The Constituent Assembly

1946

Cabinet Mission Plan and the Making of the Assembly

How the Constituent Assembly came to exist

The Constituent Assembly was set up under the scheme of the British Cabinet Mission of 1946 (Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander). Its members were not directly elected by the people: members from the provinces were elected indirectly by the provincial legislative assemblies, using proportional representation by single transferable vote, while the princely states were to nominate their representatives.

• Planned total strength: 389 — 292 from the provinces, 93 from the princely states and 4 from the Chief Commissioners' provinces.
• Seats were allotted roughly one per million population, and divided among Muslims, Sikhs and "general" in proportion to their population.
• Elections to the provincial seats were held in July–August 1946.
• After Partition, the Assembly for India had 299 members.

9 December 1946

The First Sitting: 9 December 1946

Constitution Hall, New Delhi

The Constituent Assembly met for the first time on 9 December 1946 in the Constitution Hall (now the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament House). The Muslim League boycotted the session and pressed for a separate state of Pakistan. Dr Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, presided as the temporary President, following the French practice.

• Around 211 members attended the first sitting.
• Sachchidananda Sinha was the temporary (provisional) President.
• The Muslim League did not attend.

11 December 1946

Rajendra Prasad Elected President of the Assembly

The permanent chair

On 11 December 1946 the Assembly elected Dr Rajendra Prasad as its permanent President. He presided over the Assembly until the Constitution was signed in January 1950, and was then elected by the Assembly as the first President of India. H.C. Mookerjee and V.T. Krishnamachari served as the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly.

• Rajendra Prasad also chaired several committees, including the Steering Committee and the Rules of Procedure Committee.
• H.C. Mookerjee (a Christian leader from Bengal) was Vice-President and also chaired the Minorities Sub-Committee.
• The Assembly elected Rajendra Prasad the first President of India on 24 January 1950.

Moved 13 Dec 1946 · adopted 22 Jan 1947

The Objectives Resolution

The philosophy that became the Preamble

Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution on 13 December 1946. It declared the resolve to proclaim India an Independent Sovereign Republic, with power derived from the people, guaranteeing justice (social, economic and political), equality, and the freedoms of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action, with safeguards for minorities and backward and tribal areas. It was adopted unanimously on 22 January 1947, and its ideas were later shaped into the Preamble.

• Moved by Nehru on 13 December 1946.
• Adopted unanimously on 22 January 1947.
• Regarded as the forerunner of the Preamble.

1947

Indian Independence Act 1947: A Sovereign Assembly and a Legislature

Two hats: making the Constitution and making ordinary laws

The Indian Independence Act 1947 made the Constituent Assembly a fully sovereign body, free to abrogate or alter any law made by the British Parliament for India. It also became the first legislature (Dominion Legislature) of free India. When it sat as the Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad presided; when it sat as the legislature, G.V. Mavalankar presided.

• The Assembly functioned both as a constitution-making body and as a legislature until 1950.
• G.V. Mavalankar presided over its legislative sittings and later became the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• After 26 January 1950 it continued as the Provisional Parliament until the first Lok Sabha was constituted in 1952.

Set up 29 August 1947

The Drafting Committee

Seven members, chaired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar

The Drafting Committee was set up on 29 August 1947 to prepare the draft Constitution, working on the initial draft prepared by the Constitutional Adviser, B.N. Rau. It had seven members: Dr B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman), N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Dr K.M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadulla, N. Madhava Rau (who replaced B.L. Mitter) and T.T. Krishnamachari (who replaced D.P. Khaitan after his death in 1948).

• Chairman: Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
• The draft Constitution was published in February 1948.
• Ambedkar piloted the draft through the Assembly and is called the "Chief Architect" of the Constitution.

Sir B.N. Rau, Constitutional Adviser

The man who wrote the first draft

Sir Benegal Narsing Rau was appointed Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly. He studied constitutions around the world, consulted jurists abroad (including US Justice Felix Frankfurter, who persuaded him against a general "due process" clause), and prepared the initial draft of October 1947 that the Drafting Committee worked on. He later served as India's representative at the UN and as a judge of the International Court of Justice.

