The Constituent Assembly
NCERT Class 9 - Democratic Politics I, Chapter 2 • NCERT Class 11 - Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 1
The Constituent Assembly
India's Constitution was framed by a Constituent Assembly that first met on 9 December 1946 and completed its work on 26 November 1949. It took two years, eleven months and eighteen days, and the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.
Composition
- The Assembly was constituted under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946; members from the provinces were indirectly elected by the provincial legislative assemblies.
- The original strength was 389, of which 296 seats were for British Indian provinces and 93 for the princely states. After partition the strength fell to 299.
- Dr Sachchidananda Sinha presided over the first sitting as temporary chairman, and Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President on 11 December 1946.
- H. C. Mookerjee was the Vice-President, and B. N. Rau was appointed Constitutional Adviser, preparing the first draft outline.
- The Assembly held 11 sessions over 165 days, and worked as a sovereign body after independence, also acting as the first Parliament until 1952.
The Objectives Resolution
- Moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946 and adopted on 22 January 1947.
- It declared India would be an independent sovereign republic, with a federal structure of autonomous units.
- It promised to secure justice, equality of status and opportunity, and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action to all people.
- It provided adequate safeguards for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed classes.
- The resolution later became the basis of the Preamble.
The Drafting Committee and key members
- The Drafting Committee was set up on 29 August 1947 with seven members, chaired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
- Its members were Ambedkar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, K. M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadulla, N. Madhava Rau and T. T. Krishnamachari.
- Ambedkar is called the chief architect of the Constitution for piloting the draft through clause by clause debate.
- The Constitution was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in calligraphy and decorated by artists led by Nandalal Bose of Santiniketan.
| Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|
| Union Powers Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Union Constitution Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Provincial Constitution Committee | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Minorities | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Steering Committee | Dr Rajendra Prasad |
| Drafting Committee | Dr B. R. Ambedkar |
| Flag Committee | J. B. Kripalani |
हिंदी संकेत: तीन तिथियां अलग-अलग हैं - 26 नवंबर 1949 को संविधान अंगीकृत हुआ, 26 जनवरी 1950 को लागू हुआ, और 9 दिसंबर 1946 को सभा की पहली बैठक हुई।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Factual questions ask the first sitting date, the temporary and permanent chairmen, and the number of members in the Drafting Committee. Match-the-following links committee with chairman. Statement-based questions test whether members were directly elected - they were not.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
A common criticism is that the Assembly was indirectly elected and not based on universal adult franchise. The standard reply is that it included representatives of every major community, region and political tendency, that its debates were public and detailed, and that it consciously adopted universal adult franchise for the republic it created.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Rajendra Prasad presided over the first sitting | ✓ Sachchidananda Sinha was temporary chairman; Rajendra Prasad was elected on 11 December 1946
✗ The Objectives Resolution was moved by Ambedkar | ✓ It was moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946
✗ The Constitution came into force on 26 November 1949 | ✓ It was adopted then and came into force on 26 January 1950
Ek nazar me
- Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
- Sachchidananda Sinha was temporary chairman; Rajendra Prasad became President on 11 December 1946.
- Original strength 389, reduced to 299 after partition; B. N. Rau was Constitutional Adviser.
- Objectives Resolution moved by Nehru on 13 December 1946, adopted 22 January 1947.
- Drafting Committee formed 29 August 1947 with seven members under Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
- Constitution adopted 26 November 1949, in force 26 January 1950; took 2 years 11 months 18 days.