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POLITYTOPIC

The Constituent Assembly of India was formed in November 1946 to draft the Constitution, consisting of 389 members representing various sections of society. It held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, adopted the 'Objectives Resolution,' and completed its constitution-making task by November 26, 1949, when the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution came into effect in stages, with full enforcement on January 26, 1950, marking the establishment of India as a republic.

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19 views

POLITYTOPIC

The Constituent Assembly of India was formed in November 1946 to draft the Constitution, consisting of 389 members representing various sections of society. It held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, adopted the 'Objectives Resolution,' and completed its constitution-making task by November 26, 1949, when the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution came into effect in stages, with full enforcement on January 26, 1950, marking the establishment of India as a republic.

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ysaurabhucer
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
Background

● In 1934, M.N. Roy proposed the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India, which was
later officially demanded by the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1935.
● Jawaharlal Nehru emphasized the need for a Constitution of free India to be framed
by a Constituent Assembly elected through adult franchise in 1938. The British
Government accepted this demand in principle through the 'August Offer' of 1940.

Composition of the Constituent Assembly


● The Constituent Assembly was formed in November 1946 according to the Cabinet
Mission Plan.
● It consisted of 389 members, with 296 from British India and 93 from princely states.
● The seats were allocated based on population, with representation for Muslims, Sikhs,
and the General population.
● Members were elected by provincial legislative assemblies using proportional
representation.
● Princely states' representatives were nominated.
● The Assembly was partly elected and partly nominated by indirect election.
● The Assembly included representatives from various sections of Indian society,
including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Anglo-Indians, Indian Christians, SCs, STs,
and women, but not Mahatma Gandhi.

Working of the Constituent Assembly


● The Constituent Assembly of India held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, with
only 211 members present as the Muslim League boycotted in favour of a separate
Pakistan.
● Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha was elected as the temporary President, later replaced by
Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
● The Assembly adopted the historic 'Objectives Resolution' on December 13, 1946,
laying down the principles of an independent sovereign republic and providing for
justice, equality, and rights for all citizens.
● The Indian Independence Act of 1947 granted full sovereignty to the Assembly,
allowing it to frame any constitution it desired and make or alter laws as needed.
■ The Assembly also became a legislative body, functioning as both a
constituent and legislative body until its task of constitution-making
was completed on November 26, 1949.
● The Muslim League members from Pakistan withdrew, reducing the Assembly's
strength to 299 members.
● In addition to constitution-making, the Constituent Assembly:
■ Ratified India’s membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949.
■ Adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947.
■ Adopted the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
■ Adopted the national song on January 24, 1950
■ Elected Dr Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India on January 24,
1950

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● The Assembly's final session was held on January 24, 1950, after which it became the
provisional parliament until the new Parliament was formed after the first general
elections in 1951-52.

Committees of the Constituent Assembly


● The Constituent Assembly appointed several committees for constitution-making,
including eight major committees and minor ones.
● Major committees included the Union Powers Committee led by Jawaharlal Nehru
and the Drafting Committee headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
● Minor committees tackled specific issues like finance and staff, credentials, and the
national flag.
● The most important committee was the Drafting Committee, formed in August 1947
with seven members led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
■ They prepared the initial draft of the Constitution, which was made
public in February 1948 for eight months of public review and
feedback.
■ The Drafting Committee's composition included key individuals such
as N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, and Dr.
K.M. Munshi, who worked alongside Dr. Ambedkar to create a
comprehensive and inclusive constitution for the newly independent
country.

Major Committees

Committee Chairperson
Union Powers Committee Jawaharlal Nehru
Union Constitution Committee Jawaharlal Nehru
Provincial Constitution Committee Sardar Patel
Drafting Committee Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities Sardar Patel
and Tribal and Excluded Areas
- Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee J.B. Kripalani
- Minorities Sub-Committee H.C. Mukherjee
- North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Gopinath Bardoloi
Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee
- Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (other than those in A.V. Thakkar
Assam) Sub-Committee
Rules of Procedure Committee Dr Rajendra Prasad
States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) Jawaharlal Nehru

Steering Committee Dr Rajendra Prasad

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Minor Committees

Committee Chairperson
Finance and Staff Committee Dr Rajendra Prasad
Credentials Committee Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
House Committee B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Order of Business Committee Dr. K.M. Munshi
Ad-hoc Committee on the National Flag Dr Rajendra Prasad

Committee on the Functions of the Constituent G.V. Mavalankar


Assembly
Ad-hoc Committee on the Supreme Court S. Varadachari
Committee on Chief Commissioners’ Provinces B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Expert Committee on the Financial Provisions of the Nalini Ranjan Sarkar
Union Constitution
Linguistic Provinces Commission S.K. Dar
Special Committee to Examine the Draft Constitution Jawaharlal Nehru

Press Gallery Committee Usha Nath Sen


Ad-hoc Committee on Citizenship S. Varadachari

Enactment of the Constitution


● The final draft of the Constitution was introduced by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the
Assembly on November 4, 1948.
● The motion to pass the Constitution was declared on November 26, 1949, with 284
members present to sign it. The Constitution, with a Preamble, 395 Articles, and 8
Schedules, was adopted on this day.
● The Constitution came into force in two stages, with provisions on citizenship,
elections, and more being enforced on November 26, 1949, and the rest on January 26,
1950, celebrated as Republic Day due to its historical significance (26th January 1930,
Purana Swaraj deceleration).
● The commencement of the Constitution marked the repeal of the Indian Independence
Act of 1947 and the Government of India Act of 1935, along with related enactments.

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