Laxmikanth Test: Salient Features of The Constitution - UPSC

Major Committees
1. Union Powers Committee - Jawaharlal Nehru
2. Union Constitution Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Provincial Constitution Committee – Sardar Patel
4. Drafting Committee - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
5. Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas - Sardar Patel. This committee had the following five sub-committees: (a) Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee - J.B. Kripalani (b) Minorities Sub-Committee - H.C. Mukherjee (c) North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Ar- eas Sub-Committee - Gopinath Bardoloi (d) Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Com- mittee - A.V. Thakkar (e) North-West Frontier Tribal Areas Sub-Committee 8a
6. Rules of Procedure Committee - Dr. Rajendra Prasad
7. States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) - Jawaharlal Nehru 8. Steering Committee - Dr. Rajendra Prasad
 

IMPORTANT FACTS
1. Elephant was adopted as the symbol (seal) of the Constituent Assembly.
2. Sir B.N. Rau was appointed as the constitutional advisor (Legal advisor) to the Constituent Assembly.
3. H.V.R. Iyengar was the Secretary to the Constituent Assembly.
4. S.N. Mukerjee was the chief draftsman of the constitution in the Constituent Assembly.
5. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution.

IMPORTANT FACTS
1. Elephant was adopted as the symbol (seal) of the Constituent Assembly.
2. Sir B.N. Rau was appointed as the constitutional advisor (Legal advisor) to the Constituent Assembly.
3. H.V.R. Iyengar was the Secretary to the Constituent Assembly.
4. S.N. Mukerjee was the chief draftsman of the constitution in the Constituent Assembly.
5. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution.

Major Committees
1. Union Powers Committee - Jawaharlal Nehru
2. Union Constitution Committee - Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Provincial Constitution Committee – Sardar Patel
4. Drafting Committee - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
5. Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas - Sardar Patel. This committee had the following five sub-committees: (a) Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee - J.B. Kripalani (b) Minorities Sub-Committee - H.C. Mukherjee (c) North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee - Gopinath Bardoloi (d) Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee - A.V. Thakkar (e) North-West Frontier Tribal Areas Sub-Committee 8a

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

• Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar,
• N. Gopalaswami.
• B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman of the drafting committee.)
• K.M Munshi.
• Mohammad Saadulla.
• B.L. Mitter.
• D.P. Khaitan.

The Constitution of 1950 was a by-product of the legacy started by the Government of India Act 1935. This was the longest act passed by the British government with 321 sections and 10 schedules. This act had drawn its content from four sources – Report of the Simon Commission, discussions and deliberations at the Third Round Table Conference, the White Paper of 1933 and the reports of the Joint select committees.

January 26 was specifically chosen as the 'date of commencement of the Constitution because of its historical importance. It was on this day in 1930 that Purna Swaraj day was celebrated, following the resolution of the Lahore Session (December 1929) of the INC. With the commencement of the Constitution, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 and the Government of India Act of 1935, with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act, were repealed. The Abolition of Privy Council JurisdictionAct (1949) was however continued.

From Australian constitution, we have borrowed concurrent lists, freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse and joint sitting of the two houses of the Parliament.

In six schedules there are provisions related to the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram.

The doctrine of sovereignty of Parliament is associated with the British Parliament while the principle of judicial supremacy with that of the American Supreme Court. Just as the Indian parliamentary system differs from the British system, the scope of judicial review power of the Supreme Court in India is narrower than that of what exists in the US. This is because the American Constitution provides for 'due process of law' against that of 'procedure established by law' contained in the Indian Constitution (Article 21). Therefore, the framers of the Indian Constitution have preferred a proper synthesis between the British principle of parliamentary sovereignty and the American principle of judicial supremacy. The Supreme Court, on the one hand, can declare the parliamentary laws as unconstitutional through its power of judicial review. The Parliament, on the other hand, can amend the major portion of the Constitution through its constituent power.