Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Class 12 (second year) History textbook, chapter 12 Framing the Constitution which is part of the syllabus of students studying under AHSEC/ASSEB (Assam Board). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
The chapter talks about the making of the Indian Constitution. It explains how India became free on 15 August 1947 but was also divided into two countries, India and Pakistan. This time was full of hope but also had many problems. People were moving from one place to another as refugees. Many lost their homes and lives. The leaders of India had to create a new system to govern the country.
The Constituent Assembly was formed to write the Constitution. Its members were chosen by provincial legislatures. Most members were from the Congress party. The Muslim League, which wanted Pakistan, did not join. Socialists also stayed away at first. The Assembly had six important members who played big roles. These included Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabh Bhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, and B.R. Ambedkar. Ambedkar led the Drafting Committee.
Nehru introduced the Objectives Resolution in December 1946. This resolution outlined the main goals of the Constitution. It said India would be an independent republic. It promised justice, equality, and freedom for all citizens. Special care was to be given to minorities and backward groups. Nehru explained that the ideas came from revolutions in other countries like America and France. But he said India would not copy others. It would create its own path.
The chapter discusses debates in the Assembly. One major issue was separate electorates for minorities. Some leaders felt this would divide people. Others thought it was needed to protect minority rights. In the end, separate electorates were rejected. Instead, reserved seats were agreed upon for some groups.
Another debate was about the powers of the Centre and states. Nehru wanted a strong central government. Other leaders argued for more power to the states. The final decision gave more powers to the Centre but allowed states some control too.
Language was another big issue. Hindi was suggested as the national language. But leaders from non-Hindi areas opposed this. They feared Hindi would dominate other languages. A compromise was reached. Hindi would be the official language, but English would continue for some years.
The Constitution gave voting rights to all adults. This was unusual because other countries gave votes slowly. The Constitution also focused on secularism. All religions were treated equally. Untouchability was abolished. Special rights were given to cultural and educational groups.
The chapter ends by saying the Constitution was signed in December 1949. It was the result of long discussions and compromises. The leaders tried to create a fair and united nation.
Textbook solutions
Answer in 100-150 words
1. What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
Answer : The Objectives Resolution proclaimed India to be an “Independent Sovereign Republic,” guaranteed its citizens justice, equality, and freedom, and assured that “adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and Depressed and Other Backward Classes.” It outlined the defining ideals of the Constitution of Independent India and provided the framework within which the work of constitution-making was to proceed. Jawaharlal Nehru, in his speech, emphasized that the resolution aimed to express the spirit of the Indian people, asserting that no imposition from the British would be accepted by the Indian people. He highlighted the resolve to have an independent sovereign republic and stated that while the word “democratic” was not explicitly used, the whole of their past witnessed their stand for democratic institutions. The resolution also contained the content of democracy and economic democracy.
2. How was the term minority defined by different groups?
Answer : The term “minority” was interpreted differently by various groups. B. Pocker Bahadur from Madras argued that minorities exist in all lands and could not be erased or wished away, emphasizing the need for a political framework where minorities could live in harmony with others. N.G. Ranga, however, defined minorities in economic terms, stating that the real minorities were the poor and downtrodden masses of the country who were depressed, oppressed, and unable to take advantage of ordinary civil rights. Jaipal Singh highlighted that tribals were not a numerical minority but needed protection due to their historical exploitation and dispossession. Dakshayani Velayudhan refused to believe that seventy million Harijans should be considered a minority, focusing instead on the immediate removal of social disabilities.
3. What were the arguments in favour of greater power to the provinces?
Answer : K. Santhanam from Madras argued that a reallocation of powers was necessary to strengthen not only the states but also the Centre. He said, “There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong.” This was a misconception. If the Centre was overburdened with responsibilities, it could not function effectively. By relieving it of some functions and transferring them to the states, the Centre could be made stronger. Regarding the states, Santhanam felt the proposed allocation of powers would cripple them. The fiscal provisions would impoverish the provinces since most taxes, except land revenue, had been made the preserve of the Centre. Without finances, how could the states undertake any project of development? He stated, “I do not want any constitution in which the Unit has to come to the Centre and say ‘I cannot educate my people. I cannot give sanitation, give me a dole for the improvement of roads, of industries.’ Let us rather wipe out the federal system and let us have Unitary system.”
4. Why did Mahatma Gandhi think Hindustani should be the national language?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi felt that everyone should speak in a language that common people could easily understand. Hindustani, a blend of Hindi and Urdu, was a popular language of a large section of the people of India and was a composite language enriched by the interaction of diverse cultures. Over the years, it had incorporated words and terms from very many different sources and was therefore understood by people from various regions. This multi-cultural language, Mahatma Gandhi thought, would be the ideal language of communication between diverse communities as it could unify Hindus and Muslims, and people of the north and the south.
