Committees of Constituent Assembly – 8 Major Committees, Constitutional Committee Chairman
By Balaji
Updated on: March 6th, 2023
The Committees of Constituent Assembly were appointed by the constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for Independent India. They were divided into 8 major committees of constituent assembly and 14 minor committees.
The provincial assembly elected the constitution committee, and the committee members of the constituent assembly functioned as the nation’s first Parliament, also referred to as the ‘Provisional Parliament of India’ after India gained independence from the British in 1947. Twenty-two committees of the constituent assembly are selected to handle multiple tasks related to the making of the Constitution, such as the steering committee and drafting committee.
Table of content
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1. Committees of Constituent Assembly
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2. Major Committees of Constituent Assembly
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3. Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution
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4. Minor Committees of Constituent Assembly
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5. Work Stages of Committees of Constituent Assembly
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6. Timeline of Constitutional Committee
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7. Difference Between Constituent Assembly and Drafting Committee
Committees of Constituent Assembly
In 1946, the Constituent Assembly met for the first time and selected 22 committees of the constituent assembly to deal with various affairs of constitution-making. Different committees of the Constituent Assembly got established to manage various departments of creating the Indian Constitution, which is currently an Independent India.
Which Committee Was Recommended for a Constituent Assembly?
The drafting committee of the Indian Constitution is very notable in Indian Polity history as it has a vital role in drafting the constitution. There is a huge significance of Parliamentary committees that ensures clarity and efficiency in law-making procedure.
The Constituent Assembly Committees can be divided into three categories:
- Drafting Committee
- Constitutional Committee on Procedural Affairs
- Indian Constitution Committee on Substantive Affairs
Major Committees of Constituent Assembly
There were 22 committees of the constituent assembly; out of these were 8 major committees, and the remaining were considered minor committees of the constituent assembly.
8 Major Committees of Constituent Assembly | Chairman |
Union Powers Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Union Constitution Committee | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Provincial Constitution Committee | Sardar Patel |
Drafting Committee | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas | Sardar Patel |
Rules of Procedure Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Steering Committee Chairman | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas further consisted of sub-committees, which are as follows:
- Fundamental Rights Committee – Chairman J.B. Kripalani
- Minorities Committee – Chaired by H.C. Mukherjee
- North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Committee -Gopinath Bardoloi
- Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas Committee – A.V. Thakkar
- North-West Frontier Tribal Areas Sub-Committee Chairman information is unavailable, but the members included Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Khan Abdul Samad Khan, and Mehr Chand Khanna.
Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution
Dr. BR Ambedkar evolved as the chairman of the Drafting Committee. The drafting committee was the most important committee of the constituent assembly as it was responsible for drafting the new constitution. It was set up on 29 August 1947
The drafting committee members were:
- N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
- Muhammad Saadullah
- KM Munshi
- Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
- Dr. DP Khaitan (Replaced by TT Krishnamachari)
- N Madhava Rao replaced BL Mittar following his resignation on health problems.
Minor Committees of Constituent Assembly
Check here the complete list of the minor committees of the constituent assembly and their chairmen. Gain complete details of the concept to score well in the upcoming exam.
Committees of Constituent Assembly | Chairman |
Finance and Staff Committee | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
Credentials Committee | Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar |
House Committee | B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya |
Order of Business Committee | Dr. K.M. Munshi |
Ad-hoc Committee on the National Flag | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly | G.V. Mavalankar |
Ad-hoc Committee on the Supreme Court | S. Varadachari |
Committee on Chief Commissioners’ Provinces | B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya |
Expert Committee on the Financial Provisions of the Union Constitution | Nalini Ranjan Sarkar |
Linguistic Provinces Commission | S.K. Dar |
Special Committee to Examine the Draft Constitution | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Press Gallery Committee | Usha Nath Sen |
Ad-hoc Committee on Citizenship | S. Varadachari |
Work Stages of Committees of Constituent Assembly
Mentioned are the 5 work stages of committees of the constituent assembly.
- Committees submitted information on matters.
- B. N. Rau formulated an initial draft based on the reports and his analysis of the constitutions of other nations.
- B. R. Ambedkar suggested an elaborate draft constitution issued for public discussion.
- The draft constitution was examined, and revisions were indicated and passed.
- The constitution was set, with a committee of specialists led by the Congress Party (known as the Congress Assembly Party) playing a pivotal function.
Timeline of Constitutional Committee
Listed is the detailed timeline of the formation of the Indian constitution in 1950 from the committees of the constituent assembly.
Timeline | Responsibility of the Constitutional Committee |
9 December 1946 | Shaping of the Constituent Assembly (urging a distinct state.) |
11 December 1946 | President Appointed – Rajendra Prasad, vice-chairman Harendra Coomar Mookerjee and constitutional legal counsel B. N. Rau (Members dropped to 299 after partition from 389). |
13 December 1946 | Jawaharlal Nehru presented an ‘Objective Resolution’. |
22 January 1947 | The resolution was taken into effect without opposition. |
22 July 1947 | The national flag was embraced. |
15 August 1947 | Acquired independence. India was divided into the Dominion of Pakistan and the Dominion of India. |
29 August 1947 | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar became the chairman, and a drafting committee was established. |
16 July 1948 | V. T. Krishnamachari was chosen as the second vice-president of the Constituent Assembly along with Harendra Coomar Mookerjee. |
26 November 1949 | The constituent assembly passed and acquired the Constitution of India. |
24 January 1950 | The Constitution of India was marked and authorized with 395 articles, 8 schedules, and 22 parts during the final meeting. |
26 January 1950 | After 2 years, with a total expense of ₹6.4 million, the Constitution of India came into power. |
Difference Between Constituent Assembly and Drafting Committee
The Constituent Assembly was set up to draft the Constitution for Independent India. The assembly then appointed 22 Constituent Assembly Committees distributing the tasks into different committees. The most important of those constitutional committees was the Drafting Committee which was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution for India.
As you know, the Constituent Assembly was responsible for the making of the Constitution, while the Drafting Committee was responsible for preparing a draft of the Constitution. Here are some of the basic differences between the two committees.
Constituent Assembly | Drafting Committee |
It was formed in 1946 to draft the Constitution of India. | It was formed in 1947 by the Constituent Assembly to prepare a draft of the Constitution. |
It consisted of 389 members who were elected by the Provincial Assemblies. | It consisted of 7 members who were appointed by the Constituent Assembly. |
Constituent Assembly was chaired by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. | Drafting Committee was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. |
It was responsible for discussing and debating various provisions of the Constitution. | It was responsible for preparing a draft of the Constitution based on the discussions and debates held by the Constituent Assembly. |
The complete details of the constituent assembly are essential for the UPSC exam. The questions such as “Which committee was recommended for a constituent assembly?” can be asked in Prelims and Mains.
UPSC Notes | |
Round Table Conference | National Flag of India |
Bharat Ratna Award List | 7th Schedule of Indian Constitution |
Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference | Article 21 of Indian Constitution |