Malcolm Rivera
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, was written by a number of people. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the seven-member drafting committee, Surendra Nath Mukherjee was the chief draftsman of the Constituent Assembly, and Sir B.N. Rau was the constitutional advisor responsible for the constitution's general structure. The original constitution is hand-written in Hindi and English by calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada, with the Hindi translation by linguist, scholar, and politician Raghu Vira.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of adoption | 26th November 1949 |
| Date of enforcement | 26th January 1950 |
| Type of government | Parliamentary |
| Type of republic | Sovereign, democratic, socialist, secular |
| Authors | B.R. Ambedkar, Surendra Nath Mukherjee, B.N. Rau |
| Assembly members | Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Amrit Kaur, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Sachchidananda Sinha, and more |
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What You'll Learn
B.R. Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was born on April 14, 1891, to a Mahar caste family. He was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and political leader. He chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India, which was based on the Constituent Assembly of India's debates and the first draft by Sir Benegal Narsing Rau.
Ambedkar was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee in August 1947, two weeks after being appointed as the country's first Law Minister. He was also a member of the advisory committee on fundamental rights and excluded areas, as well as the sub-committee on minorities. He advocated strongly for the inclusion of provisions to promote social justice, end discrimination, and ensure the rights of marginalised communities, including religious and linguistic minorities. He also fought for the rights of Dalits, arguing for the abolition of untouchability and caste-based discrimination. Additionally, Ambedkar supported a federal system that would distribute power between the central government and the states, and an independent judiciary free from political influence.
Ambedkar is commonly referred to as the "Architect of the Indian Constitution" or the "father of the Indian Constitution" due to his significant contributions. He is probably the most well-known member of the Constituent Assembly. In his concluding speech on November 25, 1949, Ambedkar acknowledged the contributions of B.N. Rau, the Constitutional Advisor, and other members of the drafting committee. On the same day, he presented the final draft of the Constitution to Dr Rajendra Prasad.
Ambedkar's reputation as a scholar and his ambitious leadership led to his appointment as the chairman. He believed in individual freedom and criticised caste society, making him controversial and unpopular among Hindus. His conversion to Buddhism sparked a revival of interest in Buddhist philosophy in India and abroad.
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Surendra Nath Mukherjee, chief draftsman of the Constituent Assembly
Mukherjee's legal acumen was recognised and praised by Ambedkar, who acknowledged that without his expertise, the process would have taken significantly longer. Mukherjee's ability to simplify complex proposals and present them in a clear and legally sound manner was invaluable. As Joint Secretary of the CAS, he ensured that the preparation of electoral rolls was in accordance with the established constitutional framework.
Mukherjee's role as chief draftsman was integral to the Constituent Assembly's work. BN Rau, the constitutional advisor, oversaw the drafting process and consulted Mukherjee before every major decision. This collaborative effort resulted in the initial draft of the constitution, which was submitted to the Assembly on November 4, 1947, after 141 days of work. The final constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950, marking India's transition to a sovereign, democratic republic.
Mukherjee's contributions extended beyond legal expertise. He played a crucial role in instilling 'constitutional morality' among the citizens of India, despite the presence of deep social inequalities. His work helped to lay the foundation for a democratic spirit in the country, which enabled India to conduct its first general election. Mukherjee's dedication and skills in drafting the constitution were instrumental in shaping modern India's governing principles and legal framework.
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Sir B.N. Rau, constitutional advisor and author of the initial draft
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, was the result of the work of many individuals. One of these individuals was Sir Benegal Narsing Rau, a civil servant, jurist, diplomat, and statesman. Appointed as the constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly in 1946, Rau played a critical role in the creation of India's Constitution.
Rau's expertise in British constitutionalism and his knowledge of the working of constitutions from around the world proved invaluable to the Constituent Assembly. He was responsible for the general structure of the democratic framework of the Constitution and prepared its initial draft in February 1948. This draft, known as the "Rough Draft," consisted of 243 articles and 13 schedules. It served as the basis for discussions, debates, and amendments by the Assembly. Rau's draft also included notations on the margins, indicating the origins of the provisions from other countries, showcasing the global nature of the Constitution's development.
Rau's contributions extended beyond the initial draft. He ensured that the debates in the Assembly were well-informed and reasoned. To facilitate this, he prepared a series of pamphlets titled "Constitutional Precedents," which outlined the key features of the new Constitution for the Assembly members. These pamphlets were recognised by Pt. Nehru for their research and objectivity, who recommended their distribution to all members of the Constituent Assembly.
