Our Constitution

Constitution is a comprehensive document containing the set of rules that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the way the governance is to be carried out. Which of the following statements correctly describes the same?

1. It ensures smooth governance for the welfare of its citizens.
2. It regulates the position of the citizens.
3. It dictates terms to the states work under the central government.
4. It provides rules and regulations for the smooth functioning of various commercial establishment in the country.

Answer

It ensures smooth governance for the welfare of its citizens.

The Constituent Assembly was truly national in character. In this context, identify the categories which were given membership of the Constituent Assembly.

P : General Category, Muslims and Sikhs.

Q : Christians, Anglo-Indians and Parsees.

R : General Category and Sikhs.

S : Christians and Parsees.

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer

P and Q

How were members of the Constituent Assembly selected?

1. Directly elected by the people
2. Nominated by the Viceroy
3. Indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies
4. Indirectly elected by the Provincial Council

Answer

Indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies

The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of ............... members.

1. 390
2. 292
3. 389
4. 384

Answer

389

When was the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly held?

1. December 5, 1946
2. December 25, 1945
3. December 9, 1946
4. December 24, 1946

Answer

December 9, 1946

Where was the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly held?

1. Present Lok Sabha Hall of Parliament
2. Present Rajya Sabha Hall of Parliament
3. Present Central Hall of the Parliament
4. Rashtrapati Bhawan

Answer

Present Central Hall of the Parliament

Arrange the following events in chronological order.

(A) : Independence of India

(B) : Setting up of the Drafting Committee

(C) : First sitting of the Constituent Assembly

(D) : Election to Provincial Assembly

1. DCAB
2. BACD
3. ADCB
4. DCBA

Answer

DCAB

Who was elected President of the Constituent Assembly at its first sitting?

1. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
3. Dr. Sachidananda Sinha
4. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

Answer

Dr. Sachidananda Sinha

Who proposed the 'Objectives Resolution'?

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
2. Mahatma Gandhi
3. Subhash Chandra Bose
4. Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer

Jawaharlal Nehru

The Objectives Resolution proposed on December 13, 1946 and passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947 highlighted the objectives of the Constitution. Which of the following were the national goals laid down?

1. Free India would be a republic.
2. Fundamental Rights to all citizens.
3. Ideals of social, political and economic democracy to all citizens.
4. All of the above.

Answer

All of the above

Name the legal sanction that allowed the Constituent Assembly to function post partition

1. Objectives Resolution, 1946
2. Indian Independence Act, 1947
3. Poorna Swaraj Declaration, 1929
4. Government of India Act, 1942

Answer

Indian Independence Act, 1947

The Cabinet Mission Plan had ensured representation to general category and

1. Anglo-Indians and Muslims
2. Muslims and Sikhs
3. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes
4. Muslims, Christians and Sikhs

Answer

Muslims and Sikhs

On the basis of which plan was the Constituent Assembly constituted?

1. Cabinet Mission Plan
2. Mountbatten Plan
3. Cripps Mission
4. None of the above

Answer

Cabinet Mission Plan

Who was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution?

1. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
2. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
3. Dr. H.C. Mukherjee
4. Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Answer

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

What is meant by the term Constitution?

Answer

Constitution is a comprehensive document containing the set of rules that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the manner according to which the governance of a country is to be carried out. It regulates the position and powers of the three organs of the Government — the legislative, the executive and the judiciary; and states how they are inter-related.

What is known as the 'Objectives Resolution'? By whom was the Objectives Resolution proposed?

Answer

When the Constituent Assembly started the work of drafting the Constitution, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the 'Objectives Resolution' on December 13, 1946. The Resolution highlighted the objectives and laid down the national goals. The main points of the Objectives Resolution were:

1. Free India will be nothing but a 'republic'.
2. The ideals of social, political and economic democracy would be guaranteed to all people.
3. The republic would grant Fundamental Rights to citizens.
4. The state would safeguard the rights of minorities and backward classes.

The Objectives Resolution was proposed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

When was the constitution adopted and passed? When did the constitution come into force?

Answer

The constitution was adopted and passed on 26th November, 1949.

The constitution come into force on 26th January, 1950.

Why was January 26 chosen for the commencement of the constitution?