• Prepared the first draft of the Constitution (October 1947).
• Later a judge of the International Court of Justice (elected 1951; died in 1953).
• His conversations with Frankfurter influenced the choice of "procedure established by law" in Article 21.

S.N. Mukherjee, Chief Draftsman

The draftsman Ambedkar singled out for praise

S.N. Mukherjee was the Chief Draftsman of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly. In his speech of 25 November 1949, Dr Ambedkar paid special tribute to him, saying his ability to put the most intricate proposals in the simplest and clearest legal form could rarely be equalled.

• Ambedkar credited him by name in his final speech.
• H.V.R. Iengar was the Secretary of the Constituent Assembly.

The Major Committees and Their Chairs

The work was done in committee

Most of the Assembly's work was done through committees. The major ones were: the Union Powers Committee, the Union Constitution Committee and the States Committee (all chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru); the Provincial Constitution Committee and the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas (both chaired by Sardar Patel); the Drafting Committee (Dr B.R. Ambedkar); and the Rules of Procedure Committee and the Steering Committee (both chaired by Dr Rajendra Prasad).

• Nehru: Union Powers, Union Constitution, States (negotiating with the princely states).
• Patel: Provincial Constitution; Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
• Rajendra Prasad: Rules of Procedure; Steering Committee.
• Ambedkar: Drafting Committee.

Sub-Committees of the Advisory Committee

Fundamental rights, minorities and tribal areas

Under Patel's Advisory Committee, sub-committees did the detailed work: the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee (J.B. Kripalani), the Minorities Sub-Committee (H.C. Mookerjee), the North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee (Gopinath Bardoloi), and the Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee (A.V. Thakkar).

• Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee — J.B. Kripalani.
• Minorities Sub-Committee — H.C. Mookerjee.
• North-East tribal areas — Gopinath Bardoloi (its work shaped the Sixth Schedule).
• Other excluded areas — A.V. Thakkar ("Thakkar Bapa").

The Minor Committees

Flag, business, credentials and more

Alongside the major committees were several minor ones: the Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly (G.V. Mavalankar), the Order of Business Committee (K.M. Munshi), the House Committee (B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya), the Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag (Rajendra Prasad), the Credentials Committee (Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar), the Finance and Staff Committee (Rajendra Prasad), the Ad hoc Committee on the Supreme Court (S. Varadachariar) and the Expert Committee on Financial Provisions (Nalini Ranjan Sarkar).

• Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag — Rajendra Prasad.
• Order of Business Committee — K.M. Munshi.
• Ad hoc Committee on the Supreme Court — S. Varadachariar.

The Fifteen Women of the Constituent Assembly

Founding mothers

Fifteen women were members of the Constituent Assembly: Ammu Swaminathan, Annie Mascarene, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Dakshayani Velayudhan, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Mehta, Kamla Chaudhri, Leela Roy, Malati Choudhury, Purnima Banerji, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Renuka Ray, Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.

• Begum Aizaz Rasul was the only Muslim woman member.
• Dakshayani Velayudhan was the only Dalit woman member.
• Hansa Mehta presented the National Flag to the Assembly on behalf of the women of India on 14 August 1947.
• Sucheta Kripalani later became India's first woman Chief Minister (Uttar Pradesh, 1963).

Hansa Mehta

The flag, the Assembly and the UDHR

Hansa Mehta, a reformer and educationist, was a member of the Constituent Assembly and of its Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee. At the midnight session of 14–15 August 1947 she presented the National Flag on behalf of the women of India. At the UN Commission on Human Rights she is credited with changing the opening line of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from "All men are born free and equal" to "All human beings are born free and equal".

• Member of the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee.
• Presented the National Flag on 14 August 1947.
• Her intervention changed Article 1 of the UDHR to "All human beings".

Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the Assembly

From Bengal, then from Bombay

Dr Ambedkar was first elected to the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, with the support of Jogendra Nath Mandal. When Partition placed his constituency in East Pakistan, he lost his seat; he was re-elected from Bombay, in the vacancy created by the resignation of M.R. Jayakar. He went on to chair the Drafting Committee and pilot the Constitution through the Assembly, serving at the same time as independent India's first Law Minister.

• First elected from Bengal; re-elected from the Bombay province after Partition.
• Chairman of the Drafting Committee.
• First Law Minister of independent India.

25 November 1949

"Grammar of Anarchy": Ambedkar's Final Speech

Three warnings to a new republic

In his closing speech on 25 November 1949, Dr Ambedkar warned the nation of three dangers. First, abandon the bloody methods of revolution, civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha now that constitutional methods were open: these were "nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy". Second, do not lay liberties at the feet of even a great man: bhakti or hero-worship in politics "is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship". Third, make political democracy a social democracy too, because on 26 January 1950 India would enter "a life of contradictions": equality in politics and inequality in social and economic life.

• Delivered on 25 November 1949, the day before the Constitution was adopted.
• "One man, one vote and one vote, one value" in politics, but inequality in social and economic life.
• Warned against hero-worship in politics.

14–15 August 1947

The Midnight Session of 14–15 August 1947

"Tryst with Destiny"

The Constituent Assembly met at 11 p.m. on 14 August 1947 in the Constitution Hall to mark the transfer of power. At the stroke of midnight members took a pledge of dedication to the service of India, and Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his "Tryst with Destiny" speech. Hansa Mehta presented the National Flag on behalf of the women of India.

• "Tryst with Destiny" was delivered in the Constituent Assembly, not at the Red Fort.
• The Assembly assumed power for the governance of India at midnight.

National Symbols Adopted by the Assembly

Flag, anthem and song

The Constituent Assembly adopted the National Flag on 22 July 1947. On 24 January 1950, its final day, it adopted "Jana Gana Mana" as the National Anthem and "Vande Mataram" as the National Song, and elected Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India.

• National Flag adopted: 22 July 1947.
• National Anthem and National Song adopted: 24 January 1950.
• First President elected: 24 January 1950.

May 1949

Ratifying Commonwealth Membership

A republic inside the Commonwealth

In May 1949 the Constituent Assembly ratified India's decision to remain a member of the Commonwealth, as agreed at the London Declaration of April 1949. India became the first republic to remain in the Commonwealth, accepting the Crown only as the symbol of the free association of its members and "as such the Head of the Commonwealth".

• The London Declaration was issued in April 1949.
• India was the first republic member of the Commonwealth.

1948–1949

The Three Readings of the Draft

From publication to adoption

The draft Constitution was published in February 1948, and the public and the provinces were given eight months to comment. Ambedkar introduced it in the Assembly on 4 November 1948 (the first reading). The clause-by-clause second reading ran from 15 November 1948 to 17 October 1949. The third reading began on 14 November 1949, and the motion that the Constitution be passed was declared carried on 26 November 1949.

• Draft published: February 1948.
• Introduced by Ambedkar: 4 November 1948.
• Second reading: 15 November 1948 to 17 October 1949.
• Adopted: 26 November 1949.

26 November 1949

Adoption on 26 November 1949

Now Constitution Day

The Constitution was adopted, enacted and given to the people on 26 November 1949, which is why the Preamble carries that date. Some provisions took effect at once, including those on citizenship, elections, the provisional Parliament, and temporary and transitional provisions (as listed in Article 394). The rest came into force on 26 January 1950. Since 2015, 26 November has been observed as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas).

• The Preamble says: "IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."
• Article 394 lists the provisions that came into force on 26 November 1949.
• As adopted, the Constitution had 395 articles, 22 parts and 8 schedules.

26 January 1950

Why 26 January?

Purna Swaraj Day

The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. The date was chosen because on 26 January 1930 the Indian National Congress had observed "Purna Swaraj" (complete independence) Day, following the Lahore session resolution of December 1929 presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru.

