BharatNotes What is Constituent Assembly?
The Constituent Assembly of India was the representative body that framed the Constitution of India. Constituted under the Cabinet Mission Plan (16 May 1946), it held its first sitting on 9 December 1946 in the Constitution Hall, New Delhi (now Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament's Central Hall). Its members were not directly elected by the people: they were chosen indirectly by the provincial legislative assemblies through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, while princely-state representatives were nominated by their rulers.
Composition and Working
The Assembly's original strength was 389 — 296 seats for British India (292 from governors' provinces and 4 from chief commissioners' provinces) and 93 for the princely states. After Partition, membership fell to 299. Dr Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, presided over the first sitting as temporary President; Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President on 11 December 1946, with Sir B. N. Rau serving as Constitutional Adviser.
| Milestone | Date (verified) |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Mission Plan announced | 16 May 1946 |
| First sitting of the Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| Objectives Resolution moved by Nehru | 13 December 1946 |
| Objectives Resolution adopted | 22 January 1947 |
| National Flag adopted | 22 July 1947 |
| Drafting Committee constituted (Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Chairman) | 29 August 1947 |
| Constitution adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Constitution signed by 284 members (last sitting) | 24 January 1950 |
| Constitution came into force | 26 January 1950 |
The Assembly worked through committees — the most important being the seven-member Drafting Committee chaired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar. In all, it sat for 11 sessions and completed its task in 2 years, 11 months and 18 days. The Constitution as adopted contained 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 8 Schedules.
Significance
The Objectives Resolution, moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946 and adopted on 22 January 1947, laid down the philosophy of the Constitution and later took shape as the Preamble. After 15 August 1947 the Assembly became a sovereign body, doubling as the dominion legislature for independent India. Beyond constitution-making, it adopted the National Flag (22 July 1947) and continued as India's provisional legislature until the first general elections. The 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption was commemorated as Samvidhan Divas with year-long celebrations beginning 26 November 2024 (PIB).
UPSC Angle
Prelims repeatedly tests the Assembly's composition (389/299), mode of election, key dates and committee chairmen. For Mains, the Constituent Assembly Debates are a rich source for questions on the Preamble, secularism, federal design and the criticism that the Assembly was not directly elected yet achieved consensus-based legitimacy — a foundational concept underpinning the entire GS2 polity syllabus.