Rau's work as a constitutional advisor and drafter of the initial Constitution was instrumental in India's transition from a colony to an independent state. His idealism and constitutional temperament were evident in his efforts to challenge colonial violations and set the stage for the complete transfer of sovereignty to India. However, his role has often been under-recognised, overshadowed by the dominant story of successful Indian nationalism post-independence.
In addition to his work on the Indian Constitution, Rau also played a role in drafting the constitutions of other nations. He assisted in drafting Burma's Constitution in 1947 and represented India in the United Nations, serving as the President of the United Nations Security Council in 1950. Rau's distinguished career included serving as a judge in the International Court of Justice at The Hague until his passing on 30 November 1953.
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Prem Behari Narain Raizada, the calligrapher
Prem Behari Narain Raizada, born on December 16, 1901, was an Indian calligrapher known for transcribing the Indian Constitution by hand. Coming from a family of calligraphers, he began learning the art form at a young age from his grandfather, Ram Prasad Saxena, a scholar of English and Persian. Raizada further honed his calligraphic skills at St. Stephen's College in Delhi.
When the Constituent Assembly of India finalised the Constitution in the late 1940s, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, wanted the world's longest legal document to be handwritten to reflect the spirit of the nation. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was chosen for this task.
Raizada took six months to transcribe the 251-page document, consisting of 395 articles, 8 schedules, and a preamble. He worked in a room in Constitution Hall (now the Constitution Club of India) and used 432 pen-holder nibs sourced from England and Czechoslovakia to inscribe each letter flawlessly. Raizada's stipulation that he be allowed to write his name and his grandfather's name on each page was honoured, and their names can be found throughout the document.
The original manuscript, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, is now preserved in the library of the Parliament of India, housed in a vault-like room within a helium-filled case. Raizada's work not only immortalised his name and that of his grandfather but also beautifully captured the essence of India's history, struggles, and aspirations in a flowing italic style.
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Raghu Vira, translator into Hindi
The Indian Constitution was drafted by B.R. Ambedkar, the chairman of the drafting committee, Surendra Nath Mukherjee, the chief draftsman of the Constituent Assembly, and B.N. Rau, a civil servant and later the first Indian judge in the International Court of Justice. Rau was responsible for the constitution's general structure and prepared its initial draft, which consisted of 243 articles and 13 schedules. This draft was further expanded to 395 articles and 8 schedules after discussions, debates, and amendments.
One of the important members of the Constituent Assembly's Hindi committee, tasked with translating the Constitution into Hindi, was Raghu Vira. Born on 30 December 1902 in Rawalpindi in present-day Pakistan, Vira was a highly educated linguist and scholar. He received his MA from Punjab University in Lahore, a Ph.D. from London, and a D.Litt. from Leiden University in the Netherlands. Vira was a master of multiple languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, Urdu, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Punjabi.
Vira was a dedicated member of the Congress Party and a Hindu-Hindi extremist. He joined the Assembly in 1949 through his connection with fellow Hindi hardliner Ravi Shankar Shukla, the then-Prime Minister of the Central Provinces. Alongside other Hindi nationalists, he submitted numerous amendments to the language provisions in the Draft Constitution. One of his amendments proposed to make English obsolete in Parliament, Legislatures, and State administration within five years.
Vira was also a nationalist who aimed to re-establish India as a global leader by researching, excavating, and collecting Sanskrit manuscripts from around the world. He established the International Academy of Indian Culture (Saraswati Vihar) in 1932, which later moved to Nagpur in 1946 and then to Delhi in 1956. The academy was his personal centre for research into Indian culture, literature, and religion, and their impact on other regions, including Mongolia, Indonesia, China, Russia, and Central Asia.
Vira's translation of the Constitution into Hindi was criticized by Jawaharlal Nehru for its extreme Sanskritization and resultant incomprehensibility. Despite this, Vira's contributions to the Indian languages are significant, particularly his creation of scientific, technical, and legal vocabulary based on Sanskrit. His Greater English-Hindi Dictionary remains his most notable work in this regard.
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Frequently asked questions
The Indian Constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly of India in the late 1940s. The authors of the Indian Constitution are B.R. Ambedkar (chairman of the drafting committee), Surendra Nath Mukherjee (chief draftsman of the Constituent Assembly), and B.N. Rau (constitutional advisor and author of the initial draft). The calligraphy of the document was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
The drafting committee was composed of seven members, with B.R. Ambedkar as the chair.
The production of the original constitution took nearly five years.
