The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly of India.
The Assembly was not created through direct universal adult franchise. Its members were largely elected indirectly by the provincial legislatures established under the Government of India Act, 1935, while representatives of princely states were nominated by their rulers.
The Constituent Assembly first met on:
9 December 1946
It continued its constitution-making work until the Constitution was adopted on:
26 November 1949
The idea of a Constituent Assembly developed during India's freedom struggle.
The demand was based on the principle that:
Indians should frame their own Constitution.
The idea was associated with the broader principle of:
Self-determination
The idea of a Constituent Assembly for India is commonly associated with:
M.N. Roy
In 1934, he advocated the idea of a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult franchise.
The Indian National Congress subsequently adopted the demand for a Constituent Assembly.
The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of:
Adult franchise
The demand reflected the principle that the Constitution should be framed by representatives of the Indian people.
The British Government's:
August Offer of 1940
recognised, for the first time, the principle that Indians would have a role in framing their future constitutional arrangements.
However, it did not establish the Constituent Assembly that Indian nationalists demanded.
The:
Cripps Mission
proposed that after the Second World War, a constitution-making body would be established.
The proposals included the idea of an elected body to frame India's Constitution.
The Congress and Muslim League rejected the proposals for different reasons.
The Constituent Assembly was finally established under the:
Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946
The Cabinet Mission consisted of:
The Mission came to India in:
1946
Its proposals provided the framework for the formation of the Constituent Assembly.
The original strength of the Constituent Assembly was:
389 members
It consisted of:
296 members
This included representatives from:
93 members
The members representing British Indian provinces were:
Indirectly elected
by the members of the provincial legislative assemblies.
The election used:
Proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote
Representatives of princely states were:
Nominated by the rulers of the princely states
They were not directly elected by the people.
This is an important distinction from the provincial representatives.
Seats in the provincial component were allocated broadly according to population among major communities.
Representation was organised through separate electoral groupings involving:
Members were elected by the respective members of the provincial legislative assemblies.
The Constituent Assembly was therefore not directly elected by the people through universal adult franchise.
The structure was:
People
↓
Provincial Legislatures
↓
Constituent Assembly representatives
while:
Princely State rulers
↓
Nominated representatives
The original Constituent Assembly had:
389 members
After the partition of British India, the representatives belonging to areas that became part of Pakistan left the Indian Constituent Assembly.
The strength of the Indian Constituent Assembly was reduced to:
299 members
This reconstituted Assembly continued the constitution-making process for India.
After Partition:
229 members
70 members
Total:
299 members
This is a frequently tested UPSC fact.
The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly took place on:
9 December 1946
Venue:
Constitution Hall, New Delhi
The building later became associated with the:
Central Hall of Parliament
At the first meeting, the Assembly appointed:
Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
as its:
Temporary Chairman
He presided over the initial sitting.
On:
11 December 1946
the Constituent Assembly elected:
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
as its permanent President.
Rajendra Prasad → President of Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly elected:
H.C. Mookherjee
as its Vice-President.
He assisted the President in conducting Assembly proceedings.
The Constituent Assembly appointed:
B.N. Rau
as its:
Constitutional Adviser
His role was different from that of the Drafting Committee.
He provided:
B.N. Rau → Constitutional Adviser
The Cabinet Mission Plan was significant because it:
Thus:
Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 → Constituent Assembly
The Assembly had a:
Dual role
After independence, it functioned as:
It framed the Constitution.
It also functioned as the legislature of independent India until the new Parliament came into existence.
These two functions were conducted separately.
After:
15 August 1947
the Constituent Assembly became a sovereign body.
It was no longer functioning under the authority of the British Parliament.
It exercised legislative as well as constitution-making functions.
The:
Indian Independence Act, 1947
gave the Constituent Assemblies of India and Pakistan legislative sovereignty within their respective territories.
The Indian Constituent Assembly therefore became the sovereign law-making body of independent India.
Women were represented in the Constituent Assembly, although their number was relatively small.
Important women members included:
Their participation contributed to debates on:
The Constituent Assembly had important limitations.
It was:
However, it included representatives from different:
The Assembly also contained significant debate and disagreement.
The Congress had a dominant position in the Assembly.
However, describing the Assembly as simply a Congress body would be incomplete.
It included members with different:
Important debates demonstrated disagreement over:
The Constituent Assembly itself was not elected through universal adult franchise.
However, the Constitution it produced established:
Universal adult franchise
for independent India.
This is an important distinction.
Indirect + limited franchise
Universal adult franchise
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Mission | 1946 |
| First meeting of Constituent Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| Sachchidananda Sinha | Temporary Chairman |
| Rajendra Prasad elected President | 11 December 1946 |
| Objectives Resolution moved | 13 December 1946 |
| Objectives Resolution adopted | 22 January 1947 |
| Partition and reconstitution | 1947 |
| India became independent | 15 August 1947 |
| Drafting Committee constituted | 29 August 1947 |
| Constitution adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Constitution signed | 24 January 1950 |
| Constitution commenced | 26 January 1950 |
389 members
299 members
229
70
These numbers are important for UPSC Prelims.
The formation of the Constituent Assembly can be remembered as:
Nationalist demand
↓
August Offer, 1940
↓
Cripps Proposals, 1942
↓
Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946
↓
Constituent Assembly
↓
First meeting — 9 December 1946
↓
Objectives Resolution
↓
Committees
↓
Drafting
↓
Debates
↓
Adoption — 26 November 1949
↓
Commencement — 26 January 1950
Associated with the early demand for a Constituent Assembly.
Temporary Chairman.
President of the Constituent Assembly.
Vice-President.
Constitutional Adviser.
Chairman of Drafting Committee.
Moved Objectives Resolution.
Chairman of important committees and major role in integration.
"The Constituent Assembly was directly elected by the people."
Incorrect
It was largely indirectly elected through provincial legislatures.
"Representatives of princely states were directly elected."
Incorrect
They were nominated by princely-state rulers.
"Original strength was 299."
Incorrect
Original strength:
389
After Partition:
299
"Rajendra Prasad was the temporary chairman."
Incorrect
Temporary Chairman:
Sachchidananda Sinha
Rajendra Prasad became permanent President.
"B.R. Ambedkar was President of the Constituent Assembly."
Incorrect
President:
Rajendra Prasad
Ambedkar:
Chairman of Drafting Committee
"B.N. Rau chaired the Drafting Committee."
Incorrect
B.N. Rau was:
Constitutional Adviser
The Constituent Assembly:
The formation and composition of the Constituent Assembly can be used in questions concerning:
Although the Constituent Assembly was indirectly elected and did not represent universal adult franchise, it developed into a broad deliberative forum that debated fundamental questions concerning India's political, social and economic future. Its legitimacy ultimately rested not merely on the method of its initial composition, but also on the depth of its deliberations, its connection with the freedom movement and the Constitution it produced.
M.N. Roy → Early advocate of Constituent Assembly
Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 → Formation framework
Original strength → 389
After Partition → 299
First meeting → 9 December 1946
Temporary Chairman → Sachchidananda Sinha
President → Rajendra Prasad
Vice-President → H.C. Mookherjee
Constitutional Adviser → B.N. Rau
Drafting Committee Chairman → B.R. Ambedkar
Objectives Resolution → Nehru
Drafting Committee → 29 August 1947
Constitution adopted → 26 November 1949
Constitution commenced → 26 January 1950
The Constituent Assembly, established under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, transformed the aspirations of the freedom movement into India's constitutional framework through extensive committee work, deliberation and drafting.