• Lahore Congress session, December 1929, adopted the Purna Swaraj resolution.
• 26 January 1930 was celebrated as Independence Day by the Congress.
• On 26 January 1950 India became a republic, and the Government of India Act 1935 and the Indian Independence Act 1947 were repealed (Article 395).

24 January 1950

The Signing: 24 January 1950

284 signatures

The last session of the Constituent Assembly was held on 24 January 1950. Members signed the hand-written copies of the Constitution (in English and in Hindi); 284 members signed. The Assembly then became the Provisional Parliament of India until the first general elections of 1951–52.

• 284 members signed the Constitution.
• Both the English and the Hindi calligraphed copies were signed.
• It was reported to be raining lightly that day, which was taken as a good omen.

How Long It Took

2 years, 11 months and 18 days

The Constituent Assembly took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to frame the Constitution, from its first sitting on 9 December 1946 to adoption on 26 November 1949. It held 11 sessions over 165 days, of which 114 days were spent considering the draft Constitution.

• 11 sessions, 165 sitting days.
• 114 days were spent on the draft Constitution.
• The total expenditure is usually put at about ₹64 lakh.

Thousands of Amendments

The draft was debated line by line

Members tabled about 7,600 amendments to the draft Constitution, of which about 2,400 were actually moved and discussed. The debates are recorded in the Constituent Assembly Debates (CAD), which courts still consult to understand what the framers intended.

• About 7,600 amendments were tabled and about 2,400 were moved.
• The Constituent Assembly Debates run to 12 volumes.
• The Supreme Court regularly cites the CAD in constitutional cases.

Prem Behari Narain Raizada, the Calligrapher

The Constitution was written by hand

The original English Constitution was hand-written in flowing italic calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada of Delhi. He is said to have declined any fee, asking only that he be allowed to write his name on every page and his grandfather's name with his own on the last page. The Hindi version was calligraphed by Vasant Krishan Vaidya.

• English calligraphy: Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
• Hindi calligraphy: Vasant Krishan Vaidya.
• The original was neither typed nor printed.

Nandalal Bose and the Illustrated Constitution

Art from Shantiniketan

The pages of the original Constitution were decorated by the artist Nandalal Bose and his students at Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan. The illustrations trace India's history, from a Mohenjo-daro seal and scenes of Vedic ashrams, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, through the Buddha, Mahavira, Ashoka, Akbar, Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh, to Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Preamble page was designed by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.

• Overall art: Nandalal Bose and his students.
• Preamble page: Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.
• Each of the 22 parts opens with an illustration.

Where the Original Is Kept

Helium-filled cases in the Parliament Library

The original hand-written copies of the Constitution, in English and Hindi, are preserved in special helium-filled cases in the Library of Parliament in New Delhi to protect them from decay. The first printed facsimile edition was produced by the Survey of India in Dehradun.

• Kept in helium-filled display cases in the Parliament Library.
• Photolithographic copies were printed by the Survey of India, Dehradun.

The Elephant: Symbol of the Assembly

The Assembly's seal

The elephant was adopted as the symbol, or seal, of the Constituent Assembly. It is a trivia favourite because the Assembly's emblem differs from the State Emblem (the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath) that India adopted on 26 January 1950.

• Seal of the Constituent Assembly: the elephant.
• State Emblem of India: adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, adopted 26 January 1950.

18 September 1949

"India, that is Bharat"

The debate over the country's name

Article 1(1) says "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." The wording was debated on 18 September 1949. H.V. Kamath moved an amendment to read "Bharat, or in the English language, India", and other members pressed for "Bharat" or "Bharatvarsha" alone. The amendments were rejected and the Drafting Committee's wording was adopted.

• Article 1(1): "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."
• H.V. Kamath's amendment for "Bharat, or in the English language, India" was defeated.

