Simone Lawson
The Indian Constitution was drafted by several eminent people across various fields, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the chief architect and chairman of the seven-member Drafting Committee. The committee was responsible for preparing the draft constitution, which was then discussed, amended, and enacted by the Constituent Assembly of India. The Constituent Assembly was a partly elected and partly nominated body, with 299 members after partition, that served as the Provisional Parliament of India. The constitution-making process involved 22 committees in total, including the Drafting Committee, with 10 focused on procedural affairs and 12 on substantive affairs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Members | 7 |
| Chairman | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| Other Members | Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami Aiyengar, K.M. Munshi, Mohammad Saadullah, B.L. Mitter, D.P. Khaitan |
| Date Formed | 29 August 1947 |
| First Draft Submitted | February 1948 |
| Second Draft Submitted | 4 November 1948 |
| Third Draft Submitted | 3 November 1949 |
| Final Draft Submitted | 14 November 1949 |
| Date Adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Date Constitution Took Effect | 26 January 1950 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The drafting committee was formed on 29 August 1947
The Indian Constituent Assembly was formed in December 1946, with 296 members from British India and 93 members from 20 independent Indian states. Following India's independence in August 1947, its members served as the Provisional Parliament of India.
On 29 August 1947, the seven-member Drafting Committee was formed to scrutinise the draft of the Indian Constitution. The committee was chaired by Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, and included N. Gopalaswami Aiyengar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K.M. Munshi, Mohammad Saadullah, B.L. Mitter, and D.P. Khaitan.
The Drafting Committee was one of 22 committees formed to facilitate the work of constitution-making. The committee reviewed the draft of the Indian Constitution prepared by the Constitutional Adviser, and gave effect to the decisions taken by the Constituent Assembly. The draft was then submitted to the Constituent Assembly for consideration.
The Draft Constitution was presented to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1948 by B.R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. This version of the draft was submitted to the President of the Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad, in February 1948. The draft was then opened up for discussion in the Assembly.
Exploring India's Linguistic Diversity in its Constitution
You may want to see also
The committee had seven members
The Drafting Committee was formed on August 29, 1947, by the Constituent Assembly, which was a partly elected and partly nominated body that framed the Constitution of India. The Constituent Assembly was elected by the Provincial assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections in 1946 and nominated by princely states. The Drafting Committee was one of 22 committees formed to facilitate the work of constitution-making. The committees were established to examine and report on various aspects of the Constitution, such as fundamental rights, minorities, tribal and excluded areas, union powers, and provincial constitutions.
The Draft Constitution was discussed, and amendments were proposed and enacted. The Drafting Committee reviewed suggestions in March and October 1948 and reprinted and resubmitted an amended version of the Draft on October 26, 1948. The Draft Constitution was ultimately adopted on November 26, 1949, becoming the Constitution of India. The constitution was approved by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and took effect on January 26, 1950, commemorated as Republic Day.
The Constitution's Vision: India's Democratic Identity
You may want to see also
B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman
The Indian Constitution and its drafting process are often seen as synonymous with B.R. Ambedkar, who was the chairman of the drafting committee. He is often referred to as the "father of the Indian Constitution" and is probably the most well-known of all Constituent Assembly members.
Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and political leader. He was appointed as India's first Law Minister after independence, and two weeks later, he was appointed Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution for the future Republic of India. The committee had seven members, including Ambedkar, and it took them 141 days to draft the constitution. The draft was finalised in February 1948 and the constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, taking effect on 26 January 1950.
Ambedkar's role in the independence struggle was complex. Unlike the dominant political discourse that focused on persuading the British to leave India, Ambedkar's interventions and advocacy centred around the protection and furtherance of Dalit rights. He often clashed with the Indian National Congress due to his strong views. He passionately believed in individual freedom and criticised caste society, and his conversion to Buddhism sparked a revival in interest in Buddhist philosophy in India and abroad.
Ambedkar was a key figure in India's constitution-making process due to the offices he held and his interventions and speeches in the Assembly. He had to defend the Draft Constitution, and therefore intervened in nearly every debate. He also served on other important committees, including the advisory committee on fundamental rights and excluded areas, and the sub-committee on minorities. His strong advocacy for the inclusion of provisions aimed at promoting social justice, ending discrimination, and ensuring the rights of marginalised communities left a lasting impact on the Constitution.
