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

• The Major Committees under the Constituent Assembly were:- The major committees under the Constituent Assembly did not include a "Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly"  and "Ad-hoc Committee on Citizenship."
•  The Provincial Constitution Committee and the Committee for the North-East Frontier Tribal Areas were indeed part of the Constituent Assembly's major committees.

Therefore, the correct answer is A: 1 and 2 only.

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.

The correct answer is C: 1 and 2 only.

• Provisions related to citizenship (Article 5) and the electoral process (Articles 324 to 329) were among those that came into effect on that date.
• Fundamental Rights (Part III) and the formation of states and union territories (Article 1) came into effect on January 26, 1950.
• Fundamental Duties were added later by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.

• 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.

1. The preamble was not the part of the original draft of the Indian Constitution and was inserted by the 1st Constitutional Amendment Act: This statement is incorrect
   The Preamble was part of the original draft of the Indian Constitution, adopted on November 26, 1949. It was not inserted by the 1st Constitutional Amendment Act (which took place in 1951). The preamble was adopted along with the rest of the Constitution.

2. It had 395 articles, and 8 schedules: This statement is correct
   The original Constitution of India had 395 articles and 8 schedules when it was adopted on November 26, 1949. These numbers have changed due to various amendments, but this was the original structure.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B

• Statement 1 is correct as the Objective Resolution emphasized providing safeguards for minorities, backward classes, tribal areas, and depressed classes.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because the Objective Resolution stated that the sovereignty of India would be derived from the people of India, not the head of state.

Therefore Correct Answer- Option A

• Statement 1 is correct: January 26 was chosen as the commencement date of the Indian Constitution to honor the day in 1930 when the Indian National Congress declared Poorna Swaraj (complete independence) as its goal.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Indian Independence Act of 1947 was indeed repealed with the commencement of the Constitution, but the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act (1949) was not repealed. It had already served its purpose by transferring jurisdiction from the Privy Council to the new Indian Supreme Court.

Thus, the correct answer is B: 2 only.

1. Allocation of seats for each province and princely state to be in proportion to their respective population: This statement is correct.
   Under the Cabinet Mission Plan, the number of seats allocated to each province and princely state was based on the population of those regions. This was to ensure that each area had a proportionate representation in the Constituent Assembly.

2. Representatives to be elected through proportional representation using a single transferable vote:This statement is correct.
   The Cabinet Mission Plan recommended the election of representatives through proportional representation using the single transferable vote (STV) system, which was designed to provide a fair representation of different communities in the assembly.

3. The representatives of the princely states were to be nominated by the heads of princely states:This statement is correct.
   According to the Cabinet Mission Plan, representatives from the princely states were not directly elected but were to be nominated by the heads of the princely states (i.e., the rulers).

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 statement is incorrect
   British India received 296 seats, while the Princely States would receive 93. A total number of 292 members were supposed to be picked up from the given 11 governor’s provinces, out of which four will form the chief commissioner’s provinces, and one from each of them will be given 296 seats for British India.

Correct Answer : Option A

2. Adoption of National Flag: The National Flag of India was adopted on July 22, 1947, by the Constituent Assembly.

1. Adoption of National Anthem: India's National Anthem, "Jana Gana Mana," was officially adopted on January 24, 1950.

3. Ratification of India’s membership of the Commonwealth: India's continued membership in the Commonwealth was ratified at the London Declaration on April 28, 1949.

• Committee on Tribal and Excluded Areas: Sardar Patel led this committee. It focused on provisions related to tribal areas and their governance in the Constitution.

• Committee on Minority Affairs:He chaired this committee, which addressed issues related to the protection and welfare of minorities.

• Committee on Fundamental Rights: This committee was not led by Patel; it was chaired by J.B. Kripalani, and subsequently, the work was taken over by a sub-committee led by B.R. Ambedkar.

• Committee on Devolution of Power to the Union: This committee was  chaired by JL Nehru, which dealt with the distribution of powers between the Union and the States.

• 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:

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

Correct Answer- Option B

• India was to be an independent sovereign republic including both British India and the princely states:
  Correct. The Constituent Assembly's objectives explicitly mentioned integrating both British India and the princely states into an independent sovereign republic.

• All authority and powers of the States were to be derived from the people, guaranteeing them freedom of economic and political justice, equality of status, and equality before the law:
  Correct. The principle of popular sovereignty and the guarantees of justice, equality, and freedom were fundamental objectives outlined by the Assembly.

• Only the princely states were to be granted full autonomy and residuary powers:
   Incorrect. The princely states were integrated into the Indian Union, and residuary powers were assigned to the central government, not exclusively to the princely states.

The correct answer is B: Directive Principles of State Policy.