14 September 1949

The Munshi–Ayyangar Formula and Hindi Diwas

The language compromise

The official language was one of the Assembly's most divisive debates. The compromise, known as the Munshi–Ayyangar formula after K.M. Munshi and N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, made Hindi in the Devanagari script the official language of the Union, with English continuing for official purposes for fifteen years and international numerals used. It was adopted on 14 September 1949, which is now observed as Hindi Diwas.

• Now Part XVII of the Constitution (Articles 343–351).
• Article 343: Hindi in Devanagari script, with the international form of Indian numerals.
• 14 September is observed as Hindi Diwas.

17 October 1949

The "In the Name of God" Amendment

The Preamble's opening words

H.V. Kamath moved that the Preamble begin with the words "In the name of God". After a debate on whether a constitution could compel belief, the Assembly rejected the amendment by a vote, and the Preamble opens instead with "We, the People of India".

• Moved by H.V. Kamath.
• Rejected by a division (vote) in the Assembly.
• The Preamble opens: "WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA".

K.T. Shah and the Words "Secular, Federal, Socialist"

Proposed in 1948, added (in part) in 1976

Professor K.T. Shah moved amendments to describe India as a "Secular, Federal, Socialist" Union in the Constitution. Ambedkar opposed them, arguing that the kind of social and economic organisation should be left to the people to decide from time to time, and the amendments were rejected. The words "Socialist" and "Secular" were later added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.

• Proposed by K.T. Shah in November 1948.
• Rejected by the Assembly.
• "Socialist" and "Secular" were added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976.

Jaipal Singh Munda

The Adivasi voice of the Assembly

Jaipal Singh Munda, who had captained the Indian hockey team to Olympic gold at Amsterdam in 1928, spoke in the Constituent Assembly for the Adivasis. Responding to the Objectives Resolution, he said his people had been "disgracefully treated, neglected for the last 6,000 years" and pressed for their rights and self-government. He is remembered as a champion of the tribal people of Chotanagpur.

• Captain of India's gold-winning hockey team at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
• Founded the Jharkhand Party.
• Spoke for the Adivasis in the Constituent Assembly.

Frank Anthony

Voice of the Anglo-Indian community

Frank Anthony represented the Anglo-Indian community in the Constituent Assembly and argued for safeguards, including in education. The Constitution originally provided for the nomination of Anglo-Indians to the Lok Sabha (Article 331) and to state assemblies (Article 333). That nomination was discontinued by the 104th Amendment in 2019 (in force from January 2020).

• Articles 331 and 333 provided for nominating Anglo-Indians.
• The 104th Amendment (2019) ended the nomination.

26 November 1949

Rajendra Prasad's Closing Address

"If the people who are elected are capable…"

Closing the Assembly's work on 26 November 1949, Rajendra Prasad observed that whatever the Constitution may or may not provide, the welfare of the country would depend on the way it was administered, which in turn would depend on the people who administered it. If those elected were capable, men of character and integrity, they would make the best even of a defective Constitution.

• Delivered on the day of adoption, 26 November 1949.
• He regretted that no qualifications had been prescribed for legislators.

The Princely States in the Assembly

Negotiated entry

The princely states were allotted 93 seats, but their representatives joined only gradually, after negotiations conducted by the Assembly's States Committee (chaired by Nehru) and, on the political side, by Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon through the States Department. Hyderabad never sent representatives to the Assembly.

• Allotted 93 seats under the Cabinet Mission scheme.
• Hyderabad did not participate.
• Representatives of the states joined in stages from April 1947.

Partition and the Assembly

From 389 to 299

Under the Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947, a separate Constituent Assembly was formed for Pakistan. Members from the areas that went to Pakistan left the Indian Assembly, and its strength fell from the planned 389 to 299, of whom 229 represented the provinces and 70 the princely states.

• Strength after Partition: 299.
• The Mountbatten Plan was announced on 3 June 1947.

"A Lawyers' Paradise" and Other Criticisms

What critics said about the Constitution

Critics called the Constitution too long and too borrowed. Sir Ivor Jennings described it as "a lawyers' paradise" because of its length and detail, and some called it a "slavish imitation" of the Government of India Act 1935. Others criticised the Assembly as unrepresentative, since it was not elected by universal adult franchise and was dominated by the Congress. Granville Austin, on the other hand, called it "first and foremost a social document".

