Indian Polity: Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution

Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution

1. On 29 August 1947, a Drafting Committee was appointed, with Dr B. R. Ambedkar as the Chairman along with six other members assisted by a constitutional advisor.
2. These members were Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (K M Munshi, Ex- Home Minister, Bombay), Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer (Ex- Advocate General, Madras State), N Gopalaswami Ayengar (Ex-Prime Minister, J&K and later member of Nehru Cabinet), B L Mitter (Ex-Advocate General, India), Md. Saadullah (Ex- Chief Minister of Assam, Muslim League member) and D P Khaitan (Scion of Khaitan Business family and a renowned lawyer).
3. The constitutional advisor was Sir Benegal Narsing Rau (who became First Indian Judge in International Court of Justice, 1950–54). Later B L Mitter resigned and was replaced by Madhav Rao (Legal Advisor of Maharaja of Vadodara).
4. A Draft Constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on 4 November 1947. A Draft constitution was debated and over 2000 amendments were moved over a period of two years.
5. Finally on 26 Nov. 1949, the process was completed and the Constituent assembly adopted the constitution. 284 members signed the document and the process of constitution making was complete.
6. The Drafting Committee prepared the first Draft of the constitution. This was then circulated for the comments of jurists, lawyers, judges and other public men.
7. In the light of this criticism Drafting Committee prepared a second draft which consisted of 315 Articles and 9 Schedules.
8. The second Draft was placed before the Constituent Assembly in Feb, 21-1948. The Draft was then considered clause by clause by the Assembly.
9. The third reading commenced on Nov-14 and was finished on Nov-26, 1949. On this date the constitution received the signature of the President of the Assembly and was declared as passed. It had taken 2 years 11 months and 18 days to complete the task.