• The Preamble, Federal Structure, and Judicial Review are inspired by the American Constitution.
• The Directive Principles of State Policy are borrowed from the Irish Constitution, not the American.
• These principles aim to create social and economic conditions for citizens' welfare.
• Unlike Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles are non-justiciable, meaning they are not legally enforceable.

Correct Answer- Option C

• Written Constitution - British Constitution: The British Constitution is predominantly unwritten, relying on statutes, common law, and conventions. This makes this pair incorrect as a written constitution is not a characteristic of the British system.
• Federal System - American Constitution: The United States Constitution establishes a federal system, dividing power between the national government and the states. This pair is correctly matched as the American Constitution is a prime example of federalism.
• Residuary Powers with Centre - Irish Constitution: In the Indian context, residuary powers are with the central government, a concept influenced by the Canadian system rather than the Irish Constitution. Hence, this pair is incorrect.
• Supreme Court - American Constitution: The concept of a Supreme Court as the highest judicial authority is indeed a feature of the American Constitution. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.

• Statement 1: Correct. Prem Behari Narain Raizada was indeed the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution.
• Statement 2: Incorrect. The calligraphy of the Hindi version of the original Constitution was done by Vasant Krishan Vaidya and not Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.
• Statement 3: Correct. Nand Lal Bose illuminated and beautified the original Constitution.

Therefore, the statement that is not correct is Statement 2, making option B the correct answer.

Correct Answer- Option A

1. The assembly had representation from both British India and princely states:
    Correct. The Constituent Assembly included representatives from British provinces and princely states as per the Cabinet Mission Plan.

2. The system of proportional representation was adopted:
   Correct. Members were indirectly elected by provincial legislatures using proportional representation with a single transferable vote.

3. There was no communal representation in the assembly:
    Incorrect. Communal representation was indeed a feature of the Assembly, ensuring adequate representation for various communities like Muslims, Sikhs, etc.

4. The Assembly included important ministers of the British Cabinet as ex-officio members:
   Incorrect. No British Cabinet ministers were part of the Constituent Assembly as ex-officio members. The Assembly was an entirely Indian body.

   
    

• The first draft of the Indian Constitution was prepared in October 1947 by the Advisory Branch of the Constituent Assembly.
• The Constituent Assembly was established to draft and frame India's new governing document.
• The Advisory Branch played a significant role in creating the initial version of the Constitution.
  
   

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.

Correct Answer- Option B

• Fundamental Duties: These are not derived from the American Constitution. Instead, they are inspired by the Soviet Constitution. The American Constitution does not explicitly list fundamental duties for its citizens. 
• Privileges of Members of Parliament: This concept is indeed borrowed from the British Constitution. The British parliamentary system grants certain privileges to its members, such as freedom of speech within Parliament and protection from certain legal actions, which have been similarly adopted in parliamentary systems like India. [Correctly Matched]
• Federal Structure: The American Constitution is a prime example of a federal system of governance. It divides powers between the national and state governments, establishing a clear federal structure that has influenced many other countries, including India. [Correctly Matched]
• Directive Principles of State Policy: These principles are not taken from the Soviet  Constitution. Instead, they are inspired by the Irish Constitution. They aim to guide the state in policy-making and are fundamental to governance but are not enforceable by law.
  
  
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The correct answer is Option C :Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

Statement-I:India is indeed referred to as a "Union of States" in its Constitution. This terminology states that the Indian federation is not a result of an agreement among the states but rather a union created by the Constitution itself. The term "Union of States" is inspired by the Constitution of Canada, which similarly constitutes a federation where the central government holds significant power over the provinces.

Statement-II:"Directive Principles of State Policy." This statement is incorrect. The Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution were not borrowed from the Constitution of the USA. Instead, they were inspired by the Irish Constitution. These principles aim to guide the state in policy-making and governance, providing a framework for establishing social and economic democracy.

The correct order based on the time taken by the framers of the Constitution of each country is: 1,4,3,2

• America - The Constitutional Convention took from May to September 1787, about 4 months
• South Africa - The final constitution was drafted and adopted from 1994 to 1996, roughly 2 years.
• India - The Constituent Assembly deliberated from December 1946 to November 1949, about 2 years, 11 months, and 17 days.
• Australia - The drafting process, including several conventions and referendums from 1891 to 1900, took about 9 years

• Statement-I: "The Constitution of India is a document adapted to Indian conditions and environment" is correct. The Constitution of India was drafted to address the unique political, social, and economic conditions of India, taking into account its diverse population, history, and culture.

• Statement-II: "Jawaharlal Nehru emphasized the importance of establishing a government system acceptable to the people" is also correct. Nehru believed that the system of government should be democratic and in line with the aspirations of the Indian people. His vision was to establish a system that would ensure equality, justice, and inclusiveness.

Since both statements are correct but Statement-II does not directly explain Statement-I, the correct answer is:

B: Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I.