• Ivor Jennings: "a lawyers' paradise".
• Granville Austin: "first and foremost a social document", in The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation (1966).

"Quasi-Federal": K.C. Wheare

Federal or unitary?

The constitutional scholar K.C. Wheare described the Indian Constitution as "quasi-federal", a unitary state with subsidiary federal features rather than a federal state with subsidiary unitary features. Ambedkar himself told the Assembly that the Constitution could be both unitary and federal according to the requirements of time and circumstances.

• K.C. Wheare: "quasi-federal".
• The word "federation" does not appear in the Constitution; Article 1 calls India a "Union of States".

Why "Union of States" and Not "Federation"?

Ambedkar's two reasons

Ambedkar explained that the Drafting Committee used "Union of States" rather than "Federation" for two reasons: the Indian federation was not the result of an agreement among the states, and so no state had the right to secede from it. The federation is a union because it is indestructible.

• No state has the right to secede.
• The Union was not formed by an agreement among states, unlike the American federation.

The Longest Written Constitution

Why it is so long

India's Constitution is often described as the longest written national constitution in the world. Its length comes from the size and diversity of the country, the inclusion of detailed provisions from the Government of India Act 1935, a single constitution for both the Union and the states (Jammu and Kashmir apart, until 2019), and the influence of lawyers in the Assembly.

• Originally 395 articles, 22 parts and 8 schedules.
• Now over 470 articles (still numbered up to 395, with lettered insertions such as 21A and 243ZH), 25 parts and 12 schedules.

Sardar Patel's Role

Rights, minorities and the states

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel chaired the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, and the Provincial Constitution Committee. His Advisory Committee recommended ending separate electorates, a decision the Assembly accepted. As Home Minister, he also led the integration of the princely states, without which the Constitution could not have applied to a united India.

• Chaired the Advisory Committee and the Provincial Constitution Committee.
• Separate electorates were abolished in the Constitution.

H.V. Kamath, the Persistent Amender

The Assembly's most active debater

H.V. Kamath, a former ICS officer who had joined the Forward Bloc, was one of the most active members of the Constituent Assembly. He moved amendments on the name of the country ("Bharat"), on opening the Preamble with "In the name of God", and on many provisions concerning emergencies and personal liberty.

• Moved the "Bharat" amendment to Article 1.
• Moved the "In the name of God" amendment to the Preamble.

Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar

The great lawyer of the Drafting Committee

Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, a leading Madras lawyer and former Advocate General of Madras, was a member of the Drafting Committee and one of the most influential legal minds in the Assembly. He chaired the Credentials Committee and made major contributions to the provisions on fundamental rights, the judiciary and the directive principles.

• Member of the Drafting Committee.
• Former Advocate General of Madras.
• Chaired the Credentials Committee.

K.M. Munshi

Lawyer, novelist and drafter

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, a Bombay lawyer and Gujarati novelist, was a member of the Drafting Committee and several other committees, including the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee. He chaired the Order of Business Committee, co-authored the language compromise (the Munshi–Ayyangar formula), and later founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

• Member of the Drafting Committee.
• Chaired the Order of Business Committee.
• Founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (1938).

Syed Mohammad Saadulla

The Drafting Committee's member from Assam

Sir Syed Mohammad Saadulla, a former Premier of Assam (and a Muslim League leader before Partition), was the member of the Drafting Committee from Assam. His presence is often pointed to as an example of the Assembly's effort to include a range of voices.

• Former Premier (Prime Minister) of Assam province.
• Member of the Drafting Committee.

February 1948

The Draft Constitution of February 1948

Opened to the public for comment

The Drafting Committee submitted the Draft Constitution to the President of the Assembly on 21 February 1948, and it was published for public discussion. Comments, criticisms and suggestions came in from the public, the provinces and the ministries over eight months, and the Committee then published a reprint with its own suggested changes before the draft was taken up in the Assembly in November 1948.