Answer

The date January 26 was chosen for the commencement of the constitution because of its historical importance. At the Lahore Session of the Congress held in December 1929, a resolution was passed which declared Poorna Swaraj or Complete Independence to be the objective of the Congress. January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence Day, which was to be celebrated every year. Since then the day was celebrated as Independence Day up to 1947. Later, to maintain its importance January 26 was chosen for enforcement of constitution and was designated as Republic day.

Write a short note on Dr. Ambedkar's contribution to the Indian Constitution.

Answer

Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, was one of the architects of the constitution of India. As the chairman of the Drafting Committee, he provided constitutional guarantees and protections for civil liberties like freedom of religion, abolition of untouchability, and social rights for women in the Indian Constitution. He provided a job reservation system for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
To shape India as a Sovereign Democratic Republic that ensured individual liberty, dignity, and national integrity, Dr. Ambedkar incorporated the following principles in the Indian Constitution:

1. Made the Indian constitution workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country together both in peace and in war.
2. Provided special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the Fundamental Rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Center or the State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws to integrate Indian society. Therefore, he proposed a strong Centre to maintain territorial integrity and administrative discipline.
5. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic democracy and welfare of the people of India.

With reference to the making of Indian Constitution explain the following:

(a) Name the plan which proposed to set up the Constituent Assembly. How were the members of the Constituent Assembly elected?

(b) How was the membership of the Constituent Assembly reduced as a result of partition of the country?

(c) How can you say that the Constituent Assembly gave adequate representation to all sections of the Indian society?

Answer

(a) The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) proposed to set up the Constituent Assembly.

The members of the Constituent Assembly were elected indirectly by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies (Lower House only). Elections to the Provincial Assembly were completed by July 1946. The princely states were represented by the members nominated by the rulers of these States. The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of 389 members (292 elected, 93 nominated by the Princely states, 3 from Chief Commissioner Provinces and one from the British).

(b) The Muslim League boycotted the Constituent Assembly to demand the creation of a separate state called Pakistan. Consequently the members representing the territories which went to Pakistan withdrew from the Constituent Assembly of India. As a result, the membership of the Constituent Assembly of India stood at 299 against the original number of 389 members.

(c) The wide-ranging membership of the Constituent Assembly gave representation to all shades of public opinion. The Cabinet Mission plan had ensured representation to only three categories — the General category, Muslims and Sikhs. The Congress leaders had, however, ensured that other communities like Anglo-Indians, Indian Christians Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes got representation.

With reference to the Objectives Resolution explain the following:

(a) Who proposed the Resolution? When was the Resolution passed by the Constituent Assembly? Name the Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent Assembly.

(b) State any three points of the Objectives Resolution.

(c) List four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the Constitution.

Answer

(a) The Resolution was proposed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946.

The Resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.

The Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent Assembly was the Indian Independence Act, 1947. This legal sanction enabled the Constituent Assembly to function after India's independence. The Assembly became a sovereign body.

(b) Three points of the Objectives Resolution are :

1. Free India will be nothing but a 'republic'.
2. The ideals of social, political and economic democracy would be guaranteed to all people.
3. The Republic would grant Fundamental Rights to citizens.

(c) The four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the Constitution are:

1. Made the Indian Constitution workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country together both in peace and in war.
2. Provided special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the Fundamental Rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Centre or the State governments.
4. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic democracy and welfare of the people of India.

The Constitution of India is the longest written Constitution in the world. What would have been the consequences if the Constitution of India was not written? Give reasons to support your answer.

Answer

The written Constitution enables to specify the structure, organisation, powers and functions of Central as well as State government. The written form of the constitution avoids any kind of misunderstanding and disagreements. If our constitution was not written there would have been scuffle, related to distribution of powers, subjects etc. Our rights would have been at risk. Policy makers may not have fairly represented the public opinion.

Do you think that the Constitution of India has an important role in maintaining the unity and integrity of India? Give reasons to support your answer.

Answer

India is a country of diversity. The constitution of India plays an important role to maintain the unity and integrity of India by its following principles:

1. The Indian constitution is workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country together both in peace and in war.
2. It provides special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporates the Right to constitutional remedies to ensure that the fundamental rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Center or the State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws to integrate Indian society. Therefore, a strong centre was proposed to maintain territorial integrity.

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a learned man with great foresight. Make a list of instances where his foresight came to our nation’s aid in times of crisis.

