🇮🇳 Constituent Assembly & Making of Indian Constitution (Simplified)

🏛️ 1. What is the Constituent Assembly?

It was a special kind of body made to write the Constitution of India.
Established under the Cabinet Mission Plan in November 1946.
First meeting was held on 9 December 1946.
It was partly elected and partly nominated.
The main goal was to give India its own rules and system to govern after British rule ended.

🌟 2. Why was the Constituent Assembly needed?

British laws like the Government of India Act 1919 and 1935 gave only limited powers.
Important subjects like defence and foreign policy stayed with British.
So Indian leaders wanted a Constitution made by Indians only.
Big leaders like M.N. Roy, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi ji , Dr. Br. Ambedkar, Sardar Patel supported this idea.

📜 3. Important Timeline Before Constitution Was Written

Year	Event
1934	M.N. Roy first gave idea of Constituent Assembly.
1935	Indian National Congress officially demanded it.
1938	Nehru said Constitution should be made without outside pressure.
1940	British accepted idea in principle in August Offer.
1942	Cripps Mission failed – Muslim League rejected.
1946	Cabinet Mission sent and elections were held for the Assembly.

🧠 4. Members of the Constituent Assembly

Total Members Initially: 389
- 296 from British India
- 93 from Princely States
But after Partition in 1947, many members from Pakistan area left.
- So British India reps reduced to 229
- Princely states’ reps dropped to 70
Members were chosen indirectly by provincial assemblies.
Voting method was Proportional Representation with Single Transferable Vote.
Princely states nominated their reps.

🧑‍⚖️ 5. Key People in the Assembly

Dr. Rajendra Prasad – President of the Assembly
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – Chairman of the Drafting Committee
Jawaharlal Nehru – Presented the famous “Objective Resolution”
B.N. Rau – Constitutional Advisor

📅 6. Making of the Constitution – Step-by-Step Timeline

9 Dec 1946 – First meeting of the Assembly.
11 Dec 1946 – Dr. Rajendra Prasad became President.
13 Dec 1946 – Nehru introduced the "Objective Resolution".
22 Jan 1947 – Resolution was accepted by everyone.
July 1947 – Indian Independence Act gave Assembly full powers.
22 July 1947 – National Flag was adopted.
Feb 1948 – First Draft of Constitution was ready.
From November 4 to November 9, 1948, – First reading of draft.
15 November 1948 to 17 October 1949- Clause-by-clause analysis.
26 Nov 1949 – Constitution was finally passed and adopted.
24 Jan 1950 – National Anthem and National Song adopted. Dr. Rajendra Prasad became 1st President.
26 Jan 1950 – Constitution came fully into force. We became a Republic.

🇮🇳 7. Why 26th January Was Chosen?

This day was chosen because on 26 Jan 1930, Poorna Swaraj (Complete Independence) was first declared by Congress in Lahore.

📑 8. Parts of Constitution Came Early

Some parts like citizenship (Art. 5-11), elections (Art. 324) came into effect on 26 Nov 1949.
Rest of Constitution became active on 26 Jan 1950.

🧾 9. Important Committees of Constituent Assembly

🏢 Organizational Committees

Committee	Chairperson
Rules of Procedure	Rajendra Prasad
Steering Committee	Rajendra Prasad
Finance Committee	Rajendra Prasad
Flag Committee	Rajendra Prasad
Order of Business	K.M. Munshi
Negotiation with States	J.L. Nehru

🔑 Principal Committees

Committee	Chairperson
Drafting Committee	B.R. Ambedkar
Union Constitution	J.L. Nehru
Union Powers	J.L. Nehru
Provincial Constitution	Sardar Patel
Fundamental Rights & Minorities	Sardar Patel

📂 Sectoral Committees

Committee Chairperson
Citizenship S. Varadachariar
Financial Provisions N.R. Sarkar
Chief Commissioner Provinces Gopalaswami Ayyangar

Committee	Chairperson
Citizenship	S. Varadachariar
Financial Provisions	N.R. Sarkar
Chief Commissioner Provinces	Gopalaswami Ayyangar

🤔 10. Criticisms of the Constituent Assembly

Not fully democratic – Members were not chosen by full adult voting.
Formed by British – So not fully sovereign, said critics.
Took long time – Almost 3 years, while US Constitution was made in 4 months.
Too much Congress control – Other parties were not strong.
Mostly lawyers and politicians – Not enough common people.
Hindu-dominated – Churchill said it only represented one community.

❤️ But still…

Despite all this, the Constituent Assembly gave India the longest and most detailed written Constitution in the world, and it still guides our nation. It was a work of vision, debate, and unity.

❓ FAQs on Constituent Assembly & Indian Constitution

Q1. What was the Constituent Assembly?
Ans. It was a special body formed in 1946 to write the Constitution of India. It had members from all over India who discussed and decided how India should be governed after independence.

Q2. When was the Constitution of India adopted?
Ans. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the Constituent Assembly.

Q3. When did the Constitution come into force?
Ans. The Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, and this day is now celebrated as Republic Day.

Q4. Who was the chairman of the Drafting Committee?
Ans. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Q5. Who was the President of the Constituent Assembly?
Ans. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the Constituent Assembly.

Q6. Who introduced the Objective Resolution in the Assembly?
Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the Objective Resolution on 13 December 1946.

Q7. What was the total strength of the Constituent Assembly originally?
Ans. The original total strength was 389 members – 296 from British India and 93 from princely states.

Q8. Why is 26 January celebrated as Republic Day?
Ans. Because on 26 Jan 1930, Poorna Swaraj (Complete Independence) was declared. So, this date was chosen to enforce the Constitution in 1950.

Q9. Was the Constituent Assembly elected directly by the people?
Ans. No, its members were indirectly elected by provincial legislatures, not by the people directly.

Q10. How long did it take to make the Constitution?
Ans. It took around 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete the Constitution.

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Constituent Assembly of India – Simplified Explanation