• Submitted on 21 February 1948.
• Open for comment for about eight months.

Annie Mascarene

From Travancore to the Assembly

Annie Mascarene, a lawyer and freedom fighter from Thiruvananthapuram, was among the fifteen women in the Constituent Assembly, representing the Travancore-Cochin state. In 1951 she became the first woman elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala.

• Represented Travancore-Cochin in the Constituent Assembly.
• First woman Member of Parliament from Kerala (1951–52 election).

Durgabai Deshmukh

Lawyer, social reformer, Assembly member

Durgabai Deshmukh, a lawyer and social worker from Andhra, was an active member of the Constituent Assembly, speaking on the judiciary, women's rights and social welfare. She founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha and later chaired the Central Social Welfare Board. She married C.D. Deshmukh, the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

• Founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha (1937).
• First chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board (1953).
• Wife of C.D. Deshmukh, first Indian RBI Governor.

Begum Aizaz Rasul

The only Muslim woman in the Assembly

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul was the only Muslim woman in the Constituent Assembly. Originally a Muslim League member, she argued in the Assembly against reserved seats and separate electorates for religious minorities, supporting joint electorates instead. She later served in the Rajya Sabha and led the Indian women's hockey federation.

• The only Muslim woman member.
• Opposed separate electorates for minorities.
• Awarded the Padma Bhushan (2000).

N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar

Drafting Committee member who piloted Article 370

A former Dewan of Jammu and Kashmir, he moved the draft of what became Article 370 in the Assembly in October 1949; the Munshi–Ayyangar formula on language also bears his name.

T.T. Krishnamachari

Joined the Drafting Committee in place of D.P. Khaitan

After Khaitan's death in 1948, TTK joined the committee; he later said its burden fell mostly on Ambedkar because other members were absent or occupied.

N. Madhava Rau

Replaced B.L. Mitter on the Drafting Committee

A former Dewan of Mysore, he took the place of B.L. Mitter, who resigned from the committee.

D.P. Khaitan

An original Drafting Committee member who died in 1948

Debi Prasad Khaitan, a Calcutta lawyer and industrialist, was one of the seven original members of the Drafting Committee.

H.C. Mookherjee

Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly

Harendra Coomar Mookherjee, a Christian educationist from Bengal, chaired the Minorities Sub-Committee and later became Governor of West Bengal.

Dakshayani Velayudhan

The only Dalit woman in the Constituent Assembly

From Kerala, she was the first Dalit woman graduate in the state and argued in the Assembly for the abolition of untouchability.

Ammu Swaminathan

Predicted the Constitution would give women equal rights

From Kerala, she told the Assembly that outsiders had said India did not give equal rights to women, but now India itself had framed a constitution that did.

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

Member of the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee; India's first Health Minister

She opposed separate electorates for women and later founded AIIMS as Health Minister.

Sucheta Kripalani

Sang Vande Mataram at the midnight session

She sang at the session of 14–15 August 1947 and later became India's first woman Chief Minister (Uttar Pradesh, 1963).

Renuka Ray

Campaigned for women's rights to inheritance

A social worker from Bengal who pressed in the Assembly for women's rights in family property.

Thakur Das Bhargava

Moved the amendment on cow protection

His amendment led to the wording of Article 48 on the organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry, including prohibiting slaughter of cows.

Naziruddin Ahmad

The critic who called it the "drifting committee"

A Bengal member known for frequent amendments and sharp criticism of the Drafting Committee.

Somnath Lahiri

The Communist voice in the Assembly

He criticised the fundamental rights as written "from the point of view of a police constable" because of their many restrictions.

1950–1952

The Provisional Parliament

The Constituent Assembly continued as India's Parliament

Under Article 379, the Assembly functioned as the Provisional Parliament until the first elected Parliament met in 1952; it passed the First Amendment in 1951.