The constituent assembly was formed on the recommendation of the Cabinet Mission which visited India in 1946. The Constituent Assembly met for the first time in New Delhi on 9 December 1946 in the Constitution Hall which is now known as the Central Hall of Parliament House.- Mr. Sachchidanand Sinha was elected provisional chairman of the assembly.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad later became the permanent chairman of the constituent assembly.
- On 13 December 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution which resolved to proclaim India as the Independent Sovereign Republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution.
- The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and seventeen days to be precise)
to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. - The Assembly held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days.
- India is governed in terms of the Constitution, which was adopted on 26 November 1949, which was the last day of the Eleventh session of the Constituent Assembly.
- This date finds mention in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution thus IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
this twenty-sixth day of November 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES
THIS CONSTITUTION. - The honourable members appended their signatures to the constitution on 24 January 1950.
- The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950. On that day, the Constituent ceased to exist, transforming itself into the Provisional Parliament of India until a new Parliament was constituted in 1952.
Important Dates –
Constituent Assembly to Constitution
Assembly met for the first time – 09 Dec 1946
Objectives Resolution moved
13 Dec 1946
Constitution adopted
26 Nov 1949
Signed by members –
24 Jan 1950 Constitution came into force and Assembly ceased to exist – 26 Jan 1950
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Constitutional Development in India – From Regulating Act 1773 to Govt. of India Act 1935