MAKING OF CONSTITUTION
M LAXMIKANTH
SIDHARTH | CHAPTER 2 | D FOR DREAMS
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● 1934- idea of a Constituent Assembly for India was put forward for
the first time by M.N. Roy, a pioneer of communist movement in India.
● 1935- the Indian National Congress (INC), for the first time,
officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution
of India
● 1938- Nehru declared constitution must be framed, without outside
interference, by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult
franchise
● 1940- August Offer; demand for constitution accepted
● 1942- Sir Stafford Cripps, a Member of the Cabinet, came to India
with a draft proposal of the British Government on the framing of an
independent Constitution to be adopted after the World War II (
Proposal rejected by Muslim league)
● 1946-Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946
under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan
● The Constituent Assembly was to be a partly elected and partly
nominated body. Moreover, the members were to be indirectly elected
by the members of the provincial assemblies, who themselves were
elected on a limited franchise.( UPSC PRE 2013)
● Assembly comprised representatives of all sections of the Indian
society– Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Anglo-Indians, Indian
Christians, SCs, STs including women of all these sections
● 9 dec,1946 – 1st meeting of assembly; Muslim League boycotted the
meeting; Schindra Sinha made temporary president(French practice)
● 11 Dec, 1946- Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the
Assembly. Similarly, both H.C. Mukherjee and V.T. Krishnamachari
were elected as the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly
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● 13 Dec, 1946- Jawaharlal Nehru moved the historic ‘Objectives
Resolution’ (philosophy of constitution structure) in the Assembly
● 22 Jan,1947- Resolution adopted
● 3 June, 1947- Mountbatten Plan ● Indian Independence Act of
1947-Assembly was made a fully sovereign body; Assembly also became
a legislative body; the Assembly became the first Parliament of free
India (Dominion Legislature)
● Whenever the Assembly met as the Constituent body it was chaired
by Dr. Rajendra Prasad and when it met as the legislative body, it was
chaired by G.V. Mavlankar. These two functions continued till
November 26, 1949
● Constituent Assembly also performed the following
functions:
1. It ratified India's membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949.
2. It adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947.
3. It adopted the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
4. It adopted the national song on January 24, 1950. 5. It elected Dr.
Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India on January 24,
1950
● The Constitution as adopted on November 26, 1949, contained a
Preamble, 22 PARTS, 395 Articles and 8 Schedules. The Preamble was
enacted after the entire Constitution was already enacted
● Some provisions of the Constitution pertaining to citizenship,
elections, provisional parliament, temporary and transitional
provisions, and short title contained in Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60, 324,
366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392 and 393 came into force on November
26, 1949, itself
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● MAJOR COMMITTEES
Drafting committee- BR ambedkar
Steering Committee- Rajendra Prasad
Union Powers Committee - Jawaharlal Nehru
Union Constitution Committee -Jawaharlal Nehru
Provincial Constitution Committee -Sardar Patel
DRAFTING COMMITTEE
● Drafting Committee set up on August 29, 1947
● It consisted of seven members. They were:
1. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman)
2. N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
3. Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar
4. Dr. K.M. Munshi
5. Syed Mohammad Saadullah
6. N. Madhava Rau (He replaced B.L. Mitter who resigned due to ill-
health)
7. T.T. Krishnamachari (He replaced D.P. Khaitan who died in 1948)
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