Which Constitutional Amendment Act of India is popularly known as the "Mini Constitution" because it brought about very wide ranging changes in the Constitution?

Introduction / Context:
The Constitution of India has been amended many times, but a few amendments are especially important because they made extensive changes in a single step. One such amendment is often described as the "Mini Constitution" due to the breadth and depth of its impact. Questions about this amendment are standard in Indian polity examinations, as they test familiarity with constitutional history and key reforms of the Emergency period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question refers to a Constitutional Amendment Act that is popularly called the "Mini Constitution".
Options include the 7th, 42nd, 44th and 74th Amendments.
It is assumed that you know the broad themes associated with these amendments, especially during and after the Emergency in the mid nineteen seventies.

Concept / Approach:
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 was enacted during the Emergency period. It is considered one of the most comprehensive amendments, as it modified the Preamble, strengthened certain Directive Principles, curtailed some Fundamental Rights, made changes in the relationship between the judiciary and Parliament, and altered the working of the executive and the federal system. Because it touched so many Parts and Articles of the Constitution in one stroke, it is popularly called the "Mini Constitution". The approach is therefore to identify which amendment is most closely associated with this description.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 amended a very large number of Articles and added new provisions related to Fundamental Duties, changes in the Preamble and stronger Directive Principles. Step 2: Remember that this amendment inserted the words socialist and secular into the Preamble and added the word integrity to the unity of India phrase. Step 3: It also brought in Article 51A on Fundamental Duties and made changes affecting the powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts, as well as the relationship between the Centre and the states. Step 4: Because it was so wide ranging and attempted to reshape the constitutional balance in many areas, commentators and exam texts commonly refer to it as the "Mini Constitution". Step 5: The other amendments listed have significant but narrower impacts. The 7th dealt with reorganisation of states, the 44th with reversing some Emergency era changes and strengthening civil liberties, and the 74th with local urban self government. Step 6: Therefore, the amendment popularly known as the "Mini Constitution" is the 42nd Amendment.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard Indian polity textbooks explicitly label the 42nd Amendment as the "Mini Constitution" because it affected a very large number of provisions at once. They often provide tables listing dozens of Articles altered by this amendment. No other amendment in the options is commonly given this nickname, confirming that the 42nd Amendment is the intended and widely recognised answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
7th Amendment: This amendment mainly reorganised states and Union Territories and dealt with related matters, but it did not transform the overall constitutional framework to the same degree. 44th Amendment: This amendment is important for restoring civil liberties and modifying Emergency provisions after 1977, but it is not popularly called the "Mini Constitution". 74th Amendment: This amendment focuses on strengthening urban local bodies through constitutional status, not on rewriting a large part of the Constitution in a single step.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the 42nd and 44th Amendments because both are linked to the Emergency era and its aftermath. A useful memory aid is to remember that the 42nd Amendment is associated with centralisation, new words in the Preamble and Fundamental Duties, while the 44th Amendment is associated with restoring and protecting civil liberties. The "Mini Constitution" label is therefore tightly linked with the 42nd Amendment, not the others.

Final Answer:
The Constitutional Amendment popularly known as the "Mini Constitution" of India is the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976.