Evolution of the Indian Constitution & Constituent Assembly

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, events and statutes related to the evolution of India’s Constitution and the working of the Constituent Assembly.

Constituent Assembly (India)

Body elected in 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan to draft and adopt the Constitution of India.

Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

British proposal that set up the Indian Constituent Assembly and outlined its composition and procedure.

August Offer (1940)

British declaration that first accepted the principle that Indians would frame their own constitution after the war.

Cripps Mission (1942)

British wartime proposal offering dominion status and a post-war constitution-making body, rejected by Indian leaders.

Objective Resolution (13 Dec 1946)

J. L. Nehru’s resolution laying down the philosophy of the Constitution; later became the basis of the Preamble.

Drafting Committee

Seven-member committee headed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (29 Aug 1947) tasked with preparing the draft Constitution.

Date of Adoption

The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949.

Date of Commencement

The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, chosen to commemorate the 1930 Poorna Swaraj Day.

Poorna Swaraj Resolution (1929)

Congress’ Lahore Session declaration demanding complete independence; Republic Day is aligned with its anniversary.

President of the Constituent Assembly

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, elected 11 December 1946; later became India’s first President.

Temporary President of CA

Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, who presided over the first meeting on 9 December 1946.

Constitutional Advisor

Sir B. N. Rau, who provided legal guidance to the Constituent Assembly.

Vice-President of CA

H. C. Mukherjee, who assisted the President in conducting sessions.

Union Constitution Committee

Major committee of the CA headed by J. L. Nehru to decide on the federal structure.

Provincial Constitution Committee

Committee chaired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to frame provisions for provinces.

Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights & Minorities

Body led by Sardar Patel that drafted fundamental rights and minority safeguards.

Steering Committee (CA)

Committee chaired by Dr. Rajendra Prasad to set the Assembly’s agenda.

National Flag Adoption

The tricolour was adopted by the CA on 22 July 1947.

National Anthem Adoption

‘Jana Gana Mana’ was adopted by the CA on 24 January 1950.

National Song Adoption

‘Vande Mataram’ was adopted by the CA on 24 January 1950.

Time taken to draft Constitution

2 years, 11 months and 18 days; total cost about ₹64 lakhs; 11 sessions held.

Women in Constituent Assembly

15 members including Durgabai Deshmukh, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani and Vijayalakshmi Pandit.

Symbol of Constituent Assembly

Elephant emblem shown on official stationery and publications.

H. V. R. Iyengar

Secretary of the Constituent Assembly and later Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha.

Prem Behari Raizada

Calligrapher who hand-wrote the original Constitution in flowing italic style.

Nandalal Bose

Artist who illustrated the original Constitution’s pages along with Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.

Regulating Act 1773

First British parliamentary act to regulate East India Company rule; created Governor-General of Bengal and Supreme Court at Calcutta.

Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774)

India’s first Supreme Court, established under the Regulating Act 1773.

Pitt’s India Act 1784

Set up dual control via Board of Control and Court of Directors over the East India Company.

Charter Act 1793

Renewed Company charter and affirmed Governor-General’s power of veto.

Charter Act 1813

Ended Company’s trade monopoly except in tea and China; allowed missionaries and funds for education.

Charter Act 1833

Ended Company’s commercial functions; made Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India; introduced a Law Commission.

Charter Act 1853

Separated legislative and executive councils; introduced open competitive exams for Civil Service.

Government of India Act 1858

Transferred power from East India Company to the British Crown; created office of Secretary of State for India.

Indian Councils Act 1861

Re-introduced legislative councils, included nominated Indians, and authorised the Viceroy to issue ordinances.

Portfolio System

Administrative device introduced by Lord Canning (1859) assigning departments to council members.

Indian Councils Act 1892

Expanded councils, allowed budget discussion, and introduced limited indirect elections.

Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto)

Introduced separate electorates for Muslims, expanded legislative councils, and placed the first Indian (Satyendra Sinha) in the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

Separate Electorate

System where only members of a community vote for their representatives; first granted to Muslims in 1909.

Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford)

Established dyarchy in provinces, bicameralism at the centre, and expanded the franchise.

Dyarchy

Dual system in provinces dividing subjects into ‘reserved’ (Governor) and ‘transferred’ (ministers) lists.

High Commissioner for India

Office created in London by the 1919 Act to handle Indian governmental matters formerly dealt with by the Secretary of State.

Government of India Act 1935

Comprehensive act proposing an all-India federation, provincial autonomy, three legislative lists, and institutions like RBI and Federal Court.

Federal List (1935 Act)

List of 59 subjects on which only the federal legislature could legislate.

Provincial List (1935 Act)

List of 54 subjects reserved for provincial legislatures.

Concurrent List (1935 Act)

List of 36 subjects on which both Centre and Provinces could legislate.

Provincial Autonomy

System under the 1935 Act where provinces had responsible governments without dyarchy.

Federal Court of India

Judicial body established in 1937 under the 1935 Act, predecessor of today’s Supreme Court.

Reserve Bank of India

Central bank established in 1935 per provisions of the GOI Act 1935.

Indian Independence Act 1947

Act of British Parliament that ended colonial rule, partitioned India and Pakistan, and vested sovereignty in their Constituent Assemblies.

Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947)

Scheme for partition and transfer of power that led to the Indian Independence Act 1947.

Lord Mountbatten

Last Viceroy and first Governor-General of independent India.

Secretary of State for India

British Cabinet post created in 1858 and abolished by the Indian Independence Act 1947.

Board of Control

Body created by Pitt’s India Act 1784 to oversee East India Company’s civil, military and revenue affairs.

East India Company

English trading company chartered in 1600 whose rule in India ended with the Government of India Act 1858.

Decentralisation under 1861 Act

Shift of some legislative powers to provincial councils reversing earlier centralisation.

Single Transferable Vote

Proportional representation method used to elect provincial representatives to the Constituent Assembly.

Princely States in CA

Initially allotted 93 nominated seats; many joined later, giving 70 seats after partition.

Strength of CA after Partition

299 members (229 from British Indian provinces and 70 from princely states).

Provisional Parliament

Constituent Assembly functioned as India’s legislature from 25 Jan 1950 until the first elections (1951-52).

Father of Indian Constitution

Honorific title for Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Criticism of Constituent Assembly

Seen as indirect, time-consuming, Congress-dominated and not fully representative of all social groups.

Simon Commission (1927)

Statutory commission to review 1919 Act reforms; its exclusion of Indians triggered protests.

Nehru Report (1928)

First Indian attempt to draft a constitutional framework, demanding dominion status and fundamental rights.

Karachi Session (1931)

Congress session that adopted a comprehensive resolution on fundamental rights and economic policy.

August Declaration (1917)

British promise of gradual self-government leading to GOI Act 1919; distinct from August Offer 1940.

Communal Representation

Allocation of seats or electorates to specific religious or social communities (1909, 1919, 1935 Acts).

Central Public Service Commission

Body set up in 1926 (now UPSC) to recruit higher civil services through open competition.

Federal Public Service Commission

Central recruitment agency provided for by the GOI Act 1935, created alongside provincial commissions.