SSC GK 2027 | MAKING OF CONSTITUTION | POLITY LEC-1 | PARMAR GK 5.0

Making of the Indian Constitution

The lecture introduces the background, formation, and work of India’s Constituent Assembly. It combines exam-oriented facts with advice on studying Polity and general knowledge consistently. Some names and phrases in the auto-generated subtitles are garbled; spellings below are standardized where the intended reference is clear.

1. What a Constitution Does

• A constitution sets out a country’s guiding ideals and provides a framework for how it is governed.
• The lecturer distinguishes between having a constitution and being a democracy:
  • Democratic countries generally have constitutions.
  • Having a constitution does not, by itself, make a country democratic.
• Democracy is described as a system in which power belongs to the people and is exercised through elected representatives.
• The lecture briefly introduces other forms of government:
  • Totalitarian or authoritarian government: The ruling authority exercises extensive control over citizens’ lives.
  • Monarchy: Rule associated with a king or queen. The lecture contrasts constitutional monarchy, where elected officials govern, with systems in which a monarch holds more direct power.
  • Oligarchy: Government dominated by a small, influential group.
  • Communist system: Government control over much of the means of production. The lecturer distinguishes this from totalitarianism, which also involves broad control over citizens’ lives.

2. Background to the Demand for a Constituent Assembly

The lecture stresses that constitution-making did not begin suddenly in 1946. It traces the demand through several milestones:

• 1928 — Nehru Report: A committee chaired by Motilal Nehru produced a report proposing constitutional reforms.
• 1929 — Purna Swaraj: Congress declared complete independence as its goal, rejecting Dominion Status as sufficient.
• 1931 — Karachi session: Socio-economic principles and rights were among the issues raised.
• 1934 — M. N. Roy’s proposal: Roy called for a Constituent Assembly.
• 1935 — Congress demand: Congress formally demanded a Constituent Assembly.
• 1938 — Jawaharlal Nehru’s statement: Nehru said that a free India’s Constitution should be framed by Indians, without outside interference, through a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult franchise.
• British proposals: The lecture mentions the August Offer (1940), Cripps proposals (1942), and Wavell Plan (1945). It presents these as falling short of Congress’s demand for complete independence. Gandhi famously criticized the Cripps proposal as a “post-dated cheque on a failing bank.”
• 1946 — Cabinet Mission Plan: A three-member mission—Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander—proposed a Constituent Assembly. Congress and the Muslim League accepted the plan, though they disagreed over its implications.
  • The plan did not explicitly provide for Pakistan.
  • The Muslim League saw the proposed grouping of provinces as a possible route to Pakistan.
  • Disagreement over whether provincial grouping was compulsory contributed to conflict. The lecture connects this to the Muslim League’s Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946 and the violence that followed.

3. Formation of the Constituent Assembly

Under the Cabinet Mission Plan, the Assembly was initially to have 389 seats:

• 296 from British India:
  • 292 from Governor’s provinces
  • 4 from Chief Commissioner’s provinces
• 93 from princely states, whose representatives were to be nominated by their rulers

British Indian representatives were chosen through indirect elections by provincial legislatures, using proportional representation and the single transferable vote. Seats in British provinces were divided among the principal communities identified in the plan: Muslims, Sikhs, and General.

The 1946 elections produced 208 Congress seats, 73 Muslim League seats, and 15 seats for independents.

After Partition, the Assembly’s membership fell from 389 to 299: 229 elected representatives and 70 nominated princely-state representatives, as stated in the lecture. The lecture also notes that princely-state rulers were initially hesitant to send representatives, partly because they were uncertain about their future position. It briefly refers to popular movements in princely states seeking political rights.

4. Interim Government and the Assembly’s First Meetings

An interim government was formed on 2 September 1946 to help manage the transition of power before independence. The lecture gives examples of its leading figures and portfolios, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Liaquat Ali Khan, Baldev Singh, and Babu Jagjivan Ram.

The Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946:

• Sachchidananda Sinha served as temporary president.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad later became its permanent president.
• The lecture identifies H. C. Mookherjee and V. T. Krishnamachari as vice-presidents.

The Assembly had two functions:

• As a constituent body, it framed the Constitution and was chaired by Rajendra Prasad.
• As a legislative body, it made laws and was chaired by G. V. Mavalankar.

The legislative role was needed because the country required laws and governance arrangements before the Constitution was fully in force.

5. Objective Resolution and Committees

On 13 December 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the Objective Resolution. The Assembly adopted it on 22 January 1947. The lecture describes the resolution as an important statement of the Constitution’s principles and a precursor to the Preamble, while emphasizing that the two are not identical.