The Dynamic Indian Constitution: Rigidity and Flexibility
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The committee reviewed the draft constitution
The Indian Constitution was drafted by a committee of seven members, including Dr BR Ambedkar, who was elected as its chairman. The committee was set up on 29 August 1947 by the Constituent Assembly to scrutinize the draft of the text of the Constitution of India and submit it to the assembly for consideration. The other members of the committee were N. Gopalaswami Aiyengar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K.M. Munshi, Mohammad Saadullah, B.L. Mitter (replaced by N. Madhav Rau later), and D.P. Khaitan (replaced by T.T. Krishnamachari).
The Draft Constitution contained 315 articles, organized into eighteen parts and eight schedules, covering topics like government structure, center-state relations, and citizens' rights. The Drafting Committee reviewed suggestions in March and October 1948 and introduced the Draft in the Assembly on November 4, 1948. Reactions to the Draft were mixed; some members praised it, while others were disappointed, particularly because it did not incorporate Panchayati Raj principles.
The Assembly debated the Draft article by article, discussing numerous amendments until October 17, 1949. The Drafting Committee revised the Draft based on these discussions and presented a second version on November 14, 1949. The debates over the Draft were a significant part of the Constituent Assembly's work, with 114 out of 165 sittings dedicated to it. The final draft of the Indian Constitution was presented to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, on November 25, 1949.
The constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, and it came into effect on January 26, 1950, commemorated as Republic Day. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by renowned artists from Shantiniketan, and its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The Constitution of India was published in Dehradun, and the production of the original Indian Constitution took nearly five years.
The Indian Constitution: Equality Promoter and Enforcer
You may want to see also
The draft was adopted on 26 November 1949
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, after being approved by the Constituent Assembly of India. The Constituent Assembly was a partly elected and partly nominated body that framed the Constitution of India. It was conceived and created by V. K. Krishna Menon, who first outlined its necessity in 1933. The Assembly was elected by the Provincial assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections held in 1946 and nominated by princely states.
The Constituent Assembly of India was formed after August 1947, when the 299 Representatives of India became the Constituent Assembly of India and the Provisional Parliament of India. The delegations from Sindh, East Bengal, Baluchistan, West Punjab, and the North West Frontier Province withdrew to form the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, meeting in Karachi. The Assembly's first session took place on 9 December 1946, with 207 members in attendance.
The Drafting Committee, appointed on 29 August 1947, was a seven-member committee, including B.R. Ambedkar, who was elected as its chairman. The other members were N. Gopalswami Aiyengar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K.M. Munshi, Mohammad Saadullah, B.L. Mittar (replaced by N. Madhav Rau later), and D.P Khaitan (replaced by T.T. Krishnamachari). The committee finalised the draft in February 1948, and the second reading was completed on 17 October 1948. The third reading was done on 14 November 1949, and the Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.
The Draft Constitution contained 315 articles, organised into eighteen parts and eight schedules, covering topics like government structure, centre-state relations, and citizens' rights. The Draft was the first publicly available blueprint of the Indian Constitution and was circulated widely for feedback from Assembly members, provincial governments, central ministries, and the public. The Drafting Committee reviewed suggestions in March and October 1948. On 4 November 1948, B.R. Ambedkar introduced the Draft in the Assembly, addressing some controversies. The Assembly debated the Draft article by article, discussing numerous amendments until 17 October 1949.
The Many Official Languages of India's Constitution
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Drafting Committee had seven members, including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who was elected as its chairman.
The members of the drafting committee were:
- N. Gopalaswami Aiyengar
- Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
- K.M. Munshi
- Mohammad Saadullah
- B.L. Mitter (replaced by N. Madhav Rau later)
- D.P. Khaitan (replaced by T.T. Krishnamachari)
The drafting committee was responsible for preparing the draft of the Indian Constitution. It was the most important committee compared to the other committees of the Constituent Assembly.
The Indian Constitution was drafted in 1946-1947 by the Constituent Assembly of India, which was an elected and nominated body. The draft constitution was discussed, amended, and finally adopted on 26 November 1949.
