Making of the Indian Constitution
The Drafting Committee & Enactment
The most important of all committees was the Drafting Committee (29 August 1947) chaired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar — the "Father of the Indian Constitution".
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Constitution adopted (passed by Assembly) | 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day / Samvidhan Divas) |
| Constitution fully enforced | 26 January 1950 (Republic Day) |
| Why 26 January? | On 26 January 1930, Congress celebrated Purna Swaraj Day (Lahore Session, 1929) |
| Time taken | 2 years, 11 months, 18 days; 11 sessions |
On 26 November 1949 the Constitution had a Preamble, 395 Articles and 8 Schedules. Some provisions — citizenship, elections, provisional parliament — came into force immediately; the rest on 26 January 1950.
Committees of the Constituent Assembly
The Assembly did most of its real work through committees, not in the full house. The paper frequently asks "who chaired which committee" — the Drafting Committee is only one of many.
| Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|
| Drafting Committee | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar |
| Union Powers Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Union Constitution Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| States Committee (states' negotiating committee) | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Provincial Constitution Committee | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities & Tribal Areas | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (with sub-committees under J.B. Kripalani on FRs) |
| Steering Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Rules of Procedure Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Flag Committee | J. B. Kripalani |
The Drafting Committee had 7 members: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Chairman), N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, Dr. K. M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadullah, N. Madhava Rau (replaced B. L. Mitter), and T. T. Krishnamachari (replaced D. P. Khaitan after his death).
Lesser-Known Facts About the Making
- The Constitution was not typed or printed — it was hand-written (calligraphed) in a flowing italic style by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, in both English and Hindi versions, and every page was decorated/illustrated by artists of Shantiniketan led by Nandalal Bose (depicting scenes from Indian civilisation, e.g. Mohenjo-daro seals, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Akbar, Gandhi's Dandi March).
- It took about 6,000 words of the Preamble/calligraphy process aside — the full original Constitution, hand-written on parchment-like paper, is preserved in a special helium-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India.
- The Assembly held 11 sessions over 165 days of sittings; the Draft Constitution was discussed clause-by-clause with over 2,000 amendments moved and disposed of.
- Only 15 women were members of the Constituent Assembly — including Sarojini Naidu, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and (from Bihar) Renuka Ray and Purnima Banerji.
- The Constituent Assembly also functioned as the provisional Parliament of India (Dominion Legislature) from 1947 to 1950, and continued as the provisional Parliament even after 26 January 1950 until the first general elections of 1951-52.
- India has no single "national language" declared in the Constitution — this was one of the most heated Assembly debates; Article 343 instead names Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, with English continuing for a transitional (later extended) period.
Sources of the Constitution
Our makers took the best ideas from around the world and adapted them to India. The Government of India Act 1935 remains the single biggest source (federal scheme, governor, judiciary, PSCs, emergency).
| Source | Features |
|---|---|
| UK (Britain) | Parliamentary government, rule of law, single citizenship, cabinet system, bicameralism |
| USA | Fundamental Rights, judicial review, independence of judiciary, impeachment of President, Vice-President |
| Ireland | Directive Principles (DPSP), nomination to Rajya Sabha, method of President's election |
| Canada | Federation with a strong Centre, residuary powers with Centre, Centre-appointed governors |
| Australia | Concurrent List, joint sitting of the two Houses, freedom of trade & commerce |
| USSR (Russia) | Fundamental Duties, ideals of justice in the Preamble |
| France | Republic; liberty, equality, fraternity in the Preamble |
| Germany (Weimar) | Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency |
| South Africa | Amendment procedure, election of Rajya Sabha members |
| Japan | Procedure established by law |
Key takeaways
- Constituent Assembly idea: M. N. Roy (1934); formed under Cabinet Mission Plan 1946; 389 members (299 after Partition); indirectly elected.
- First meeting 9 Dec 1946; temporary President Sachchidananda Sinha (Bihar); permanent President Rajendra Prasad (Bihar) from 11 Dec 1946.
- Objectives Resolution: Nehru, 13 Dec 1946; adopted 22 Jan 1947; became the Preamble's soul.
