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Introduction
The Constituent Assembly of India was a body of representatives who were elected to draft the Constitution of India. The assembly was formed in the year 1946 after a long period of struggle and demand by the Indian National Congress. The assembly had a total of 299 members, out of which 92 were nominated and 207 were elected. The assembly was in session from December 9, 1946, to January 24, 1950, and during this period, it worked tirelessly to draft the Constitution of India, which is the supreme law of the country till date.
In this essay, we will discuss the structure and form of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Electoral system
The Constituent Assembly of India was not directly elected by the people of India. Instead, it was indirectly elected by the provincial assemblies. Each province was allocated a certain number of seats in the assembly based on its population. The members of the provincial assemblies were themselves elected by the people of their respective provinces.
The electoral system for the Constituent Assembly was based on the "single transferable vote" (STV) system. Under this system, voters could rank candidates in order of preference. Candidates were elected based on the number of votes they received, and surplus votes were transferred to other candidates based on the voters' preferences. This system allowed for a fair and representative distribution of seats in the Constituent Assembly.
Membership
The Constituent Assembly of India consisted of a total of 299 members. Out of the 299 members, 92 were nominated, and 207 were elected. The members were elected by the provincial assemblies, and each province was allocated a certain number of seats based on its population.
The nominated members were appointed by the Governor-General of India. These members were chosen based on their expertise in different fields, such as law, economics, and social welfare. The nominated members included prominent figures such as B.N. Rau, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, and H.V. Kamath.
The elected members were chosen by the provincial assemblies. The election process was conducted using the STV system, as mentioned earlier. The elected members included prominent leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Chairmanship
The Constituent Assembly of India was headed by a chairman who was elected by the members of the assembly. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first chairman of the Constituent Assembly. He served as the chairman for the entire duration of the assembly's proceedings.
Dr. Prasad was an eminent leader of the Indian independence movement and was known for his role in the Champaran and Kheda Satyagrahas. He was also a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. As the chairman of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Prasad played a crucial role in ensuring that the proceedings of the assembly were conducted in an orderly and efficient manner.
Committees
The Constituent Assembly of India had a number of committees, which were responsible for different aspects of drafting the Constitution. These committees were headed by members of the assembly, and their members were chosen from among the elected and nominated members.
The most important committee was the Drafting Committee, which was responsible for drafting the final version of the Constitution. The Drafting Committee was headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who was also a member of the Constituent Assembly. The other members of the committee were N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, K.M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadullah, and D.P. Khaitan.
The other committees of the Constituent Assembly included the Steering Committee, the Union Powers Committee, the States
Committee, the Provincial Constitution Committee, the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee, and the Minorities Sub-Committee. These committees were responsible for various aspects of the Constitution, such as the distribution of powers between the center and the states, the protection of fundamental rights, and the protection of the rights of minorities.
Working of the Assembly
The Constituent Assembly of India held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, at the Central Hall of the Parliament House in New Delhi. The assembly held 11 sessions and sat for a total of 165 days over a period of 2 years and 11 months.
The proceedings of the Constituent Assembly were conducted in English, but the members were allowed to speak in any language they were comfortable with. The debates in the assembly were lively and often heated, with members expressing their opinions freely. The debates covered a wide range of topics, from the nature of the Indian state to the rights of citizens.
The members of the Constituent Assembly were committed to creating a Constitution that would be just and equitable for all citizens of India. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the Constitution reflected the values of the Indian freedom struggle and that it provided a framework for a democratic and pluralistic society.
Conclusion
The Constituent Assembly of India was a unique body of representatives who were elected to draft the Constitution of India. The assembly consisted of 299 members, out of which 92 were nominated, and 207 were elected. The assembly was in session from December 9, 1946, to January 24, 1950, and during this period, it worked tirelessly to draft the Constitution of India.
The assembly had a number of committees, which were responsible for different aspects of drafting the Constitution. The most important committee was the Drafting Committee, which was responsible for drafting the final version of the Constitution. The other committees of the Constituent Assembly included the Steering Committee, the Union Powers Committee, the States Committee, the Provincial Constitution Committee, the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee, and the Minorities Sub-Committee.
The members of the Constituent Assembly were committed to creating a Constitution that would be just and equitable for all citizens of India. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the Constitution reflected the values of the Indian freedom struggle and that it provided a framework for a democratic and pluralistic society. The Constitution of India, which was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, has stood the test of time and continues to be the supreme law of the country.
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