To divide the work, the Assembly formed eight major committees and thirteen minor committees. The lecture focuses on the major committees and their chairs:

• Union Powers Committee — Jawaharlal Nehru
• Union Constitution Committee — Jawaharlal Nehru
• States Committee — Jawaharlal Nehru
• Provincial Constitution Committee — Sardar Patel
• Rules of Procedure Committee — Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Steering Committee — Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas — Sardar Patel
• Drafting Committee — Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

The lecture also names some subcommittees under the Advisory Committee:

• Fundamental Rights — J. B. Kripalani
• Minorities — H. C. Mookherjee
• Excluded and Tribal Areas — A. V. Thakkar
• North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam — Gopinath Bordoloi

6. Drafting and Adoption of the Constitution

B. N. Rau was the Assembly’s Constitutional Adviser, not a member of the Constituent Assembly, according to the lecturer. He prepared an initial draft after consulting legal sources and experts.

The Drafting Committee was established on 29 August 1947, with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as chair. The lecture describes it as the key committee responsible for preparing the Constitution’s draft.

The seven-member committee included Ambedkar, K. M. Munshi, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Mohammad Saadulla, D. P. Khaitan, and B. L. Mitter. The lecture notes two later replacements:

• D. P. Khaitan was replaced by T. T. Krishnamachari.
• B. L. Mitter was replaced by N. Madhava Rao.

A draft was published on 21 February 1948 so the public could offer suggestions. A revised draft was placed before the Assembly on 4 November 1948. The Assembly debated the draft through successive readings, considering amendments and discussing individual provisions.

The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, signed on 24 January 1950, and came into force on 26 January 1950. The lecture gives these overall figures:

• 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete the Constitution
• 165 sitting days across 11 sessions
• A cost of approximately ₹64 lakh
• 284 members signed the Constitution, including 15 women
• In its original form, it contained 395 Articles, 22 Parts, and 8 Schedules

7. Why the Constitution Came into Force on 26 January

The lecture distinguishes between adoption and commencement: the Constitution was adopted in November 1949, while it generally came into force on 26 January 1950.

26 January was chosen in remembrance of the Purna Swaraj declaration and the observance of Independence Day on that date in 1930. The lecturer says that some transitional provisions—particularly those needed for citizenship and the establishment of institutions—took effect before the Constitution as a whole came into force.

8. Other Work and Notable Details

• The Constituent Assembly adopted India’s National Flag on 22 July 1947. The lecture credits its design to Pingali Venkayya and gives its proportions as 3:2.
• The National Anthem and National Song were adopted on 24 January 1950:
  • “Jana Gana Mana” was written by Rabindranath Tagore.
  • “Vande Mataram” was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
• The lecture says the Assembly affirmed India’s membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad was chosen as India’s first President by the Constituent Assembly.
• The handwritten Constitution:
  • Was written in English by Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
  • Was written in Hindi by Vasant Krishna Vaidya.
  • Was illustrated and decorated by artists including Nandalal Bose and Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.
• S. N. Mukherjee is identified as Chief Draftsman, responsible for giving the text its precise legal wording. H. V. R. Iyengar is identified as Secretary of the Constituent Assembly.
• The lecture highlights Dr. Ambedkar’s warning that India would enter a “life of contradictions”: political equality would coexist with social and economic inequality.
• It also mentions criticism of the Assembly, including Somnath Lahiri’s claim that it was operating under British influence.

9. Study Advice and Exam Preparation

The lecturer advises students to be consistent, while recognizing that unexpected events can disrupt study plans. Students are encouraged to avoid swinging between excessive motivation and discouragement.

The lecture also recommends that students:

• Revise the previous class before attending the next one, a practice the lecturer recommends across subjects.
• Build a strong foundation by studying topics systematically, then reinforce it through revision and exam questions.
• Practise questions rather than avoid them.

The class is framed mainly for SSC and Railway preparation, though the lecturer says the material may also help with other exams.

Speakers and Sources Featured

Speaker: Parmar Sir, the instructor and lecturer; no other speaking guest is identifiable in the subtitles.

Historical people discussed: Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, M. N. Roy, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, B. N. Rau, G. V. Mavalankar, Sachchidananda Sinha, H. C. Mookherjee, V. T. Krishnamachari, Gopinath Bordoloi, J. B. Kripalani, A. V. Thakkar, and other Assembly members and officials.

Documents and institutional sources discussed: The Nehru Report, Cabinet Mission Plan, Objective Resolution, Constituent Assembly committee work and debates, and the Constitution of India. The lecture also refers to prior exam questions.