Committees of the Constituent Assembly (Drafting Committee Under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar)

At a Glance

• What it is The committees that did the detailed work of framing the Constitution, and above all the Drafting Committee
• Major committees Eight, chaired by Nehru, Patel, Rajendra Prasad and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
• Minor committees Thirteen, on procedure, administration and special subjects
• Drafting Committee Set up on 29 August 1947 under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar; seven members
• Drafts The first draft in February 1948 and the second in October 1948
• Sittings The Drafting Committee sat for 141 days
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Polity: Making of the Constitution

Where Does It Fit?

The Constituent Assembly was a large body, and it did its detailed work through committees. This topic lists them and explains the work of the most important one, the Drafting Committee. The next topic covers the passing of the Constitution.

Which Were the Major Committees?

The Constituent Assembly appointed a number of committees for the different tasks of constitution-making. Eight were major committees, and the rest were minor committees.

Which Sub-Committees Did the Advisory Committee Have?

The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, chaired by Sardar Patel, had five sub-committees.

Which Were the Minor Committees?

What Was the Drafting Committee?

Among all the committees of the Constituent Assembly, the most important was the Drafting Committee, set up on 29 August 1947. It was entrusted with preparing a draft of the new Constitution. It had seven members:

1. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman)
2. N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
3. Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar
4. Dr. K.M. Munshi
5. Syed Mohammad Saadullah
6. N. Madhava Rau, who replaced B.L. Mitter, who resigned because of ill-health
7. T.T. Krishnamachari, who replaced D.P. Khaitan, who died in 1948

How Did the Drafting Committee Work?

• The first draft: After considering the proposals of the various committees, the Drafting Committee prepared the first draft of the Constitution of India, published in February 1948. It contained 315 Articles and 8 Schedules.
• Public discussion: The people of India were given eight months to discuss the draft and propose amendments.
• The second draft: In the light of the public comments, criticisms and suggestions, the Committee prepared a second draft, published in October 1948.
• Time taken: The Drafting Committee took less than six months to prepare its draft, and it sat for only 141 days in all.

Who Else Helped in the Drafting?

• Sir B.N. Rau was appointed the constitutional adviser (legal adviser) to the Constituent Assembly.
• H.V.R. Iyengar was the Secretary to the Constituent Assembly.
• S.N. Mukherjee was the chief draftsman of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly.

Why Are the Committees Important?

• Division of work: Eight major committees handled the union, the provinces, rights and minorities, procedure, the states and the steering of the Assembly.
• The Drafting Committee at the centre: It prepared the draft after taking into account the proposals of the other committees.
• Public involvement: The people were given eight months to comment on the draft, and the Committee then prepared a second draft.

Which Leader Chaired Which Major Committees?

What Came Next?

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar introduced the final draft of the Constitution in the Assembly on 4 November 1948. The Assembly considered it in three readings and passed it on 26 November 1949. This is covered in the next topic.

Key People and Terms

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chairman of the Drafting Committee
• Drafting Committee The seven-member committee, set up on 29 August 1947, that prepared the draft Constitution
• Advisory Committee The committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, chaired by Sardar Patel
• J.B. Kripalani Chairman of the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee
• Sir B.N. Rau The constitutional adviser to the Assembly
• S.N. Mukherjee The chief draftsman of the Constitution
• Experts Committee of the Congress A party committee of 1946, not a committee of the Assembly

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

The committees show how the Constitution was made by division of work and by public discussion. Use these points to add depth.

• A system of committees: The Assembly worked through eight major and thirteen minor committees, each dealing with a task such as the union, the provinces, rights and minorities, procedure, the states and the steering of its work.
• The Drafting Committee as the centre: It prepared the first draft after taking into consideration the proposals of the various committees, and it sat for only 141 days in less than six months.
• Public consultation: The first draft of February 1948 was thrown open to public discussion for eight months, and a second draft followed in October 1948 in the light of the comments.
• Experts outside the Assembly: Some committees were chaired by non-members, such as the committees on the Supreme Court, citizenship and the financial provisions, and Sir B.N. Rau served as constitutional adviser.
• A critic’s jibe: A member, Naziruddin Ahmed, called the Drafting Committee a “Drifting Committee” to show his contempt for it, which shows the criticism that the Assembly took a long time.