Omar Bennett
The Indian Constitution was signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, to adopt the draft constitution. The Constituent Assembly was an elected and nominated body that framed the Constitution of India. It was established to draft a constitution for India, including the now-separate countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Assembly's final session was convened on 24 January 1950, and each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The Indian Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation, with 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date signed | 24 January 1950 |
| Number of members who signed | 284 |
| Total number of members | 299 |
| Number of articles | 395 |
| Number of schedules | 8 |
| Number of parts | 22 |
| First person to sign | Dr Rajendra Prasad, India's first president |
| Last person to sign | Feroze Gandhi, the president of the Constituent Assembly |
| First session of the Constituent Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| Total sessions of the Constituent Assembly | 11 |
Explore related products
$16.79 $21.95
What You'll Learn
The Constituent Assembly of India
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 at 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 it was an imposition on the people of India. C. Rajagopalachari again voiced the demand for a Constituent Assembly on 15 November 1939, based on adult franchise, and was accepted by the British in August 1940. This offer, known as the August Offer, included giving full weight to minority opinions and allowing Indians to draft their constitution.
The Constituent Assembly's final session was convened on 24 January 1950, with each member signing two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. 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. Two days later, on 26 January 1950, it became the law of India, and India became a sovereign, democratic republic.
The First Constitution: A Short-Lived Legacy
You may want to see also
The first draft of the Indian Constitution
The Indian Constitution is the supreme legal document of India and is the longest written national constitution in the world. The Constituent Assembly, formed on 6 December 1946, was tasked with framing India's Constitution. The Assembly, elected by members of the provincial assemblies, comprised 389 members (reduced to 299 after the partition of India). The Assembly's Drafting Committee, chaired by B.R. Ambedkar, submitted the first draft of the Constitution in October 1947. This draft was prepared by the Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly, Sir Benegal Narsing Rau (B.N. Rau). Rau was a distinguished Indian civil servant, jurist, diplomat, and statesman, who also helped draft the constitution of Burma in 1947.
The second reading of the final draft took over a year and was a clause-by-clause consideration. The Assembly debated and considered amendments to each Article of the draft, a process that continued until 17 October 1948. After three drafts and three readings, the Constitution was declared passed on 26 November 1949. In his concluding speech, Ambedkar acknowledged the contributions of Rau, stating that the credit given to him belonged partly to the Constitutional Advisor, who had prepared the initial draft.
During the constitution-making process, the Assembly faced opposition from political groups such as the Socialist Party of India, which argued that the draft Constitution did not reflect the revolutionary mood of the country. The Socialist Party prepared its own draft, the 'Socialist Draft', which advocated for the nationalisation of industries and the establishment of a socialist order. However, this draft did not significantly influence the Assembly's deliberations.
Mali's First Constitution: A Historical Overview
You may want to see also
The finalisation and signing of the Indian Constitution
The Indian Constitution was signed and accepted on 24 January 1950, during the Constituent Assembly's final session. The Constituent Assembly of India was a partly elected and partly nominated body responsible for framing the Constitution of India. It was established to draft a constitution for India, including the now-separate countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Assembly first met in New Delhi on 9 December 1946, and its last session was held on 24 January 1950. The Constitution came into force two days later, on 26 January 1950, marking the end of British rule and the establishment of India as a sovereign, democratic republic.
The Constituent Assembly was conceived and created by V. K. Krishna Menon, who first outlined the need for such a body in 1933. The official demand for a Constituent Assembly was made by the Indian National Congress in 1935 and was accepted by the British in August 1940. The Assembly was elected by the Provincial Assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections in 1946 and nominated by princely states. It consisted of 389 members, including 292 representatives of the provinces, 93 representatives of the princely states, and four members from the chief commissioner provinces. The Assembly was not based on complete universal adult suffrage, but Muslims and Sikhs received special representation as minorities.
The Constitution was drafted by a seven-member drafting committee, appointed on 29 August 1947, with B. R. Ambedkar as its chair. The committee considered, debated, and amended the initial draft prepared by Sir B. N. Rau, the Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly. Rau's draft consisted of 243 articles and 13 schedules, which, after discussions and amendments, became 395 articles and 8 schedules. The final constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan and calligraphed by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. It took nearly five years to produce and cost an estimated ₹6.3 crore.
