The document discusses why countries need constitutions and provides details about the making of the Indian constitution. It explains that a constitution establishes rules and limits power. It notes that drafting India's constitution was challenging given the country's size and diversity. The Constituent Assembly, made up of 299 elected members, drafted the constitution over three years, debating thousands of amendments before adopting it on November 26, 1949. The constitution establishes India as a democratic republic and is still accepted today because it represented all of India's people and underwent an extensive deliberative process.
The document discusses why countries need constitutions and provides details about the making of the Indian constitution. It explains that a constitution establishes rules and limits power. It notes that drafting India's constitution was challenging given the country's size and diversity. The Constituent Assembly, made up of 299 elected members, drafted the constitution over three years, debating thousands of amendments before adopting it on November 26, 1949. The constitution establishes India as a democratic republic and is still accepted today because it represented all of India's people and underwent an extensive deliberative process.
The document discusses why countries need constitutions and provides details about the making of the Indian constitution. It explains that a constitution establishes rules and limits power. It notes that drafting India's constitution was challenging given the country's size and diversity. The Constituent Assembly, made up of 299 elected members, drafted the constitution over three years, debating thousands of amendments before adopting it on November 26, 1949. The constitution establishes India as a democratic republic and is still accepted today because it represented all of India's people and underwent an extensive deliberative process.
● A constitution of a nation is the set of the written laws accepted by the people living together in a country ● It generates trust and coordination. ● It specifies how a government should be function. ● It lays down the limit on the power of the government. ● It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society. Making of the Indian Constitution ★ Making of the constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not an easy affair. ★ Change of people status from subjects to citizens. ★ The country was born through the partition based on religious differences. ★ The princely states were left to decide whether to merge with India or Pakistan or to remain independent. ★ The makers of the constitution had anxieties about the present and the future of the country. The path to constitution ● The national movement of India was not merely a struggle against a foreign rule. ● It was also to rejuvenate the country and to transform the society as well as the politics. ● The past experience under colonial rule helped India to set up its own institutions. ● Many leaders were inspired by the ideals of French Revolution, the practice of parliamentary democracy in Britain, bill of rights in USA. ● They incorporated some good points of constitutions of these in the Indian Constitution. The Constituent Assembly
● The drafting of the Constitution was done by the elected
representatives called the Constituent Assembly. ● It's first meeting was held in December 1946. ● The Constituent Assembly was also divided into Constituent of India and that of Pakistan. ● There were 299 members that in Indian Constituent Assembly. ● The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949 but came into effect on 26 January 1950. Why should we accept the Constitution made this Assembly more than fifty years ago? ● No large social group and political party has ever questioned the legitimacy of the constitution itself. ● The Constituent Assembly represents the people of India. ● It's members were elected by the members of the existing Provincial Legislatures. ● Though dominated by the Indian National Congress, it includes varieties of opinion and political groups. ● The Assembly reprinted members from different language groups, castes, classes, religions and occupation. ● Several rounds of thorough discussion were taken. ● More than two thousands amendment were considered. ● Members delibrated 114 days spread over 3 years. ● Every spoken words in the Assembly has been recorded, preserved and printed in 12 bulky volumes. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’. ● These are use to interpret the meaning of the constitution. The Dream and the Promise The dreams and the promises: • Mahatma Gandhi in his magazine Young India in 1931, spelt out what he wanted the Constitution to do…. Jawaharlal Nehru famous speech at the stock of midnight on August 15,1947 He stated when the world sleep, India will awake to life and freedom. Freedom and power brings responsibilities, Service of India means service of the millions who suffer, the ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. Thank you