CONTRIBUTION Dr B. R.

AMBEDKAR IN THE MAKING OF THE

INDIAN CONSTITUTION

Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting

Committee, presenting the final draft of the
Indian Constitution to Rajendra Prasad on 25
November 1949.

” “I like the religion that teaches liberty,

equality and fraternity”

Dr B.R. Ambedkar was the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’, whose 125 birth
anniversary was celebrated on 14 April 2015. He was awarded the highest civilian
award, ‘Bharat Ratna’, in 1990, in recognition of his commendable role in the making
of the Indian Constitution.

Upon India's independence on 15 August 1947, the new Congress-led government

invited Ambedkar to serve as the nation's first Law Minister, which he accepted. On
29 August, he was appointed Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, and
was appointed by the Assembly to write India's new Constitution. [

The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections

for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of
religion, the abolition of untouchability, and the outlawing of all forms of
discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for
women, and won the Assembly's support for introducing a system of reservations of
jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled
castes and scheduled tribes and Other Backward Classes, a system akin
to affirmative action. India's lawmakers hoped to eradicate the socio-economic
inequalities and lack of opportunities for India's depressed classes through these
measures. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the Constituent
Assembly. He opined that in the absence of social and economic justice, political
independence will not bring about social solidarity or national integration. He
vehemently advocated abolition of caste or status privileges and vigorously fought
for the liberty and dignity of the individual .
Ambedkar was voted "the Greatest Indian" in 2012 by a poll organised by History
TV18 and CNN IBN, ahead of Patel and Nehru. Nearly 20 million votes were cast in
his favour.

He wanted the backward groups to study, join the administration and bring the
required change in their lives. He said, “If you believe in living a respectable life,
you believe in self-help which is the best help”.

PORTFOLIO WORK :

On the basis of information gathered on Dr Ambedkar, answer the following

questions in your project file in 150 to 200 words:

 Explain Dr Ambedkar’s role in the making of Indian Constitution.

 Draw /paste picture of Dr Ambedkar in your project file.
 Decorate the border of your document with art work

NOTE: The entire document should be handwritten.

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