The Constituent Assembly's historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India took almost three years to complete. On 24 January 1950, each member of the Assembly signed two copies of the Constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 and has since been amended over 100 times. With approximately 145,000 words, it is the world's longest constitution for a sovereign nation and the second-longest active constitution overall.
The First Amendments: Constitutional Additions Explored
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The role of women in the Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly of India was a body of 389 members that was formed in 1946 to draft the Constitution of India. Out of these 389 members, only 15 were women. These women played a crucial role in advocating for a progressive and inclusive India, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the table and influencing discussions on fundamental rights and social justice. They laid the foundation for future generations to engage in politics and governance.
The women members of the Constituent Assembly came from diverse backgrounds and had extensive experience in the national freedom struggle and local movements. They were lawyers, reformists, and freedom fighters, and many of them belonged to several women's organizations and feminist movements. They faced numerous challenges, including sexism and patriarchal mores in their personal lives, but they persevered and made significant contributions that have had a lasting impact on Indian society.
Key female figures in the Constituent Assembly included Ammu Swaminathan, a social worker and politician who helped form the Women's India Association in 1917. She advocated for Fundamental Rights and fought against caste discrimination, emphasizing the importance of equal rights for all citizens. Another important member was Annie Mascarene, who strongly advocated for democratic principles and ensured that women's voices were heard during the assembly discussions. Begum Aizaz Rasul played a vital role in representing minority rights and worked tirelessly to include the needs of minorities in the Constitution. Dakshayani Velayudan, the youngest member of the assembly, was a Dalit woman who spoke out against communalism and caste discrimination.
The contributions of these women and others in the Constituent Assembly were essential in shaping the nation's constitution and ensuring that women's voices were heard in the political sphere. They advocated for gender equality and social change, and their accomplishments continue to inspire future generations.
The First Missouri Constitution: A Lengthy Historical Document
You may want to see also
The role of the Indian President in the Constitution
The Indian Constitution accords to the President the responsibility and authority to defend and protect the Constitution of India and its rule of law. The President is the head of state of the Republic of India, the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. The President is also the common head of all independent constitutional entities and is the highest constitutional authority in the nation.
The President's role in the Constitution is primarily to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law of India, as made part of their oath (Article 60 of the Indian Constitution). The President is the foremost, most empowered, and prompt defender of the Constitution, with pre-emptive power for ensuring constitutionality in the actions of the executive or legislature. The President's signature on an international agreement does not bring it into effect domestically or enable courts to enforce its provisions. However, the President's assent is required for any action taken by the executive or legislature entities of the Constitution to become law.
The President's powers include the ability to grant pardon, commutation, remission, respite, or reprieve to persons tried and convicted of any offence against a Union Law or by a court martial (Article 72). The President can also appoint the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and other judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, the Governors of states, and other top officials (Article 76(1)). The President can dismiss a judge with a two-thirds vote of the two Houses of Parliament. The President also appoints the Indian government's chief legal adviser, the Attorney-General for India, who holds office during the pleasure of the President. The President can summon and prorogue both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and can appoint any member of these Houses to preside over its proceedings when the offices of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker (in the case of Lok Sabha) or Chairman and Deputy Chairman (in the case of Rajya Sabha) are vacant. The President also nominates 12 members of the Rajya Sabha from among persons with special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, and social service.
The President's role also includes certain financial powers and functions. For example, money bills can only be introduced in Parliament with the President's prior recommendation, and no demand for a grant can be made except on the President's recommendation. The President can also make advances from the Contingency Fund of India to meet any unforeseen expenditure and constitutes a Finance Commission every five years to recommend the distribution of revenues between the Centre and the States.
The President holds office for five years and can be re-elected with no cap on re-election. The impeachment of the Indian President can be initiated only in the case of a 'violation of the Constitution', although there is no definition of this term in the Indian Constitution.
Pennsylvania's First Constitution: The Frame of Government
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, was the first person to sign the Indian Constitution.
Feroze Gandhi, the president of the Constituent Assembly at the time, was the last to sign the Indian Constitution.
The Indian Constitution was signed on 24 January 1950.
