Malcolm Rivera
The Indian Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document. The process of drafting the constitution began in December 1946, with the Constituent Assembly's first meeting, and culminated in the final draft presented by B.R. Ambedkar in November 1948. The drafting committee, chaired by Ambedkar, played a crucial role in shaping the constitution, debating and amending the initial draft prepared by Constitutional Advisor Sir B.N. Rau. The assembly held eleven sessions in 165 days before adopting the constitution, which was signed by 284 members.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 November 1949 |
| Signed by | 284 members |
| Came into force | 26 January 1950 |
| Assembly's final session | 24 January 1950 |
| Number of copies signed | 2 |
| Languages of the copies | Hindi and English |
| Number of pages | Not mentioned, but it is hand-written |
| Number of Articles | 315 |
| Number of Schedules | 8 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time on 9 December 1946
- The Drafting Committee was formed on 29 August 1947, chaired by B.R. Ambedkar
- The Draft Constitution was introduced to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1947
- The Assembly held 114 debates on the Draft Constitution
- The Indian Constitution was signed on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950
The Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time on 9 December 1946
On 9 December 1946, the Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time in the Constitution Hall, now known as the Central Hall of the Parliament House. 207 members were present, who signed the register and presented their identity cards. This marked the beginning of the process of drafting the Indian Constitution, which would be adopted a little over three years later, on 26 November 1949.
The Constituent Assembly was formed following elections held under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946. The Assembly approved the draft constitution on 26 November 1949, with the final draft being prepared by a drafting committee chaired by B.R. Ambedkar. The committee was appointed on 29 August 1947 and submitted a revised draft to the assembly on 4 November 1947. This draft was debated and amended by the committee, with the assembly holding eleven sessions in 165 days to discuss it.
The drafting process was a collaborative effort, with members of the drafting committee playing a crucial role in accommodating different points of view and devising new formulae. Credit is also due to S. N. Mukherjee, the Chief Draftsman of the Constitution, for his ability to simplify complex proposals and his hard work. The draft constitution was introduced to the Constituent Assembly by Ambedkar on 4 November 1948, and this marked the beginning of the most intense phase of Indian constitution-making. The assembly debated and considered amendments to the draft, with members expressing their preliminary impressions and engaging with Ambedkar's speech.
The Indian Constitution espouses constitutional supremacy and was adopted with a declaration in its preamble. It replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, marking India's transition from a Dominion to a Republic. The constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, and each member of the assembly signed two copies, one in Hindi and the other in English. The day the constitution was adopted, 26 November, is celebrated as National Law Day or Constitution Day in India.
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The Drafting Committee was formed on 29 August 1947, chaired by B.R. Ambedkar
The Indian Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and its creation was a significant moment in the country's history. The process of drafting this important document began with the formation of the Drafting Committee, which was established on 29 August 1947. This committee was tasked with the critical responsibility of preparing a draft constitution for India, and it was chaired by the esteemed Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Dr B.R. Ambedkar, often regarded as the "Father of the Constitution of India", was a constitutional expert with an impressive understanding of governance. Before his work on the Indian Constitution, he had studied the constitutions of approximately 60 countries. He brought this wealth of knowledge to the Drafting Committee, which consisted of seven members in total. The committee worked diligently to review, debate, and amend the rough draft prepared by Sir B.N. Rau, the Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly.
The committee's efforts culminated in the submission of a revised draft constitution to the assembly on 4 November 1947. This draft underwent further scrutiny and discussion before the Constituent Assembly adopted the final version of the Indian Constitution on 26 November 1949. The Constituent Assembly's adoption of the constitution was a momentous occasion, and the document was signed by 284 members on 26 January 1950, a day now celebrated annually as Republic Day in India.
The Indian Constitution is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Drafting Committee, particularly its chairman, Dr B.R. Ambedkar. The committee's ability to accommodate different viewpoints and devise innovative solutions was instrumental in the successful completion of this task. The Chief Draftsman of the Constitution, Mr S.N. Mukherjee, also made significant contributions with his exceptional legal expertise and capacity for hard work.
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The Draft Constitution was introduced to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1947
The Indian Constitution is a way of life and has to be lived up to. The Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time in the Constitution Hall on 9 December 1946. The Assembly approved the draft constitution on 26 November 1949, and it came into force on 26 January 1950.
While introducing the Draft, Ambedkar made a long and comprehensive speech that would become famous in post-independent India. He provided the Assembly with an overview of India's constitutional architecture, its important features, and principles that informed various provisions. It was in this speech that Ambedkar first used the term 'constitutional morality', which has since been widely invoked by academics, activists, journalists, and the legal community. In the days that followed the introduction of the Draft, Assembly members expressed their preliminary impressions of the document and engaged with Ambedkar's speech. While some were broadly satisfied, others were not.
One aspect of the Draft and Ambedkar's speech triggered significant controversy and conflict: the role of 'villages' in India's administrative and political setup. Some members were unhappy that the Draft did not pay emphasis to or incorporate provisions based on village panchayats – or villages in general. In his speech, Ambedkar responded to this criticism by attacking the very idea of the village: 'What is the village but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism?'
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The Assembly held 114 debates on the Draft Constitution
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The Constituent Assembly of India was formed with the specific objective of drafting a constitution for an independent India. It existed for three years from 1947 to 1949, when the Constitution of India was adopted. The Assembly sat for about 165 days to frame the Constitution of India.
The Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar, was set up by the Constituent Assembly on 29 August 1947. Rau's draft was considered, debated, and amended by the seven-member drafting committee. A revised draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the assembly on 4 November 1947. The committee sat for 141 days, devising new formulae and accommodating different points of view. The members of the Drafting Committee had a higher share in the discussions, frequently responding to what other members had to say on various issues. Dr B. R. Ambedkar spoke the most number of words during the debates.
The clause-by-clause discussions took about 101 days, with approximately 36 lakh words spoken in total. Fundamental rights, included in Part III, were debated for about 16 days (about 14% of the clause-by-clause discussion). The Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) were discussed for about 6 days (around 4%). The concept of citizenship formed about 2% of the clause-by-clause discussion and was included in Part II. Women members contributed to about 2% of the discussions, with only 10 out of 15 women members taking part in the debates.
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The Indian Constitution was signed on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950
The Constituent Assembly set up a Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, on 29 August 1947. The committee worked tirelessly to prepare a draft constitution, and on 4 November 1947, they submitted a revised draft to the assembly. The assembly then held eleven sessions in 165 days, debating and amending the draft. This period marked the most intense phase of Indian constitution-making.
The Draft Constitution, introduced by Ambedkar, contained 315 Articles and 8 Schedules. It was the result of the Assembly's committees' hard work and the centre of their debates. One of the most notable controversies during this process was the role of 'villages' in India's administrative and political setup. Despite the criticism he faced, Ambedkar staunchly defended his Draft Constitution, launching a searing attack on the notion of villages as a focal point.
On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India, and 284 members signed it. This day, celebrated as National Law Day or Constitution Day, was chosen to spread the importance of the constitution and the thoughts and ideas of Ambedkar. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page beautifully decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.
The Constituent Assembly's final session convened on 24 January 1950, and the constitution came into effect two days later, on 26 January 1950. This date was chosen to honour the public declaration of Purna Swaraj. With the constitution's adoption, India became a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The constitution provides for a federal structure with a parliamentary form of government, and it replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document.
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Frequently asked questions
The draft of the Indian Constitution was first introduced on 4 November 1947.
The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.
The Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.
