Framing of the constitution and working of the Constituent Assembly
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- 1934: N. Roy, a pioneer of the communist movement in India, first proposes the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India.
- The Constituent Assembly’s first meeting was on December 9, 1946.
- The Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan.
- The Constituent Assembly had a total strength of 389 members: 296 from British India and 93 from princely states.
- The Constituent Assembly was a partly elected and partly nominated body. Its members were indirectly elected by provincial assembly members, who were themselves elected on a limited franchise.
- Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, was elected as the temporary President, following the French practice.
- Rajendra Prasad was later elected as the President of the Assembly.
- C. Mukherjee and V.T. Krishnamachari were elected as Vice-Presidents, giving the Assembly two Vice-Presidents.
- The Constituent Assembly convened for a total of 11 sessions spanning two years, 11 months, and 18 days.
- On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly held its final session.
Important facts:
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- Elephant adopted as seal.
- Sir B.N. Rau, as constitutional advisor (Legal advisor).
- H.V.R. Iyengar as Secretary.
- S.N. Mukerjee as chief draftsman of the constitution.
- Prem Behari Narain Raizada as the calligrapher of Indian Constitution.
- Beautification by Shantiniketan artists including Nand Lal Bose and Beohar RammanoharSinha.
- The calligraphy of the Hindi version by Vasant Krishan Vaidya and decorated by Nand Lal Bose.
Functions performed by Constituent Assembly:
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- Ratified India’s membership of Commonwealth in May 1949.
- Adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947.
- Adopted the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
- Adopted the national song on January 24, 1950.
- Elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India on January 24, 1950.
Major Committees of the Constituent Assembly
| S.no. | Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Union Powers Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 2. | Union Constitution Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 3. | Provincial Constitution Committee | Sardar Patel |
| 4. | Drafting Committee | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| 5. | Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas | Sardar Patel |
| (a) Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee | J.B. Kripalani | |
| (b) Minorities Sub-Committee | H.C. Mukherjee | |
| (c) North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee | Gopinath Bardoloi | |
| (d) Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee | A.V. Thakkar | |
| 6. | Rules of Procedure Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| 7. | States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 8. | Steering Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
