BharatNotes Promulgate
verb (transitive)Usage in a UPSC answer
The President promulgated the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance in 2018 during the Parliamentary recess, later replaced by an Act of Parliament within the constitutionally mandated six-week period from the reassembly of the Houses.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
promulgation (noun), promulgator (noun), promulgated (adjective), vulgar (cognate adjective), divulge (cognate verb), publish (semantic equivalent)
Root
Latin promulgare (to make publicly known) ← pro- (forward, publicly) + mulgere or variant of vulgare (to make common, to publish) ← vulgus (the public)
Etymology
From Latin promulgare (to publish abroad), possibly from pro- (forward) and vulgare (to publicise, from vulgus — the common people). Some scholars derive the second element from an Oscan root. First used in English in the 16th century in ecclesiastical and legal contexts for the formal publication of laws.
Memory Hook
PROMULGATE = PRO (forward/public) + MULGATE (spread among the vulgus/people). To promulgate is to push a law FORWARD to the PUBLIC. Like casting seeds out pro- (forward) to grow in the public domain.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
In Indian constitutional usage it is the specific verb for bringing an ordinance into force when the legislature is not in session, so it belongs in every GS2 answer on ordinance-making. Using "pass" for an ordinance is a giveaway that the writer has not grasped the difference: an ordinance is promulgated by the executive head, a statute is passed by the legislature.
Don’t Confuse It With
Promulgate is to bring into force and make officially known, typically an ordinance. Enact is what a legislature does to a Bill. Notify is to publish in the official gazette so a provision commences. Proclaim belongs to emergencies. Each attaches to a different actor, and swapping them costs precision.
Hindi Meaning
प्रख्यापित करना (prakhyāpit karnā), the standard term for promulgating an ordinance (अध्यादेश, adhyādesh).
Common Questions
- What does promulgate mean in Indian constitutional law?
- To bring an ordinance into force and make it officially known, done by the President or a Governor when the legislature is not in session.
- What is the difference between promulgating and enacting?
- An ordinance is promulgated by the executive; a law is enacted by the legislature after passing a Bill.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2015 · GS2 · 12.5 marks — Indian Polity
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Promulgate” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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