explanation of the Constituent Assembly of India and the Drafting Committee

🇮🇳 Constituent Assembly of India (1946–1950)

🏛️ What was it?

The Constituent Assembly was a body established to draft the Constitution of India after independence from British rule.

📅 Timeline

Date	Event
6 Dec 1946	Constituent Assembly formed (under Cabinet Mission Plan)
9 Dec 1946	First meeting; Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha elected interim President
11 Dec 1946	Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected permanent President
13 Dec 1946	Nehru introduced Objectives Resolution
15 Aug 1947	India became Independent; Assembly became sovereign
29 Aug 1947	Drafting Committee was formed
26 Nov 1949	Constitution adopted
26 Jan 1950	Constitution came into force (Republic Day)

👥 Composition of the Constituent Assembly

Total Members (Initially): 389
- From British Provinces: 292
- From Princely States: 93
- From Chief Commissioner Provinces: 4
After Partition (1947): Members reduced to 299
Elected indirectly by Provincial Assemblies, not by people directly.

🧭 Key Features of the Assembly

Feature	Detail
Head	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Vice President	H. C. Mookherjee
Constitutional Adviser	B. N. Rau
Language of Work	Hindi & English
Duration of Drafting	2 years, 11 months, 18 days
Number of Sessions	11 sessions over 165 days
Women Members	15, e.g., Sarojini Naidu, Durgabai Deshmukh

📘 Drafting Committee (29 August 1947)

🛠️ Purpose:

To prepare the draft of the Indian Constitution based on the debates and reports from various committees.

👨‍⚖️ Chairman: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Often called the "Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution"

🧾 Members of the Drafting Committee:

Member	Contribution
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar	Chairman; legal expert and Dalit rights leader
N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar	Former Dewan of Kashmir
Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar	Renowned lawyer and jurist
K. M. Munshi	Lawyer, freedom fighter, cultural nationalist
Syed Mohammad Saadullah	Politician and barrister from Assam
B. L. Mitter (resigned)	Replaced by N. Madhava Rao
D. P. Khaitan (died during term)	Replaced by T. T. Krishnamachari

📌 Notable Contributions:

Dr. Ambedkar ensured social justice, equality, fundamental rights, and democracy in the draft.
The committee studied other constitutions (USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia) for reference.
The final draft was published in February 1948, and revised based on debates until November 1949.

🎯 Key Outputs

Preamble
Fundamental Rights & Duties
Directive Principles of State Policy
Federal structure with strong center
Independent judiciary & Election Commission
Parliamentary form of government

📜 Adoption

📅 Adopted: 26 November 1949
📅 Came into force: 26 January 1950
📘 The document had 395 Articles, 22 Parts, and 8 Schedules at the beginning.

Here is a flowchart of the Constituent Assembly and Drafting Committee of India in a simplified format:

🧭 Flowchart: Constituent Assembly and Drafting Committee (India)

                🇮🇳 British Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)
                            │
                            ▼
         🏛 Formation of Constituent Assembly (6 Dec 1946)
                            │
                            ▼
      1st Meeting (9 Dec 1946) → Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha (Interim President)
                            │
                            ▼
      Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected as President (11 Dec 1946)
                            │
                            ▼
     Nehru introduces Objectives Resolution (13 Dec 1946)
                            │
                            ▼
      India gains Independence → Assembly becomes Sovereign (15 Aug 1947)
                            │
                            ▼
     📜 **Drafting Committee Formed** (29 Aug 1947)
                            │
                            ▼
       👨‍⚖️ Chairman: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar + 6 Other Members
                            │
                            ▼
     Draft Constitution prepared and published (Feb 1948)
                            │
                            ▼
       Debates, discussions, and revisions (1948–49)
                            │
                            ▼
           ✅ Constitution Adopted (26 Nov 1949)
                            │
                            ▼
        🇮🇳 Constitution of India came into force (26 Jan 1950)

Here is a comparison table of the major committees of the Constituent Assembly of India, including the Drafting Committee and other key ones involved in shaping the Constitution:

📊 Comparison Table: Committees of the Indian Constituent Assembly

Committee Name Chairman Purpose / Function

Drafting Committee Dr. B. R. Ambedkar To prepare the final draft of the Constitution

Union Powers Committee Jawaharlal Nehru To recommend powers to be given to the Union Government

Union Constitution Committee Jawaharlal Nehru To frame the structure of the Union Constitution

Provincial Constitution Committee Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel To frame the Constitution for provinces (states)

Fundamental Rights Committee J. B. Kripalani To define Fundamental Rights of citizens

Advisory Committee on Minorities, Fundamental Rights, and Tribal Areas Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Broad committee for minority rights, tribal safeguards, etc.

