Presidential Oath to Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution
Official heading: “Oath or affirmation by the President”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part V, Article 60, printed pages 28–29
- Last human source-link check
- Not yet checked
- Last human legal review
- Not yet reviewed
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1. In One Sentence
Article 60 prescribes the solemn oath or affirmation administered to the President by the Chief Justice of India, pledging to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and devote themselves to the people.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Before entering upon office, every President (or person acting as President) must make and subscribe an oath or affirmation in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, or in their absence, the senior-most available Judge of the Supreme Court.
The wording of the presidential oath is uniquely significant in Indian constitutional law: while Ministers and MPs swear to "bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution", the President uniquely swears to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law".
The oath also charges the President to devote themselves to the service and well-being of the people of India, establishing the President as the ultimate constitutional sentinel against unconstitutional actions.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
A newly elected President is sworn into office in the Central Hall of Parliament.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 60 enshrines the highest constitutional pledge of stewardship in the Indian Republic.
- Administered exclusively by the Chief Justice of India or the senior-most available Supreme Court Judge.
- Unique wording: Swears to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law".
- Applies equally to the elected President and any person acting as or discharging presidential functions under Article 65.
- Breach of this oath constitutes the constitutional ground of "violation of the Constitution" for impeachment under Article 61.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 60, printed pages 28–29 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.