The Constituent Assembly used a committee system to examine different constitutional questions in detail.
Instead of debating every provision directly in the full Assembly, specialised committees studied particular subjects and submitted reports.
These reports formed an important basis for the drafting and finalisation of the Constitution.
The committees can broadly be divided into:
For UPSC, the most important aspect is the committee-chairman-function association.
Jawaharlal Nehru
Examined the distribution of powers between:
It dealt with questions concerning the powers and responsibilities of the central authority.
Union Powers → Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Examined the constitutional structure of the:
Union Government
It considered questions relating to:
Union Constitution → Nehru
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Examined the constitutional structure of the:
Provincial Governments
It dealt with questions concerning:
Provincial Constitution → Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
This was one of the most important committees of the Constituent Assembly.
It examined:
The committee was supported by several sub-committees.
Fundamental Rights + Minorities + Tribal Areas → Patel
J.B. Kripalani
Examined the question of:
Fundamental Rights
It considered the rights that should receive constitutional protection.
Its work contributed to the development of the Fundamental Rights framework.
Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee → J.B. Kripalani
H.C. Mookherjee
Examined safeguards for:
It worked under the broader Advisory Committee.
Minorities Sub-Committee → H.C. Mookherjee
Gopinath Bordoloi
Examined constitutional arrangements for tribal and excluded areas in:
Assam
It dealt with questions concerning:
Assam Tribal Areas → Gopinath Bordoloi
A.V. Thakkar
Examined constitutional arrangements for:
outside Assam.
Excluded Areas outside Assam → A.V. Thakkar
B.R. Ambedkar
29 August 1947
Prepared and refined the draft Constitution based on:
The Drafting Committee was central to converting constitutional decisions into a coherent legal document.
Drafting Committee → B.R. Ambedkar
Rajendra Prasad
Prepared rules governing:
Rules of Procedure → Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad
Coordinated the work of the Constituent Assembly and helped organise its business.
It assisted in determining the:
Steering Committee → Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad
Dealt with:
Finance and Staff → Rajendra Prasad
Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
Examined the credentials and qualifications of members of the Constituent Assembly.
Credentials → Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Dealt with accommodation and related facilities for members of the Constituent Assembly.
It addressed practical arrangements necessary for Assembly functioning.
House Committee → Pattabhi Sitaramayya
K.M. Munshi
Considered the order and scheduling of business before the Constituent Assembly.
Order of Business → K.M. Munshi
Rajendra Prasad
Considered the design and adoption of the:
National Flag
The Constituent Assembly adopted the national flag on:
22 July 1947
The most important structure to remember is:
Union Powers Committee
Union Constitution Committee
↓
Provincial Constitution Committee
Advisory Committee
↓
Drafting Committee
↓
Rules of Procedure Committee
Steering Committee
| Committee | Chairman | Main Area |
|---|---|---|
| Union Powers Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru | Union–Province powers |
| Union Constitution Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru | Union constitutional structure |
| Provincial Constitution Committee | Sardar Patel | Provincial constitutional structure |
| Advisory Committee | Sardar Patel | FR, minorities, tribal/excluded areas |
| Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee | J.B. Kripalani | Fundamental Rights |
| Minorities Sub-Committee | H.C. Mookherjee | Minority safeguards |
| Assam Tribal Areas Sub-Committee | Gopinath Bordoloi | Tribal areas in Assam |
| Other Excluded Areas Sub-Committee | A.V. Thakkar | Tribal/excluded areas outside Assam |
| Drafting Committee | B.R. Ambedkar | Draft Constitution |
| Rules of Procedure Committee | Rajendra Prasad | Assembly procedure |
| Steering Committee | Rajendra Prasad | Assembly business |
| Finance and Staff Committee | Rajendra Prasad | Finance and administration |
| Credentials Committee | Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar | Member credentials |
| House Committee | B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya | Accommodation/facilities |
| Order of Business Committee | K.M. Munshi | Assembly business |
| National Flag Ad Hoc Committee | Rajendra Prasad | National Flag |
For Prelims, remember these first:
Union Powers + Union Constitution
Provincial Constitution + Advisory
Drafting
Rules + Steering
Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee
Minorities Sub-Committee
Assam Tribal Areas
The committee system made constitution-making more manageable.
The general process was:
Constituent Assembly
↓
Specialised Committees
↓
Reports and Recommendations
↓
Drafting Committee
↓
Draft Constitution
↓
Constituent Assembly Debates
↓
Final Constitution
This demonstrates that the Constitution was created through:
Committee work + deliberation + drafting + revision
Committee reports were not automatically incorporated into the Constitution.
They served as:
Recommendations for consideration by the Constituent Assembly
The Assembly debated and modified proposals before incorporating them into the final constitutional text.
Therefore:
Committee recommendation ≠ automatically final constitutional provision
A common UPSC distinction:
Primarily examined specific constitutional questions and submitted recommendations.
Converted the Assembly's decisions and committee recommendations into a coherent draft Constitution.
Therefore:
Specialised committees → Subject-wise recommendations
Drafting Committee → Legal drafting and consolidation
The Advisory Committee chaired by Sardar Patel was concerned with:
It had important sub-committees dealing with these subjects.
Therefore:
Patel → Advisory Committee
while:
J.B. Kripalani → Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee
and:
H.C. Mookherjee → Minorities Sub-Committee
"Drafting Committee was chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru."
Incorrect
B.R. Ambedkar
"Union Powers Committee was chaired by Sardar Patel."
Incorrect
Jawaharlal Nehru
"Provincial Constitution Committee was chaired by Nehru."
Incorrect
Sardar Patel
"Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee was chaired by Ambedkar."
Incorrect
J.B. Kripalani
"Minorities Sub-Committee was chaired by Patel."
Incorrect
H.C. Mookherjee
"Assam Tribal Areas Sub-Committee was chaired by Patel."
Incorrect
Gopinath Bordoloi
The committee system demonstrates that the Constituent Assembly did not frame the Constitution through a single drafting exercise.
Instead, constitution-making involved:
This helped balance competing interests while producing a coherent constitutional framework.
The committee system can be used in answers concerning:
The committee system was the working engine of the Constituent Assembly. By distributing complex constitutional questions among specialised committees and subsequently bringing their recommendations into the broader Assembly debate and drafting process, it enabled detailed examination, negotiation and refinement of the Constitution. The final document was therefore the product of structured committee work combined with collective deliberation.
Nehru → Union Powers + Union Constitution
Patel → Provincial Constitution + Advisory
Kripalani → Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee
Mookherjee → Minorities Sub-Committee
Bordoloi → Assam Tribal Areas
Thakkar → Other Excluded Areas
Ambedkar → Drafting Committee
Rajendra Prasad → Rules + Steering
29 August 1947 → Drafting Committee constituted
The Constituent Assembly divided constitution-making among specialised committees, whose recommendations were debated, refined and ultimately incorporated into the Constitution through the drafting process.
