Making of the Constitution, Preamble, Sources and Schedules
Making of the Constitution, Preamble, Sources and Schedules
India's Constitution was framed by the Constituent Assembly between 1946 and 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950. NTPC asks the dates and people of the Assembly, the words of the Preamble, the countries from which features were borrowed, and what each Schedule contains.
1. Constituent Assembly
| Item | Facts |
|---|---|
| Formed under | Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 |
| First meeting | 9 December 1946; temporary chairman Sachchidananda Sinha |
| President | Dr Rajendra Prasad (elected 11 December 1946) |
| Drafting Committee chairman | Dr B.R. Ambedkar |
| Objectives Resolution | Moved by Jawaharlal Nehru, 13 December 1946 |
| Adopted | 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day) |
| In force | 26 January 1950 (Republic Day) |
| Time taken | 2 years, 11 months, 18 days |
2. The Preamble
"We, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic ..."
Words "Socialist", "Secular" and "Integrity" were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976)
Ideals: Justice (social, economic, political), Liberty, Equality, Fraternity; the Preamble is based on the Objectives Resolution
3. Borrowed Features
| Source | Features |
|---|---|
| Government of India Act 1935 | Federal scheme, office of Governor, emergency provisions, Public Service Commissions |
| Britain | Parliamentary system, rule of law, single citizenship, writs |
| USA | Fundamental Rights, judicial review, impeachment of the President, Vice-President |
| Ireland | Directive Principles, nomination to Rajya Sabha |
| Canada | Federation with a strong centre, residuary powers with the Centre |
| Australia | Concurrent List, joint sitting |
| Former USSR | Fundamental Duties, ideals of justice in the Preamble |
| Weimar Germany | Suspension of Fundamental Rights during emergency |
| South Africa | Amendment procedure |
| France | Republic; liberty, equality, fraternity |
4. Schedules (12)
| Schedule | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | States and Union Territories |
| 3 | Forms of oaths and affirmations |
| 7 | Union, State and Concurrent Lists |
| 8 | 22 recognised languages |
| 9 | Laws protected from judicial review (added 1951) |
| 10 | Anti-defection (added 1985) |
| 11 | Panchayats, 29 subjects (1992) |
| 12 | Municipalities, 18 subjects (1992) |
✗ The Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950 | ✓ It was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950
✗ Fundamental Duties were borrowed from the USA | ✓ They came from the former USSR
हिंदी नोट: संविधान सभा की पहली बैठक 9 दिसंबर 1946 को हुई; अध्यक्ष डॉ. राजेंद्र प्रसाद और प्रारूप समिति के अध्यक्ष डॉ. भीमराव अंबेडकर थे। संविधान 26 नवंबर 1949 को अपनाया गया और 26 जनवरी 1950 को लागू हुआ। 42वें संशोधन ने प्रस्तावना में "समाजवादी", "पंथनिरपेक्ष" और "अखंडता" जोड़े।
Exam Pointer: Verified NTPC pattern: the opening words of the Preamble (June 2022 CBT-2). Assembly, borrowed-feature and Schedule questions are tagged syllabus-based.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: The Preamble
[PYQ: NTPC CBT-2 14-Jun-2022 Shift-2]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. With which words does the Preamble begin?
"We, the People of India".
Answer: We, the People of India
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which three words were added to the Preamble, by which amendment and in which year?
Socialist, Secular and Integrity, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
Answer: Socialist, Secular, Integrity; 42nd Amendment, 1976
Pattern 2: Constituent Assembly dates and people
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Who was the chairman of the Drafting Committee?
Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Answer: Dr B.R. Ambedkar
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. When did the Constituent Assembly first meet, and who was its temporary chairman? Who moved the Objectives Resolution?
9 December 1946, with Sachchidananda Sinha as temporary chairman. Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution on 13 December 1946.
Answer: 9 December 1946, Sachchidananda Sinha; Nehru
Pattern 3: Borrowed features
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. From which country were the Directive Principles borrowed?
Ireland.
Answer: Ireland
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Match the feature with the source: judicial review, Concurrent List, amendment procedure.
Judicial review: USA. Concurrent List: Australia. Amendment procedure: South Africa.
Answer: USA, Australia, South Africa
Pattern 4: Schedules
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which Schedule lists the languages recognised by the Constitution, and how many are there?
The Eighth Schedule, with 22 languages.
Answer: Eighth; 22
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which Schedule deals with anti-defection, and which lists the subjects of panchayats?
The Tenth Schedule (added 1985) and the Eleventh Schedule (29 subjects, added 1992).
Answer: Tenth; Eleventh
60-Second Revision
- First meeting 9 Dec 1946; adopted 26 Nov 1949; in force 26 Jan 1950.
- Rajendra Prasad (President), Ambedkar (Drafting Committee).
- 42nd Amendment: Socialist, Secular, Integrity.
- DPSP from Ireland; FD from USSR; judicial review from USA.
- 12 Schedules: 7th lists, 8th languages, 10th anti-defection, 11th-12th local bodies.