- Drafting Committee (29 Aug 1947), 7 members, chairman Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
- Adopted 26 Nov 1949 (395 Articles, 8 Schedules); fully enforced 26 Jan 1950 — date chosen to honour Purna Swaraj Day 1930.
- Time taken: 2 years 11 months 18 days, 11 sessions.
- Biggest source: GoI Act 1935. US → Fundamental Rights; Ireland → DPSP; Canada → strong Centre; Australia → Concurrent List; USSR → Fundamental Duties.
- Key committee chairmen: Nehru — Union Powers, Union Constitution, States Committee. Patel — Provincial Constitution, Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights/Minorities. Rajendra Prasad — Steering, Rules of Procedure. Ambedkar — Drafting.
- The Constitution was hand-written (not printed) by Prem Behari Narain Raizada and illustrated by Nandalal Bose's Shantiniketan artists; only 15 women were Assembly members; India has an official language (Hindi, Art. 343), not a declared "national language".
Practice questions (14)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
Who was elected the temporary President of the Constituent Assembly on 9 December 1946?
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Answer: B — Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member (and from Bihar), was the temporary President; Dr. Rajendra Prasad became permanent President on 11 December 1946.The Objectives Resolution was moved in the Constituent Assembly by:
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Answer: C — Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution on 13 December 1946; it was adopted on 22 January 1947 and its ideals shaped the Preamble.How much time did the Constituent Assembly take to frame the Constitution?
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Answer: A — 2 years 11 months 18 days
From 9 December 1946 to 26 November 1949: 2 years, 11 months, 18 days across 11 sessions.Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950.
2. 26 January was chosen because Purna Swaraj Day was celebrated on this date in 1930.
Which is/are correct?Show answer
Answer: B — Only 2
Statement 1 is wrong — the Constitution was ADOPTED on 26 November 1949 and ENFORCED on 26 January 1950. Statement 2 is correct.The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) have been borrowed from the constitution of:
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Answer: B — Ireland
DPSP came from Ireland (which itself took the idea from Spain). Ireland also gave the method of President's election and Rajya Sabha nominations.Fundamental Duties were borrowed from which country?
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Answer: C — USSR
Fundamental Duties came from the USSR. They were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the Swaran Singh Committee's recommendation.How many Articles and Schedules did the original Constitution (1949) contain?
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Answer: A — 395 Articles, 8 Schedules
Originally: Preamble, 395 Articles (in 22 Parts) and 8 Schedules. Today there are 12 Schedules and 470+ Articles after amendments.The Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly was constituted on:
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Answer: C — 29 August 1947
The 7-member Drafting Committee was set up on 29 August 1947 with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as chairman."Procedure established by law" in Article 21 is taken from:
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Answer: B — Japan
"Procedure established by law" came from Japan. (The USA follows "due process of law" — a favourite comparison in exams.)Consider the following statements about the Constituent Assembly:
1. Its members were directly elected by the people of India.
2. It was formed under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946.
Which is/are correct?Show answer
Answer: B — Only 2
Members were INDIRECTLY elected by provincial assemblies, so statement 1 is wrong; statement 2 is correct.Who chaired the Union Powers Committee and the Union Constitution Committee of the Constituent Assembly?
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Answer: B — Jawaharlal Nehru
Nehru chaired the "Union" committees (Union Powers, Union Constitution, States Committee), while Patel chaired the Provincial Constitution Committee and the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights & Minorities.The original Constitution of India was:
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Answer: C — Hand-written (calligraphed) by Prem Behari Narain Raizada
Every page was hand-calligraphed by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style and illustrated by Nandalal Bose's team of artists from Shantiniketan.Which Article of the Constitution declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union — not a "national language"?
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Answer: A — Article 343
Article 343 makes Hindi in Devanagari script the official language of the Union. The Constitution does not declare any language as the "national language" of India.Who chaired the Flag Committee of the Constituent Assembly?
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Answer: A — J. B. Kripalani
J. B. Kripalani chaired the Flag Committee, which recommended the tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra, adopted by the Assembly on 22 July 1947.