberty’ part of the Constitution Museum, Rahul Gautam has combined brass with a green patina to create a mural that fuses elements from constitutional manuscripts with modern design. The Constitution Museum has a lot of informative and fascinating features on the grandeur of the Constitution which make it uniquely designed and developed.
Anjchita B. Nair, CEO, Culture and Head, Centre for Museums, who curated the museum emphasised on how the Constitution Museum steers away from the typical unidirectional tone taken by conventional museums, using a multitude of formats for innovative storytelling.
She said, “The idea behind the space is to demystify the Constitution and make it accessible to wider audiences. Apart from being an avenue for learning that ignites people’s curiosities, we seek to instil a sense of pride and awe in the Constitution of India. The focus is on understanding the intent of the makers of the Constitution and appreciating the tumultuous journey we have undertaken in the last 75 years.”