The Making of the Indian Constitution: Complete UPSC Revision Notes with Mnemonics

1. Historical Timeline (1934–1950)

• 1934: M.N. Roy proposed the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India.

• 1935: The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly.

• 1940: The British accepted this demand in the August Offer.

• 1942: Cripps Mission proposed framing an independent Constitution after World War II.

• 1946:

  • Cabinet Mission Plan outlined the framework for the Constituent Assembly.

  • 6 December: Constituent Assembly was formed with 389 members, later reduced to 299 after partition.

  • 9 December: First meeting; Sachchidananda Sinha served as temporary president.

  • 11 December: Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected President; B.N. Rau appointed legal advisor.

  • 13 December: Nehru introduced the Objective Resolution, forming the basis of the Preamble.

• 1947:

  • 15 August: India gained independence; Constituent Assembly became a sovereign body.

  • 29 August: Drafting Committee formed under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

• 1949:

  • 26 November: Constitution adopted after 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days of deliberation.

• 1950:

  • 24 January: Final session of the Constituent Assembly; members signed the Constitution.

  • 26 January: Constitution came into force, marking India as a Republic.

2. Key Figures in the Drafting Process

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: Chairman of the Drafting Committee, known as the "Father of the Indian Constitution".

• Dr. Rajendra Prasad: President of the Constituent Assembly and later India’s first President.

• Jawaharlal Nehru: Presented the Objective Resolution and played a key role in shaping constitutional ideals.

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Worked on administrative integration and federal structure.

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: Contributed to educational and cultural policies.

• Members of Drafting Committee:

  • Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar

  • K.M. Munshi

  • N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar

  • Mohammad Saadulla

  • T.T. Krishnamachari (replaced D.P. Khaitan).

3. Role of the Constituent Assembly

• Total sessions: 11 sessions spanning over 167 days between December 1946 and November 1949.

• Composition:

  • Initially, 389 members (292 from provinces, 93 from princely states, and four from Chief Commissioner Provinces).

  • Reduced to 299 after partition.

• Key Functions:

  • Drafting and debating provisions for governance, rights, and federal structure.

  • Adoption of principles like democracy, secularism, and social justice.

4. Major Influences and Sources

The Indian Constitution is a blend of indigenous ideas and borrowed features adapted to Indian conditions:

1. Government of India Act, 1935:

   • Federal structure

   • Office of Governor

   • Emergency provisions

   • Public Service Commission.

2. Borrowed Features from Other Countries:

Country	Features Borrowed
United Kingdom	Parliamentary system, Rule of law, Single citizenship, Legislative procedure
United States	Fundamental Rights (Part III), Judicial review, Independence of judiciary
Canada	Federation with strong center, Residuary powers with center
Ireland	Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV), Presidential election method
Australia	Concurrent List, Freedom of trade between states
USSR	Fundamental Duties (Part IV-A), Five-Year Plans
France	Ideals of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity in Preamble
Germany	Emergency provisions
South Africa	Procedure for constitutional amendments
Japan	Concept of “Procedure established by law”

5. Comparison Table for Borrowed Features

Source Country	Feature Borrowed	Relevant Articles/Parts
UK	Parliamentary government	Articles 74–75
	Rule of Law	Article 14
	Single Citizenship	Article 5
USA	Fundamental Rights	Articles 12–35
	Judicial Review	Article 13
	Impeachment of President	Article 61
Canada	Federation with strong center	Articles 246–254
Ireland	Directive Principles	Articles 36–51
Australia	Concurrent List	Seventh Schedule
USSR	Fundamental Duties	Article 51A
France	Liberty, Equality, Fraternity	Preamble

Process of Constitution-Making:

Mnemonics for Borrowed Features

1. UK Constitution Borrowings – PRLSBC ("Parliament Really Likes Single British Citizenship"):

   • Parliamentary government

   • Rule of law

   • Legislative procedure

   • Single citizenship

   • Bicameralism

   • Cabinet system

2. US Constitution Borrowings – FIJI VP ("FIJI's Vice President"):

   • Fundamental rights

   • Independence of judiciary

   • Judicial review

   • Impeachment process

   • Vice-President post

   • Preamble

3. Canadian Borrowings – FRAG ("FRAGile federation"):

   • Federation with strong center

   • Residuary powers with center

   • Appointment of governors by center

   • Guidance from Supreme Court