Constituent Assembly
Explore the history, composition, key committees, and major debates of the Constituent Assembly of India that framed the world's longest written constitution.
1. Origin & Composition
The demand for a Constituent Assembly was first officially put forward by the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1935, though proposed by M.N. Roy in 1934. It was accepted in principle by the British Government in the 'August Offer' of 1940. Finally, it was constituted in November 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
Following the partition of the country, the strength was reduced to 299 members, out of which 229 were from British Indian provinces and 70 were from Princely states. Elections to the 296 seats assigned to British India were held in July-August 1946, where the Congress won 208 seats and the Muslim League won 73 seats.
2. Working of the Assembly & Objective Resolution
The Constituent Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946. Only 211 members attended. Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha presided as temporary President. On December 11, 1946, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected President and H.C. Mukherjee and V.T. Krishnamachari were elected Vice-Presidents.
The Objective Resolution:
Moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946, it laid down the fundamentals and philosophy of the constitutional structure. It was unanimously adopted by the Assembly on January 22, 1947. Key principles included:
- India as an Independent Sovereign Republic.
- A federal system with autonomy to provinces and residual powers.
- All power and authority derived from the people.
- Guaranteed justice, equality, freedom, and protection to minorities, tribals, and depressed classes.
This resolution paved the way for the Preamble of the Constitution.
3. Major Committees & Drafting Committee
The Constituent Assembly appointed several committees to deal with different tasks of constitution-making. Among them, 8 were major committees:
| Committee Name |
Chairman |
| Drafting Committee |
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| Union Powers Committee |
Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Union Constitution Committee |
Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Provincial Constitution Committee |
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, etc. |
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Rules of Procedure Committee |
Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) |
Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Steering Committee |
Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
The Drafting Committee: Set up on August 29, 1947, it prepared the first draft of the Constitution. It held 141 sittings and took less than six months to complete its work.
4. Enactment & Enforcement
The Assembly took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete the Constitution. The draft underwent three readings before being adopted on November 26, 1949.
At the time of adoption, the Constitution contained a Preamble, 395 Articles, and 8 Schedules.
Enforcement of the Constitution:
- Some provisions (Citizenship, Elections, Provisional Parliament, etc.) came into force immediately on November 26, 1949.
- The major part came into force on January 26, 1950. This day was specifically chosen as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Purna Swaraj declaration of 1930.
Chronology of the Constituent Assembly
- May 1946 — Cabinet Mission Proposal: The British Cabinet Mission proposed the scheme for the Constituent Assembly, outlining its composition and method of election.
- Dec 9, 1946 — First Historic Session: The Assembly met for the first time. Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha was elected interim President. Boycotted by the Muslim League.
- Dec 13, 1946 — Objective Resolution: Jawaharlal Nehru moved the historic 'Objective Resolution', outlining the ideals and principles behind the Constitution.
- Aug 29, 1947 — Appointment of Drafting Committee: A committee of 7 members chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was set up to prepare the draft of the Constitution.
- Nov 26, 1949 — Adoption of the Constitution: The Assembly completed its task and adopted the Constitution. Signed by 284 members. Celebrated as Constitution Day.
Key Questions & Answers
- Who was the constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly?
- **Sir B.N. Rau** was appointed as the Constitutional Advisor to the Assembly.
- How many female members were part of the Constituent Assembly?
- There were **15 women** in the Constituent Assembly (e.g., Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur).
- Who was the temporary/interim President of the Assembly?
- **Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha**, following the French practice of electing the oldest member.
- Which body acted as the provisional parliament of India after Jan 26, 1950?
- The **Constituent Assembly** itself transformed into the Provisional Parliament of India until elections were held in 1951-52.
Memory Aids
- Mnemonic 1: Drafting Committee Members (7 Members): Recall the 7 members of the Drafting Committee: 1. **Ambedkar** — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman) 2. **Madhav** — N. Madhava Rau (replaced B.L. Mitter) 3. **Munshi** — K.M. Munshi 4. **Saadullah** — Syed Mohammad Saadullah 5. **Khaitan** — D.P. Khaitan (replaced by T.T. Krishnamachari upon death) 6. **Gopal** — N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar 7. **Krishna** — Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer
- Mnemonic 2: Committees Chaired by Nehru: Jawaharlal Nehru chaired these three major committees: • **U** — Union Powers Committee • **U** — Union Constitution Committee • **S** — States Committee (Committee for negotiating with states)
- Mnemonic 3: Committees Chaired by Patel: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel chaired: • **P** — Provincial Constitution Committee • **A** — Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal/Excluded Areas
Common Exam Traps
- Trap 1: Believing the Constituent Assembly was directly elected by the people of India. In fact, it was indirectly elected by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies.
- Trap 2: Confusing the President of the Constituent Assembly (Dr. Rajendra Prasad) with the Chairman of the Drafting Committee (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar).
- Trap 3: Thinking the Assembly was a sovereign body from the start. It became fully sovereign only after the Indian Independence Act of 1947.
- Trap 4: Assuming Mahatma Gandhi was a member of the Constituent Assembly. Neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Mohammad Ali Jinnah were members of the Assembly.