Constituent Assembly Debates: Important Facts on The Indian Constitution

On December 9, 1946, the Constituent Assembly convened for the first time. The Assembly convened for a period of 166 days over the following two years and eleven months to draft the Indian Constitution.

The Constituent Assembly had its final session on January 24, 1950. These are valuable sources of information for the UPSC exam since they provide insight into the minds of the founders of this country’s constitution. Read on to learn more about the constitution of India and constituent assemble debates.

Constituent Assembly Debates

The Constituent Assembly Debates provide valuable insight into the thinking that went into the creation of our Constitution. Aspirants will benefit from the content as they construct answers for the GS 2 mains paper. In addition, specific information about CADs will assist you to pass the UPSC prelims exam.

We can separate the CADs into four key sections:

Stage	Work
Preliminary stage (9/12/1946 to 27/01/1948)	The guiding principles of the Constitution were outlined in reports submitted by certain committees such as the Fundamental Rights and Minorities Committee, Union Powers Committees, etc. Also, the Drafting Committee was formed to draft the Constitution.
First reading (4/11/1948 to 9/11/1948)	Introduction of the draft constitution in the Assembly.
Second reading (15/11/1948 to 17/10/1949)	The draft was discussed clause by clause.
Third reading (14/11/1949 to 26/11/1949)	The third reading of the Constitution was completed and it was enacted on 26th November.

 

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Constituent Assembly of India

The Indian Constituent Assembly was established with the express purpose of creating a constitution for an independent India. Between 1947 and 1949, when the Indian Constitution was approved, it existed for 3 years.

The Indian Constitution was framed over the course of 165 days in the Assembly.

Constituent Assembly Debates Important Facts Part 1

The Constituent Assembly spent a total of about 165 days framing the Constitution.

Clause by clause discussion was done for about 101 days where the members discussed the text of the Constitution.

About 36 lakh words were spoken in all and Dr. B R Ambedkar had the distinction of having spoken the most number of words.

Fundamental rights, included in Part III, was debated for about 16 days, i.e., about 14% of the clause by clause discussion.

The Directive Principles of State Policy (included in Part IV) was discussed for about 6 days (about 4%).

The concept of citizenship formed about 2% of the clause by clause discussion among the eminent members of the Assembly. This was included in Part II.

The members of the Drafting Committee had a higher share in the discussions since they frequently responded to what other members had to say on various issues.

Constituent Assembly Debates Important Facts Part 2

Altogether, women members contributed to about 2% of the discussions.

There were only 15 women members in the Assembly and out of them, only 10 took part in the debates.

Freedom fighter and Congress member, G Durgabai, spoke the maximum number of words among women members.

Compared to members from the princely states who were nominated to the Assembly, the members from the provinces took a more active part in the debates.

Members from provinces contributed to about 85% of the discussions whereas princely states’ members contributed to about 6%.

Why Constitution of India is Called Bag of Borrowing?

The country’s founders were savvy enough to borrow positive characteristics from other countries in order to create a constitution that is tailored to India’s needs. Other constitutions’ influences are given below.

 

Constitution	Borrowed Features
British	Parliamentary system Constitutional Head of State Lower House of Parliament more powerful than the Upper House Responsibility of Council of Ministers towards Parliament Prevalence of the rule of law
US	Preamble Fundamental Rights Functions of Vice-president Amendment of Constitution Nature and functions of the Supreme Court Independence of the judiciary
Australian	List of concurrent powers Procedure for solving deadlock over concurrent subjects between the Centre and the States
Irish	Directive Principles of State Policy Method of nomination of members to the Rajya Sabha
Weimer Constitution of Germany	Powers of the President
Canadian	Provisions of a strong nation Name of the Union of India Vesting residuary powers
South African	Procedure of amendment with a two-thirds majority in Parliament Election of the members of the Rajya Sabha on the basis of proportional representation by the State Legislatures

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Committees of Constituent Assembly of India

Drafting Committee	Dr. B R Ambedkar
Union Constitution Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
Union Powers Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
States Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
Steering Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Rules of Procedure Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Provincial Constitution Committee	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas:	Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee: Acharya Kripalani Minorities Sub-Committee: H C Mookerjee Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee: A V Thakkar North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee: Gopinath Bardoloi

FAQs

How Can I Start My UPSC Preparation in College?

You can begin your IAS preparation right after graduation. All you have to do now is go over the material and create an IAS study plan. There are numerous advantages to starting early. Because the IAS age restriction will be far away, you will have time on your side.

You will also be in contact with academics because you are young and still a student, providing you an advantage over older competitors. You can also utilize your college library for preparation because you are a student.

Furthermore, make sure you participate in college festivals and events because this will help you create a well-rounded personality and compensate for your lack of employment experience if you pass the exam directly after graduation!

How to Prepare for UPSC Exam After 12th?

If you begin your study after 12th grade, you will also have the advantage of selecting a graduation subject that will complement your IAS preparation. You can get a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, History, or Sociology, which would assist you in better understanding the UPSC syllabus.

You will be able to conveniently integrate your graduate courses with IAS preparation in this manner. You also have enough time to improve your soft skills, such as communication, as well as create a good pastime, both of which will help you throughout the interview process.

Conclusion

Being a bookworm would not help you pass the UPSC exam. The personality test round is the final stage of the UPSC exam procedure, in which the UPSC board interviews the candidate to assess his or her character and aptitude for a career in the services. With the exception of academic knowledge, this necessitates an individual’s overall development.

Even in academia, the emphasis should not be solely on completing the course, but on constantly collecting information and insight into the newest happenings or current issues in the country and outside.

For more topics like this, visit UPSC Pathshala.

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