States Committee (Negotiating with Princely States) Jawaharlal Nehru To deal with integration of princely states into the Indian Union

Steering Committee Dr. Rajendra Prasad To coordinate the work of all committees and manage the Assembly’s day-to-day work

Language Committee Moturi Satyanarayana To decide the official language of the Constitution

Finance and Staff Committee Rajendra Prasad To handle budget, finance, and staffing of the Assembly

Rules of Procedure Committee Rajendra Prasad To draft rules for Assembly proceedings

House Committee B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya Responsible for housing and logistics of members

Order of Business Committee K. M. Munshi To schedule and regulate the order of Assembly business

Credentials Committee Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar To verify the credentials of Assembly members

Committee Name	Chairman	Purpose / Function
Drafting Committee	Dr. B. R. Ambedkar	To prepare the final draft of the Constitution
Union Powers Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru	To recommend powers to be given to the Union Government
Union Constitution Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru	To frame the structure of the Union Constitution
Provincial Constitution Committee	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	To frame the Constitution for provinces (states)
Fundamental Rights Committee	J. B. Kripalani	To define Fundamental Rights of citizens
Advisory Committee on Minorities, Fundamental Rights, and Tribal Areas	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	Broad committee for minority rights, tribal safeguards, etc.
States Committee (Negotiating with Princely States)	Jawaharlal Nehru	To deal with integration of princely states into the Indian Union
Steering Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad	To coordinate the work of all committees and manage the Assembly’s day-to-day work
Language Committee	Moturi Satyanarayana	To decide the official language of the Constitution
Finance and Staff Committee	Rajendra Prasad	To handle budget, finance, and staffing of the Assembly
Rules of Procedure Committee	Rajendra Prasad	To draft rules for Assembly proceedings
House Committee	B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya	Responsible for housing and logistics of members
Order of Business Committee	K. M. Munshi	To schedule and regulate the order of Assembly business
Credentials Committee	Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar	To verify the credentials of Assembly members

📝 Key Observations

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Drafting Committee

Jawaharlal Nehru: Headed most Union-related committees

Sardar Patel: Focused on provincial & minority matters

Dr. Rajendra Prasad: Managed administrative & procedural tasks

Here is a flowchart showing the important committees of the Constituent Assembly, their chairpersons, and main responsibilities:

🧭 Flowchart: Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India

                            🏛️ Constituent Assembly (1946)
                                     │
          ┌──────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┐
          ▼                          ▼                          ▼
  📜 Drafting Committee       🔧 Union Constitution       🏛️ Provincial Constitution
     (Dr. B. R. Ambedkar)        Committee                   Committee
                                (J. Nehru)                (Sardar Patel)
     ⤷ Drafted the final         ⤷ Structure of Union     ⤷ Powers & setup of
        Constitution                Govt & polity            State Govts
          │
          ▼
🧩 Fundamental Rights Committee
     (J. B. Kripalani)
     ⤷ Listed Fundamental Rights

          ▼
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Advisory Committee on Minorities
     (Sardar Patel)
     ⤷ Rights of minorities, SC/STs, tribal areas

          ▼
🌐 Union Powers Committee
     (J. Nehru)
     ⤷ Defined powers of Centre

          ▼
🏳️‍🌈 States Committee
     (J. Nehru)
     ⤷ Integrated princely states

          ▼
🛠️ Steering Committee
     (Dr. Rajendra Prasad)
     ⤷ Coordinated the work of all committees

          ▼
🧾 Rules & Procedure Committee      🏘️ House Committee
     (Rajendra Prasad)                (B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya)
     ⤷ Rules of debate                ⤷ Accommodation for members

          ▼
🗣️ Language Committee
     (Moturi Satyanarayana)
     ⤷ Decided official language

          ▼
💰 Finance and Staff Committee
     (Rajendra Prasad)
     ⤷ Managed financial/admin work

          ▼
📝 Credentials Committee
     (Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar)
     ⤷ Verified member qualifications