The Drafting Committee of India's Constitution: Key Members and Contributions

Drafting Committee for India’s Constitution

The Indian Constitution is an outstanding piece of writing that has stood the test of time and continues to serve as the cornerstone of the largest democracy in the world.

The Drafting Committee is a group of outstanding individuals who are the inspiration behind this colossal work of law, politics, and philosophy. When tasked with drafting the Constitution, these pioneers rose to the occasion with extraordinary fervour and skill.

The important members of the Drafting Committee, their contributions, and their effects on the creation of the Indian Constitution will all be covered in this blog.

What Is the Drafting Committee?

In comparison to the other committees of the Constituent Assembly, the drafting committee was the most crucial. The Constituent Assembly was established on August 29, 1947, with the aim of reviewing the draught Indian Constitution prepared by the Constitutional Adviser. Implementing the Assembly's decision and putting it up for consideration were its main goals.

Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami, B.R. Ambedkar, K.M. Munshi, Mohammad Saadulla, B.L. Mitter, and D.P. Khaitan were among the seven members of the drafting committee. On August 30, 1947, the Drafting Committee convened for the first time, with B.R. Ambedkar was elected as its chairperson.

Date	Event
October 1947	Draft Constitution submitted by Sir B.N. Rau
August 29, 1947	Drafting Committee formed under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
February 21, 1948	Draft Constitution delivered to the President of the Constituent Assembly
November 26, 1949	Constitution completed
January 26, 1950	Constitution goes into effect
Time taken	Two years, eleven months, and seventeen days
Number of sessions	166
Days spent debating the Draft Constitution	114 out of 166
Chairman of the Drafting Committee	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

What Was the Purpose of the Drafting Committee?

The Drafting Committee was tasked with creating the new Indian Constitution. The first draft of the Constitution was released by the drafting committee on February 21 of that year. It was later examined by the citizens of India after about eight months. The public also suggested additional changes.

The following draft of the constitution was published in October 1948 after the drafting committee made the necessary changes in response to public comments on the draft.

The Indian Constitution was drafted in its entirety by the drafting committee over the course of two years, eleven months, and eighteen days after its founding in 1947.

The Constituent Assembly met for approximately 11 sessions over a total of 165 days, of which 114 days were devoted to discussing the draft Constitution and the work of the drafting committee.

Function of the Constituent Assembly's Drafting Committee

There were five phases to the assembly's work:

• The committees presented their reports on the issues.
• B.N. Rau created an early draft of the constitution in accordance with the findings and his research into other nations' constitutions.
• The B. R. Ambedkar-led drafting committee created a thorough draft constitution that was made available for feedback.
• There was discussion about the draught constitution, and changes were put forth and adopted.
• The Congress Party, now known as the Congress Assembly Party, headed a committee of experts that was instrumental in getting the constitution passed.

Final Draft of the Constitution

Each member of the Constituent Assembly signed the Indian Constitution twice; once in Hindi and once in English after it was recently drafted. Each page of the original constitution was handwritten and embellished by well-known Shantiniketan artists like Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the work's calligrapher.

In Dehradun, the Indian Constitution was published, and at the Survey of India, photolithography was carried out. The original Indian Constitution was written over the course of nearly five years. The Constituent Assembly was expected to cost 6.3 crore. Since it was adopted, the constitution has undergone more than 100 amendments.

FAQs

Q1. Who created the drafting committee of Indians?

Ans: In order to create a draught constitution for India, the Constituent Assembly established a Drafting Committee on August 29, 1947, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as its chairman.

Q2. Who was the first president of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution?

Ans: The Indian Constitution is credited to Dr. BR Ambedkar, who served as the committee's chairman and gave the country a comprehensive and adaptable framework for governance while taking into account its distinctive social, cultural, and religious diversity.

Q3. Who is the drafting committee president?

Ans: The new president of the Constituent Assembly is Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The constitution was written and approved by the Constituent Assembly. The constitution became operative on January 26, 1950.

Q4. When was the drafting of the Constitution started?

Ans: In 1946, work on the Indian Constitution got under way. The constitution was drafted over the course of nearly three years by the 389-member assembly, which was reduced to 299 after India was partitioned.

Q5. Which is the biggest Constitution in the world?

Ans: The 26th of January 1950 saw the official adoption of the Indian Constitution. The document gives the government instructions on how to operate in accordance with its principles. India's constitution is the world's longest piece of writing.

Q6. What is the history of drafting the Indian Constitution?

Ans: The Constituent Assembly, which was chosen by elected representatives of the provincial assemblies, drafted the constitution. The 389-member assembly, which was reduced to 299 after India was partitioned, held eleven sessions over a total of 165 days to draft the constitution, taking close to three years.