Answer

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a visionary leader and one of the most influential figures in India's struggle for independence and post-independence nation-building. He had a keen understanding of the socio-political landscape of India and made several contributions that proved to be invaluable for the nation. Here are a few instances where his foresight came to the nation's aid in times of crisis:

1. Drafting the Indian Constitution — Dr. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution. He played a crucial role in drafting the Constitution, which has been the backbone of India's democratic system for over seven decades. He foresaw the challenges that an independent India would face and drafted the Constitution in such a way that it could accommodate the diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds of the people of India.
2. Reservation policy — Dr. Ambedkar's foresight in recognizing the plight of the marginalized communities in India led to the inclusion of reservation policies in the Constitution. These policies aimed to provide equal opportunities to the socially and economically backward sections of society and helped them overcome the centuries-old discrimination they faced.
3. Labour laws — Dr. Ambedkar foresaw the exploitation of labourers in the post-independence era and advocated for the inclusion of labour laws in the Constitution. These laws aimed to protect the rights of workers and ensure their fair treatment in the workplace.
4. Women's rights — Dr. Ambedkar was a staunch advocate of women's rights and foresaw the need to provide equal opportunities and rights to women. He played a crucial role in the inclusion of several provisions in the Constitution that aimed to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.
5. Social reforms — Dr. Ambedkar recognized the need for social reforms in India and played a crucial role in the abolition of caste-based discrimination and the promotion of inter-caste marriages. His foresight in recognising the need for social reforms helped India move towards a more egalitarian society.

The Indian Constitution has taken the best features from the Constitutions of countries around the world. Make a list of few of these features stating which country inspired them and how have they been modified to suit the needs of our country.

Answer

The Indian Constitution has taken following features from the Constitutions of countries around the world:

1. Concurrent list (Australia)
2. Joint-sitting of two houses of parliament (Australia)
3. Directive principles of state policy (Ireland)
4. Nomination of Rajya Sabha Members
5. Fundamental Duties (Russia)
6. Parliamentary Government (UK)
7. Single Citizenship (UK)
8. Ideals of Liberty, equality and fraternity (France)

Makers of our constitution gathered the best features of all the existing constitutions and modified them with a view to avoid the faults that have been disclosed in their constitution. The ideas have been modified as per the need of our country. For example, to avoid the dead lock condition arising due to differences between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, provision of joint sitting was incorporated.

Trace how the Republic Day has been celebrated over the years.

Answer

Republic Day celebrations in India have evolved over the years, reflecting the changing priorities and aspirations of the nation. However, the underlying spirit of national pride and patriotism has remained constant throughout the years. Here is a brief history of how Republic Day has been celebrated in India over the years:

1. First Republic Day Celebration (1950) — The first Republic Day was celebrated on January 26, 1950, with a grand parade held at Rajpath in New Delhi. The parade showcased India's diverse cultural heritage, and it was attended by representatives from various countries.
2. First Chief Guest (1951) — The first chief guest at the Republic Day parade was Indonesian President Sukarno in 1951. Since then, India has invited guests from different countries each year to attend the celebrations.
3. Integration of States (1956) — In 1956, India celebrated Republic Day with the theme of "Integration of States." This was a significant event in India's history, as it marked the reorganization of states on linguistic lines.
4. Beating Retreat (1950s) — The Beating Retreat ceremony, which marks the end of the Republic Day celebrations, was introduced in the 1950s. It is held on January 29th every year and features a display of military bands.
5. First Presidential Address (1952) — The first Presidential address on Republic Day was delivered by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1952. Since then, it has become a tradition for the President of India to address the nation on this occasion.
6. Cultural Programmes (1960s) — In the 1960s, Republic Day celebrations included cultural programs from different parts of the country. These programs showcased the rich diversity of India's cultural heritage.
7. Military Parade (1970s) — In the 1970s, the Republic Day parade became more focused on the display of India's military might. The parade included a display of tanks, missiles, and other weapons.
8. Technology Showcase (1990s) — In the 1990s, the Republic Day parade began to showcase India's technological advancements. This included displays of satellites, space vehicles, and other technological innovations.
9. Women Empowerment (2019) — In 2019, the theme of Republic Day was "Nari Shakti," which means "Women's Power." The parade showcased women's achievements in various fields, including the armed forces, science, and sports.
10. Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (2022) — In 2022, as India celebrated 75 years of independence the theme of Republic Day was "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav".
11. Jan-Bhagidari (2023) — The theme of Republic Day in 2023 was Jan-Bhagidari which means participation of people.