Omar Bennett
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and is the longest written national constitution in the world. The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and eighteen days, to be precise) to draft the Constitution for Independent India. The Assembly first sat on 9 December 1946 and completed its task in 1949. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time taken to draft the Constitution | 2 years, 11 months, and 17/18 days |
| Number of sessions of the Constituent Assembly | 11 |
| Total number of days the Constituent Assembly sat | 165/167 |
| Number of days spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution | 114 |
| Date of the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| Date of adoption of the Constitution of India | 26 November 1949 |
| Date the Constitution became the law of India | 26 January 1950 |
| Number of amendments to the Constitution since its enactment | More than 100 |
| Number of articles in the Constitution at its enactment | 395 |
| Number of parts in the Constitution at its enactment | 22 |
| Number of schedules in the Constitution at its enactment | 8 |
| Number of words in the Constitution | 145,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constituent Assembly
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and is the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework that demarcates the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens.
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The Assembly's first meeting
The Constituent Assembly of India first met on 9 December 1946, and the constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949. It took two years, eleven months, and eighteen days to draft the constitution, which was finalised and came into effect on 26 January 1950.
The Constituent Assembly was formed on 6 December 1946, in accordance with French practice. It was a historic milestone in India's progress towards freedom. The Assembly had 11 sessions and sat for a total of 165 or 167 days. The constitution was drafted during these sessions, and 114 days were spent considering the Draft Constitution.
The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. It took nearly five years to produce the original constitution.
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The drafting process
The Constituent Assembly of India was formed on 9 December 1946, and the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949. In total, the drafting of the constitution took two years, eleven months, and eighteen days.
The Constituent Assembly held eleven sessions over 165 days, with 114 days spent considering the Draft Constitution. During this time, the assembly moved, discussed, and disposed of 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635. The first sitting took place on 4 November 1948, and the final document was signed on 24 January 1950.
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions. It also sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, and the calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The Constituent Assembly was chaired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and the president was Dr Rajendra Prasad. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Hansa Mehta were among the women members of the Constituent Assembly.
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The adoption of the Constitution
The Indian Constitution is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework that demarcates the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens.
The Constituent Assembly first sat on 9 December 1946, and in the span of two years, eleven months, and eighteen days, it completed its task of framing India's Constitution. During this period, the Constituent Assembly held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days (or 167 according to another source). Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution. The Assembly moved, discussed, and disposed of 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635.
The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949, and it became the law of the land on 26 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. Its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The Constituent Assembly was formed on 6 December 1946, and its first meeting was held on 9 December 1946. The first person to address the Assembly was J. B. Kripalani, and Sachchidananda Sinha became the temporary president. The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president on 11 December 1946. The Muslim League boycotted the meeting, demanding a separate state.
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The Constitution's publication
The Indian Constitution was prepared in almost three years, or two years, eleven months and eighteen days, to be precise. During this period, the Constituent Assembly held eleven sessions, covering a total of 165 days, with 114 days spent considering the Draft Constitution. The Constituent Assembly first sat on 9 December 1946, and the Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.
The original, hand-written constitution was signed by each member in two copies, one in Hindi and the other in English. The calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada, and the pages were decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. Production of the original constitution took nearly five years.
The Constituent Assembly moved, discussed, and disposed of 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635. The Assembly appointed Rajendra Prasad as its president. One of the women members of the Constituent Assembly, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, said of the Objectives Resolution: "I consider this a historic milestone in our progress towards freedom. And yet freedom remains just a little beyond our grasp. Imperialism dies hard: even though it knows its days are numbered, it struggles for survival."
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It espouses constitutional supremacy. The Constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted. At about 145,000 words, it is the second-longest active constitution in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and eighteen days to be precise) to draft the Constitution for Independent India.
The Constituent Assembly sat for the first time on 9 December 1946.
The Constituent Assembly held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days.
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and became the law of India on 26 January 1950.
At about 145,000 words, the Indian Constitution is the longest written national constitution in the world.
