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Introduction: Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was the body responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. It played a pivotal role in shaping the legal and political framework of the nation post-independence. Below is a detailed yet easy-to-understand overview of the Constituent Assembly, its formation, functioning, and legacy.
Important Facts
- Background:
- The idea of a constituent assembly was first proposed in 1934 by M.N. Roy, a pioneer of the Indian Communist movement.
- The British Government, through the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, recommended the formation of the Constituent Assembly to frame a constitution for India.
- The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to frame the Constitution of India.
- Elections and Representation:
- The Assembly was elected indirectly by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, using the single transferable vote system of proportional representation.
- Initially, the assembly had 389 members. This number included representatives from British Indian provinces and princely states.
- The elections for the 296 seats assigned to the British Indian provinces were completed by August 1946. Congress won 208 seats, and the Muslim League 73.
- After the partition in 1947, the membership was reduced to 299. The representatives of the areas incorporated into Pakistan ceased to be members of the Constituent Assembly of India.
- Constituent Assembly acted as the Provisional Parliament of India (From 1947 till the first elections in 1952).
- Inaugural Session:
- The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on December 9, 1946, under the temporary chairmanship of Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad was later elected as the permanent President of the Assembly.
- Debates and Deliberations:
- The Assembly met over 165 days in 11 sessions spread across nearly three years.
- Extensive debates and discussions were held on each clause of the draft constitution.
- Key issues debated included the type of government (parliamentary or presidential), fundamental rights, the federal structure, and the role of the judiciary.
Constituent Assembly of India at a Glance
| First session of the Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| Total members of the Constituent Assembly | 389 (299 after partition) 292 were representatives of the provinces, 93 represented the princely states and 4 from the chief commissioner provinces of Delhi, Ajmer-Merwara, Coorg, and British Baluchistan. |
| Approved the draft constitution | 26 November 1949 |
| First President | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Vice-president | Harendra Kumar Mukherjee |
| Constitutional legal adviser to the assembly | B. N. Rau |
| The “Constitution of India” came in to force | 26 January 1950 |
| Duration | 2 years 11 months and 18 Days |
Timeline of the Constituent Assembly of India
| 9 December 1946 | Formation of the Constituent Assembly. |
| 11 December 1946 | Appointment of President (Rajendra Prasad), Vice-President (Harendra Coomar Mookerjee), and constitutional legal adviser (B. N. Rau). |
| 13 December 1946 | An ‘Objective Resolution’ was presented by Jawaharlal Nehru. |
| 22 July 1947 | National flag adopted. |
| 29 August 1947 | Appointment of Drafting Committee. |
| 16 July 1948 | V. T. Krishnamachari was elected as the second vice-president. |
| 26 November 1949 | Constitution of India’ passed and adopted by the assembly. |
| 24 January 1950 | Last meeting of the Constituent Assembly. The Constitution of India (with 395 articles, 8 schedules, 22 parts) was signed and accepted by all. |
| 26 January 1950 | The ‘Constitution of India’ came in to force. |
Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India
| Name | Head of the Committee |
|---|---|
| Drafting Committee: The committee was responsible for drafting the detailed text of the Constitution based on the reports submitted by various committees on fundamental rights, federal structure, judiciary, and more. | Bhimrao Ambedkar |
| Union Power Committee (focusing on the distribution of powers between the center and the states) Union Constitution Committee (dealt with the principles of the new constitution) States Committee (Committee for negotiating with states) | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Provincial Constitution Committee Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas | Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Rules of Procedure Committee Steering Committee Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag | Rajendra Prasad |
| Committee for the function of the Constitution Assembly | G V Mavlankar |
| House Committee | B Pattabhi Sitaramayya |
| Language Committee | Moturi Satyanarayana |
| Order of Business Committee | K M Munshi |