Why India's Original Constitution Is Preserved In A Nitrogen Gas Chamber

India celebrates Samvidhan Divas each year on November 26 to honour the adoption of its Constitution. The original handwritten manuscripts, written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada and decorated by Shantiniketan artists, are now preserved in a state-of-the-art nitrogen chamber in Parliament.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution on November 26, 1949, and it came into effect on January 26, 1950. It marked India's transformation into a sovereign, democratic republic. Initially, the original copy was wrapped in flannel cloth and stored with naphthalene balls.

In 1994, India, following practices in the United States, decided to place the Constitution in a specially designed gas chamber at the Library of the Parliament House, created in collaboration with India's National Physical Laboratory and the Getty Institute of America.

Why A Gas Chamber?

The Constitution is written in black ink, which oxidises over time. To preserve it, the chamber maintains humidity around 50 grams per cubic meter. The nitrogen-filled, airtight display case contains less than 1 per cent oxygen.

It protects the manuscripts from oxidation, sunlight, microbes, and air pollution. Monitors regulate the environment, the gas is renewed yearly, and the chamber is inspected every two months under constant CCTV surveillance.

Scientific Preservation

Paper is composed of cellulose, a chain of glucose molecules. Air pollutants and acids can break these chains, weakening the paper.

The nitrogen chamber stops acid hydrolysis, which ensures long-term preservation. The Getty Conservation Institute in the US constructed the glass display case, which is evaluated annually by the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi. The chamber maintains a relative humidity of 40-50 per cent.

About The Original Constitution

The Indian Constitution is the longest in the world, consisting of a Preamble, 22 parts with 448 articles, 12 schedules, 5 appendices, and 115 amendments.

Each member of the Constituent Assembly signed two handwritten copies: one in Hindi and one in English. The elegant manuscripts were later photolithographed by the Survey of India in Dehradun. Artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose, decorated the pages, making them unique works of art.

On Wednesday, in a letter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Constitution a sacred document, saying, “It is our responsibility to fulfil the dreams envisioned by the framers of our Constitution. When we work with this sense of duty, our nation's social and economic progress will multiply manifold…” He added, “The power of the Constitution enabled a person like me, coming from a humble and economically disadvantaged family, to serve as the Head of the Government continuously for over 24 years.”