A New Constitution

A Constitution is Written: Indians constitution, came into effect on 26 January 1950. One feature of the constitution was its adoption of universal adult franchise.

A New Constitution: Framing a new constitution was one of the important tasks before the Indian government. The Constituent Assembly met for the first time on 9 December 1946. It took three years to complete the task of farming the constitution.

Features of new Indian Constitution:

1. Adoption of Universal Adult Franchise:  All Indians above the age of 21 would be allowed to vote in state and national elections.

India was declared to be a sovereign democratic republic. The constitution ensured equality, justice and liberty for all Indian citizens. The main architect of the Indian constitution was Dr BR Ambedkar. He was greatly influenced by Buddhist concept of the sanghas, which was based on principles of democracy and equality.  

 This was revolutionary step- for never before had Indians been allowed to choose their own leaders. In other countries, such as the united kingdom and the united states, this right had been granted in stages, first only men of property had the vote. Then men who were educated were also added on. Working- class men got the vote only after a long struggle. Finally, after a bitter struggle of their own, American and British women were granted the vote. On the other hand, soon after independence, India chose to grant this right to all its citizens regardless of gender, class or education.

2. Equality to all Citizens: A second feature of the constitution was that it guaranteed equality before the law to all citizens, regardless of their caste or religious affiliation.All the people from different religious would be given same the same opportunities ,when it come to seek jobs in government or private sector , and the same rights were also given to all the citizens before the law.

3. Granting special privilege to SCs and STs: A third feature of the constitution was that it offered special privileges for the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians. The practice of untouchability, described as a “slur and a blot” on the “fair name of India”, was abolished. The constituent assembly also recommended that a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government be reserved for members of the lowest castes.

4. Abolition of Untouchability The practice of untouchability was abolished . the Hindu temples were open to all , including the untouchables.

5. Reservation Of Seats in Government Offices: Constituent assembly recommended that a certain percentage of seats in legislature as well as jobs in government should be reserved for members of the lowest castes.

The constituent Assembly spent many days discussing the powers of the central government versus those of the state governments. Some members thought that the centre’s interests should be foremost. Only a strong Centre, it was argued, “would be in a position to think and plan for the well- being of the country a whole”. Other members felt that the provinces should have greater autonomy and freedom.

The constitution sought to balance these competing claims by providing three lists of subjects: a union list, with subjects such as taxes, defense and foreign affairs, which would be the exclusive responsibility of the centre; a state list of subjects, such as education and health, which would be taken care of principally by the states; a concurrent list, under which come subjects such as forests and agriculture, in which the centre and the states would have joint responsibility.

Another major debate in the constituent assembly concerned language. Many leave India with the British rulers. Its place, they argued, should be taken by Hindi, however, those who did not speak Hindi were of a different opinion. Speaking in the Assembly, T.T. Krishnamachari conveyed “a warning on behalf from India if Hindi was imposed on them. A compromise was finally arrived at: namely, that while Hindi would be the “official language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.

Many Indians contributed to the framing of the Constitution. But perhaps the most important role was played by Dr B. R. Ambedkar, who was chairman of the drafting committee, and under whose supervision the document was finalized.