Laxmikanth Test: Making of the Constitution- 1 - UPSC MCQ

Statement-I correctly highlights that the Indian Constitution was tailored to suit Indian conditions. Statement-II explains the rationale behind this adaptation by mentioning Jawaharlal Nehru's emphasis on establishing a government system that aligns with the temperament of the Indian people. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Major Committees under the Constituent Assembly were:

The Constituent Assembly had a total of 389 members, including 93 representatives of the Indian States. This inclusive composition aimed to ensure diverse perspectives and inputs in the constitution-making process from different regions and political entities within India.

On November 26, 1949, the final version of the Constitution received the signature of the president of the assembly and was declared as passed. The provisions relating to citizenship, elections, provisional parliament, temporary and transitional provisions were given immediate effect from November 26, 1949.

• S.N. Mukherjee was the chief draftsman of the constitution in the Constituent Assembly.
• Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution. He had handwritten the original text of the constitution in a flowing italic style.
• It was beautified and decorated by artists from Shanti Niketan including Nand Lal Bose and Beohar Ram manohar Sinha.
• The calligraphy of the Hindi version of the original constitution was done by Vasant Krishan Vaidya and decorated and illuminated by Nand Lal Bose.

- Statement 1 is correct. The Constituent Assembly first met on December 9, 1946, and the meeting was chaired by Dr. Sachidanand Sinha, the eldest member of the Assembly.

- Statement 2 is correct. On December 11, 1946, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the permanent Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.

- Statement 3 is incorrect. The Muslim League boycotted the Constituent Assembly, thus did not participate in its proceedings from the beginning.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

The Constitution as adopted on November 26, 1949, contained a Preamble, 395 Articles and 8 Schedules. The Preamble was enacted after the entire Constitution was Enacted.

On December 13, 1946, Jawahar Lal Nehru moved the ‘Objective Resolution’ in the Constituent Assembly which was unanimously adopted by the assembly on January 22, 1947. The important provisions of the Resolution were:

• This Constituent Assembly declares it's firm and solemn resolve to proclaim India as the Independent Sovereign Republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution.
• Wherein the territories comprising present times British India, the territories that now form the Indian State and such other parts of India as are outside India and the States as well as other territories as are willing to be constituted into independent sovereign India, shall be a Union of them all
• Wherein the said territories, whether with their present boundaries or with such others as may be determined by the Constituent Assembly and thereafter according to the law of the Constitution, shall possess and retain with the residuary powers and exercise all powers and functions of the Government and administration implied in the Union or resulting there from
• Wherein all power and authority of Sovereign Independent India, its constituent parts and organs of Government are derived from the people
• Wherein shall be guaranteed and secured to all the people of India justice, social, economic and political; equality of status of opportunity, and before the law; freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action, subject to the law and public morality
• Wherein adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas and depressed and other backward classes
• Whereby shall be maintained the integrity of the territory of the Republic and its sovereign rights on land, sea and air according to justice and the law of civilized nations
• This ancient land attains its rightful and honoured place in the world and makes its full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind.

Statement 1 is correct. January 26 was chosen as the 'date of commencement' of the Constitution because it was on this day in 1930 that Poorna Swaraj day (complete independence) was celebrated. This day held great significance in the Indian nationalist movement.

Statement 2 is incorrect. With the commencement of the Constitution, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 was not repealed. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 was the legislation that granted independence to India and created the dominions of India and Pakistan. The Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act (1949) was also not repealed with the commencement of the Constitution. This act abolished the jurisdiction of the Privy Council as the highest court of appeal for India.

Therefore, only statement 2 is incorrect.

1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation:

The Cabinet Mission Plan was formulated in 1946 to outline the framework for the drafting of the Indian Constitution. The plan led to the creation of the Constituent Assembly, which was responsible for drafting the Constitution. The following statements about the plan are correct:

1. Allocation of seats for each province and princely state to be in proportion to their respective population - This was done to ensure that every region had fair representation in the Constituent Assembly.

2. Representatives to be elected through proportional representation using a single transferable vote - This method of election was chosen to ensure that minority groups would also have a voice in the drafting of the Constitution.

3. The representatives of the princely state were to be nominated by the heads of princely states - The princely states were not directly represented in the Assembly, but their representatives were nominated by the heads of the states to participate in the drafting process.

4. Out of 296 seats allotted to British India, 292 members were to be drawn from the governor’s provinces and 4 from the chief commissioners’ provinces - This allocation ensured that both the provinces directly governed by the British and those with more autonomy had representation in the Constituent Assembly.

