Making of Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution is an amalgamation of authentic, historical, and contemporary documents. The Making of the Indian Constitution is regarded as one of the most influential political documents in today's world, mainly because it has been instrumental in shaping India politically, economically, and socially.

Significance of the Making of the Indian Constitution

The significance of the Making of the Indian Constitution lies in two aspects: its form and content. The first aspect is how it was designed and its genesis. The second aspect has to do with what is contained in various parts of the document itself and elsewhere.

The Making of the Indian Constitution is a mixture of various historical documents that have been continually referred to over centuries by successive political formations. It came into being in 1965, when India had decided to join the mainstream of modern civilization, following a brief period of isolationism. During this period, the political system did not undergo any significant transformation. It is an essential factor that should be duly noted because it heralded a new era for India historically from this point onwards. This was a necessary change in the direction of progress, necessitated by the speedy development that India had already been undergoing for several decades.

The separation of powers can be attributed to the British Constitution which was established after the revolution and is not directly borrowed from American constitutions. It is based on the British constitutional system that existed two centuries ago. The separation of powers was a key feature of that system as opposed to a unitary form of government as practised in France, Germany and even China.

One way this system works is that no one individual can have absolute power over all others or exercise authority over them without considering all aspects and bearing various consequences.

The Constituent Assembly and the Making of the Indian Constitution

The Constituent Assembly was an assembly of various leaders and representatives of different eras who worked collectively to make India's first Constitution.

The Assembly was formed in May 1946, one month before India officially became a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state. It was made up of delegates from various Indian political parties and had representatives from both provinces and the British Parliament.

The Constituent Assembly is credited with making the Indian Constitution, which came into force in January 1950.

The members of the Constituent Assembly were headed by Dr Rajendra Prasad, a nationalist leader and the first President of India.

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The first few months of its existence were spent in planning discussions, debates, and collecting ideas from various leaders from around the country. It established various committees like Union Powers Committee, Provincial Constitution Committee, and Provincial Conference Committee to formulate draft proposals for certain aspects of Indian federalism.

Initially, more than 30 drafts were proposed for the Constitution's content by different parties in the Assembly. Eventually, these drafts were whittled down to make way for one single document that was acceptable to all parties in the Assembly.

This process proved to be time-consuming and was further complicated by the decision of the British Government to quit India in 1947.

The Constitution is a compilation of various articles that are divided into topics like federalism, citizenship, fundamental rights, and duties, among other categories. These articles are written using clear and precise language that ordinary people can easily understand.

The compilers of this document have deliberately avoided using complex legal jargon in order to reach out to as many people as possible.

The Constituent Assembly of India was a group of outstanding leaders who worked together to draft the Constitution. When the process began, there was chaos over various drafts because parties could not agree on what should be included in the document. However, all these multiple drafts were eventually merged into one document that became one of India's most important political documents.

FAQs on Making of Indian Constitution

Q1: Why was the making of the Indian Constitution termed a significant event?

The Making of the Indian Constitution was significant because it was the first time India had a written constitution with clear guidelines for governing the country.

Q2: What were some difficulties faced by the Constituent Assembly while making of Indian Constitution?

Constituent Assembly faced several difficulties while Making of Indian Constitution. At times, members and parties in the Assembly disagreed on some aspects of the draft as they did not consider it sufficient enough. Even after agreeing, some people showed opposition towards specific issues like those related to religion.

Q3: How was the draft finally made into an authoritative document for the process of Making the Indian Constitution?

The process of making the Indian Constitution was long and complicated. After the Constituent Assembly divided all drafts into different categories, it then decided which provisions should be included. Various drafts were presented to key people for approval and suggestions for improvement. After several drafts and revisions, a single document was released.

Q4: What critical documents were included in the Making of the Indian Constitution?

The Constitution of India is the most important document in this matter, although it also contains other laws. It includes the Fundamental Rights and Duties of a citizen and various fundamental laws and statutes, such as those related to the federal government.

Each document mentioned above is contained in its category and has a significant part, or all of it contained within this central document itself.