Omar Bennett
The Constitution of India is the country's supreme legal document and the longest written national constitution in the world. It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950, which is celebrated annually as Republic Day. The Constituent Assembly, chaired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, took almost three years to draft the constitution. The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, and it lays out the fundamental rights and duties of its citizens.
Which body framed the Constitution of Independent India and its characteristics?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Body | The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly, which was formed after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. |
| Formation | The Constituent Assembly had 299 representatives from the 11 provincial assemblies of British India, along with representatives from the princely states. |
| Duration | The process of constitution-making took approximately two years, eleven months, and eighteen days, with the Assembly holding eleven sessions during this period. |
| Universal Adult Franchise | The Constitution granted all Indian adults the right to vote, regardless of gender, caste, or class, making it the first country in the world to do so. |
| Federal Structure | The Constitution established a federal structure for the country, dividing powers between the Central Government and the State Governments. |
| Fundamental Rights | The Constitution enshrined a set of fundamental rights for all Indian citizens, including freedom of speech and expression, the right to life and personal liberty, and freedom of religion. |
| Directive Principles of State Policy | The Constitution included a set of directive principles that serve as guidelines for the state to promote the welfare of its people, including reducing economic inequalities and providing a decent standard of living. |
| Secularism | The Constitution declared India a secular state, ensuring equality of all religions and non-religion before the law. |
| Independence of Judiciary | The Constitution established an independent judiciary, with the Supreme Court and High Courts as the guardians of the constitution and interpreters of the law. |
| Amendment Process | It provided for a flexible amendment process, allowing for changes to be made to the Constitution by a majority vote of the Parliament, ensuring the ability to adapt to changing needs. |
| Official Language | The Constituent Assembly decided that Hindi would be the official language of the Union, with English continuing to be used for official purposes for a period of fifteen years. |
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What You'll Learn
The Constituent Assembly
The Constitution of India is the country's supreme legal document and the longest written national constitution in the world. It outlines the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, as well as the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens.
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The Drafting Committee
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. It declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality, and liberty. The Constituent Assembly of India, consisting of indirectly elected representatives, was established to draft the constitution. The Assembly was not elected based on universal adult suffrage, and Muslims and Sikhs received special representation as minorities. The Muslim League boycotted the Assembly, although 28 of its members out of 73 ended up joining India's Constituent Assembly.
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The Union Constitution Committee
The Constituent Assembly was conceived and created by V. K. Krishna Menon, who first outlined its necessity in 1933, and enshrined it as an Indian National Congress demand. The Indian National Congress held its session in Lucknow in April 1936, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. The official demand for a Constituent Assembly was raised, and the Government of India Act 1935 was rejected as an imposition on the people of India.
The Constituent Assembly was elected by the Provincial Assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections held in 1946 and nominated by princely states. After India's independence in 1947, its members served as the nation's Provisional Parliament. The Assembly's Minorities Committee was chaired by Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a Christian from Bengal and former vice-chancellor of Calcutta University. Jurist B. N. Rau was appointed as the constitutional adviser to the assembly and prepared the original draft of the constitution.
The Constituent Assembly of India played a pivotal role in adopting the constitution, with the Congress Party, known as the Congress Assembly Party, leading a committee of experts. The Assembly selected 22 committees to deal with the diverse tasks of constitution-making, with 10 focused on procedural affairs and 12 on substantive affairs. The most important committee was the Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, which was set up on August 29, 1947. Dr. Ambedkar is considered the chief architect of the Constitution of India.
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A Working Committee
The Constituent Assembly of India, established in December 1946, was responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. The Assembly was made up of 292 members elected through Provincial Legislative Assemblies, 93 members representing the Indian Princely States, and 4 members from the chief commissioner provinces. The Constituent Assembly was not elected based on universal adult suffrage, and instead, its members were chosen by indirect election. This led to criticism that the Indian people had little say in the making of the Constitution.
The Constituent Assembly included a diverse range of ideologies and opinions, with a large portion drawn from the Indian National Congress Party (69%). The Muslim League boycotted the Assembly, although 28 of its members out of 73 ended up joining. The Assembly's Minorities Committee was chaired by Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a Christian from Bengal. Jurist B. N. Rau was the constitutional adviser to the assembly and prepared the original draft of the constitution.
The Drafting Committee of the Constitution was chaired by B. R. Ambedkar, also known as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who presented the final draft of the Indian Constitution to the President of the Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad, on 25 November 1949. The Constituent Assembly took almost three years to complete its task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India, holding eleven sessions over 165 days, with 114 days spent considering the Draft Constitution.
The constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and became effective on 26 January 1950, celebrated annually as Republic Day. The constitution replaced the Government of India Act 1935 and the Indian Independence Act 1947 as the country's fundamental governing document, declaring India a sovereign, democratic republic.
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The Supreme Court
As the guardian of the Constitution, the Supreme Court ensures that legislative and executive actions do not exceed their constitutional boundaries. In doing so, it safeguards the fundamental rights of citizens and maintains a balance of power between the central government and the states. The Court's independence is enshrined in the Constitution, shielding it from external influences and pressures.
One of the most significant cases in the Court's history is Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala. In this landmark ruling, the Supreme Court established that while the Constitution is amenable to change, certain core elements are inherent to its very existence and cannot be amended. This precedent set the framework for interpreting the Constitution's basic structure, reinforcing its status as the cornerstone of Indian democracy.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constituent Assembly of India framed the Constitution of India.
The Constituent Assembly took almost three years to draft the Indian Constitution.
The Constituent Assembly of India began drafting the Constitution in 1946.
The Constituent Assembly of India finished drafting the Constitution on 26 November 1949.
The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950, marking India's transition from a dominion of the British Crown to a sovereign, democratic republic.
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