Other Functions performed by the Assembly:

• Ratified India’s membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949
• Adopted National Flag of India on July 22, 1947
• Adopted National Anthem on January 24, 1950
• Elected Dr Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India on January 24, 1950

so correct order will be 2-1-3

Key Points

• As a member of the constituent Assembly, Sardar Patel did not lead Committee on Devolution of Power to the Union.
• The Constituent Assembly which was constituted in November 1946 comprised several Committees. 
• The Drafting Committee headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was entrusted with the drafting of the Indian Constitution. 
• The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded areas was headed by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
• Union Constitution Committee was headed by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru.
• Order of Business Committee was headed by K.M Munshi.
• Hence, option 3 is correct.

- Statement 1 is correct. The Drafting Committee was set up by the Constituent Assembly on August 29, 1947.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. The Constitution was signed on 26 November 1949 but came into full effect on 26 January 1950.

- Statement 3 is correct. The original Constitution of India indeed contained 395 Articles and eight Schedules.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 3 Only.

Explanation:

1. The Constituent Assembly adopted the national flag of India on July 22, 1947. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of saffron, white, and green, with the Ashoka Chakra (24-spoke wheel) in the center.

2. The Constituent Assembly adopted the national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana," written by Rabindranath Tagore, on January 24, 1950.

3. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first President of India by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950. He took the oath of office on 26 January 1950.

- Statement 1 is correct. The objective was to make India an independent sovereign republic, including both British India and the princely states.

- Statement 2 is correct. The Constituent Assembly aimed to derive all authority and powers from the people, ensuring them freedom of economic and political justice, equality of status, and equality before the law.

- Statement 3 is incorrect. The autonomy and residuary powers were to be granted to each unit, not just the princely states.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

• Statement-I is correct: India adopted the federal system with a strong central authority from Canada.

• Statement-II is correct: India adopted the concept of Directive Principles of State Policy from Ireland. These principles are guidelines to the central and state governments of India, to be kept in mind while framing laws and policies.
  The correct answer is option b.

1. The Indian Constitution being a written one is inspired by the American Constitution, not the British Constitution, making this pair incorrectly matched.

2. The Federal System of Government in India is influenced by the American Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

3. The Lok Sabha and House of Commons similarity is based on the British Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

4. The concept of a Supreme Court in India is inspired by the American Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

Therefore, the correctly matched pairs are pairs 2, 3, and 4.

Statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 and 3 needs to be corrected.

Statement 1 is correct. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher of the original Indian Constitution, which was adopted on November 26, 1949. Raizada was a renowned calligrapher, and his work on the Constitution is considered a masterpiece of calligraphy.

Statement 3 needs to be corrected. The Preamble and other pages of the original constitution were designed and painted by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.

However, statement 2 needs to be corrected. The calligraphy of the Hindi version of the original constitution was not done by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha. It was actually done by another renowned calligrapher, Vasant Krishnan Vaidya. Sinha was a prominent artist and sculptor who had contributed to the design of the emblem of the Government of India, but he was not involved in the calligraphy of the Constitution.

The Cabinet Mission Plan provisioned for the following scheme for setting up the Constituent Assembly of India:

• The total strength of the Constituent Assembly was 389. Of these, 296 seats were allotted to British India and 93 seats to the Princely States. Out of 296 seats allotted to British India, 292 members were drawn from the eleven governors’ provinces and 4 from the four chief commissioners’ provinces and one from each.
• Each province and princely state were to be allotted seats in proportion to their respective population. Roughly one seat was to be allotted for every million population.
• Seats allocated to each British province were to be divided among Muslims, Sikhs and General (others), in proportion to their population.
• The representatives of each community were to be elected by members of that community in the provincial legislative assembly and voting was to be by the method of proportional representation using a single transferable vote.
• The representatives of the princely states were to be nominated by the heads of the p rincely states. 

1. The Office of the President of India is based upon the British Queen, making this pair correctly matched.

2. Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the American Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

3. Bicameral Parliament in India is influenced by the British Constitution, not the American Constitution, making this pair incorrectly matched.

4. The Cabinet System of Government in India is based upon the British system, making this pair correctly matched.

Therefore, the correctly matched pairs are pairs 1,2 and 4

The seats in each province were distributed among the three main communities, Muslim, Sikh, and General, in proportion to their respective population. This proportional representation strategy aimed to ensure fair and equitable representation of different communities in the Constituent Assembly during the constitution-making process.

1. The President of India is inspired by the British Queen, not directly from the American Constitution, making this pair incorrectly matched.

2. The Privileges of Members of Parliament in India are based on those in the British Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

3. The concept of States in India is inspired by the American Constitution, making this pair correctly matched.

4. The Rajya Sabha representing States is inspired by the American Senate, not the British Constitution, making this pair incorrectly matched.

Therefore, the correctly matched pairs are pairs 2 and 3.

Statement-I accurately states that India is known as a "Union of States," a concept borrowed from the Constitution of Canada. However, Statement-II is incorrect as the Directive Principles of State Policy in India were not borrowed from the Constitution of USA, but rather from the Constitution of Ireland . Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.