Drafting Committee

Drafting Committee

Among all the committees of the Constituent Assembly, the most important committee was the Drafting Committee. There were seven other major committees.

• The Drafting committee was entrusted, with the task of preparing draft for the new Constitution of newly independent India.
• The Drafting Committee, bore the responsibility of drafting the Constitution and was formed on August 29, 1947.

Drafting Committee members

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Name of Members of Drafting Committee

S.NO	Committee Members
1	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – Chairman
2	N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar
3	Alladi Krishnaswami Iyer
4	K.M. Munshi
5	Syyed Muhammed Saadulah
6	N Madhava Rau (He replaced B.L Mitter who resigned due to ill health)
7	D.P. Khaitan (replaced by Krishnamachari, After Khaitan died in 1948)

1. The drafting committee after taking proposals and suggestions of various committees prepared its first draft of the constitution of India, which was published in February 1948.
2. Eight months were given to discuss the draft and propose changes that can be brought through amendments.
3. After getting criticisms, public comments & suggestions of the first Draft, the second draft was prepared by the drafting committee which got published in October 1948.
4. The Committee took less than 6 months to prepare the draft.

Enactment of the Constitution by Drafting Committee

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First Reading

• The Drafting committee chairman Dr. B.R Ambedkar introduced the final draft of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly on November 4, 1948 (First Reading).
• The assembly had a general discussion on it for 5 days (till November 9, 1948).

Second Reading

• The Second reading started on November 15, 1948, and ended on October 17, 1949.
• During Second Reading, as many as 7653 amendments were proposed and 2473 were discussed in the Constitutional Assembly.

Third Reading

• The third reading of the draft was started on November 14, 1949.
• It was finally adopted on November 26, 1949, after receiving the signatures of the members and the President.
• Out of 299 members, only 284 were present on that day and they signed the official copies of the Indian Constitution which came into effect on Jan 26, 1950, known and celebrated as the Republic day of India.

Enforcement of the Constitution

• The Constitution, adopted on November 26, 1949, contained a Preamble, 395 Articles, and 8 Schedules (12 at present)
• Constituent Assembly took 2 years-11 months-17 days to complete the Constitution. 
• During this period it held 11 sessions covering a total of 165 days.
• With the commencement of the Constitution, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 and the Government of India Act of 1935 was repealed.

Other Seven Major Committees

S.No	Major Committees	Chairman
1	Union Power Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
2	Union Constitution Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
3	Provincial Constitution Committee	Sardar Patel
4	Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Minorities. This Committee has Two Sub Committee. 1. Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee. 2. Minorities Sub-Committee	Sardar Patel Sub Committee 1. J.B. Kripalani 2. H.c. Mukherjee
5	Rules of Procedure Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
6	States Committee – Committee for negotiating with states	Jawaharlal Nehru
7	Steering Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad

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