Short essay-type answers
5. What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
Answer : The vision of the Constitution was shaped by the tumultuous years preceding its making, which were marked by great hope but also abject disappointment. The Quit India struggle of 1942 and Subhas Chandra Bose’s attempt to win freedom through armed struggle influenced the mood. The rising of the ratings of the Royal Indian Navy in Bombay in 1946 evoked popular sympathy, as did periodic mass protests by workers and peasants across the country. Hindu-Muslim unity manifested in these upsurges, contrasting with the failure of the Congress and Muslim League to achieve religious reconciliation. The Great Calcutta Killings of August 1946 initiated a year of continuous rioting, culminating in massacres during the Partition. Independence on 15 August 1947 brought joy but also the cruel choice for millions of Muslims in India and Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, facing threats of death or displacement. The princely states posed another problem, with nawabs and maharajas left free to rule their territories, some dreaming of independent power. The Constituent Assembly met against this backdrop, with debates influenced by events outside. The members drew lessons from past revolutions, such as the American and French Revolutions, and recent developments like the Russian Revolution, seeking to learn from their successes and avoid their failures. Nehru emphasized that the system of government established in India had to fit the temper of the people and be acceptable to them, fusing liberal ideas of democracy with socialist ideals of economic justice.
6. Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.
Answer : The real minorities were the poor and the downtrodden, as argued by N.G. Ranga. He pointed out that it was meaningless for poor people in villages to know they had fundamental rights if they could not enjoy them effectively. They needed protection and support to ensure these rights could be exercised. Jaipal Singh, representing tribals, argued that tribes were not a numerical minority but required protection due to historical exploitation and dispossession. He emphasized the need for conditions that would help tribes reach the level of the general population and advocated for reservation of seats in the legislature to allow tribals to represent themselves.
Dakshayani Velayudhan from Madras argued that what was needed was not all kinds of safeguards but moral safeguards which give protection to the underdogs of the country. She refused to believe that seventy million Harijans should be considered a minority and stressed the immediate removal of social disabilities. J. Nagappa from Madras highlighted that the Depressed Castes formed between 20 and 25 per cent of the total population and their suffering was due to systematic marginalisation, not numerical insignificance. K.J. Khanderkar of the Central Provinces stated that they had been suppressed for thousands of years to such an extent that neither their minds nor bodies and now even their hearts worked.
Hansa Mehta of Bombay demanded justice for women, not reserved seats or separate electorates, asking for social, economic, and political justice, emphasizing equality as the basis of mutual respect and understanding.
7. What connection did some of the members of the Constituent Assembly make between the political situation of the time and the need for a strong Centre?
Answer : Some members of the Constituent Assembly argued for a strong Centre, linking it to the political situation of the time. Jawaharlal Nehru, in a letter to the President of the Constituent Assembly, stated, “Now that partition is a settled fact, … it would be injurious to the interests of the country to provide for a weak central authority which would be incapable of ensuring peace, of coordinating vital matters of common concern and of speaking effectively for the whole country in the international sphere.” The violence of the times gave a further push to centralisation, now seen as necessary both to forestall chaos and to plan for the country’s economic development. After Partition, most nationalists changed their position because they felt that the earlier political pressures for a decentralised structure were no longer there. There was already a unitary system in place, imposed by the colonial government. The Constitution thus showed a distinct bias towards the rights of the Union of India over those of its constituent states.
The Draft Constitution provided for three lists of subjects: Union, State, and Concurrent. Many more items were placed under exclusive Union control than in other federations, and more placed on the Concurrent list too than desired by the provinces. The Union also had control of minerals and key industries. Article 356 gave the Centre the powers to take over a state administration on the recommendation of the Governor.
Sir A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar from Mysore questioned the notion that proposing a strong Centre made one a better patriot, saying, “Let us not lay the flattering unction to our soul that we are better patriots if we propose a strong Centre and that those who advocate a more vigorous examination of these resources are people with not enough of national spirit or patriotism.”
8. How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
Answer : The Language Committee of the Constituent Assembly produced its report and decided, but not yet formally declared, that Hindi in the Devanagari script would be the official language, but the transition to Hindi would be gradual. For the first fifteen years, English would continue to be used for all official purposes. Each province was to be allowed to choose one of the regional languages for official work within the province. By referring to Hindi as the official rather than the national language, the Language Committee hoped to placate ruffled emotions and arrive at a solution that would be acceptable to all. Shrimati G. Durgabai from Madras explained her worries about the opposition in the south against Hindi, which was very strong. She informed the House that opponents felt this propaganda for Hindi cut at the very root of the provincial languages. Many members appealed for a spirit of accommodation. T. A. Ramalingam Chettiar from Madras emphasized that whatever was done had to be done with caution; the cause of Hindi would not be helped if it was pushed too aggressively. The fears of the people, even if they were unjustified, had to be allayed, or else there would be bitter feelings left behind. When they wanted to live together and form a united nation, there should be mutual adjustment and no question of forcing things on people.
Extras
Additional questions and answers
1. When did the Constitution of India come into effect?
Answer: The Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.
49. Evaluate how the Indian Constitution incorporated secularism through its Fundamental Rights.
Answer: The Indian Constitution incorporated secularism not through a ringing pronouncement in the Preamble (at the time of framing), but operationally through a series of carefully drafted Fundamental Rights. Key features were spelled out in an exemplary manner:
Freedom of Religion (Articles 25-28): Guaranteed individuals the right to practice, profess, and propagate their religion.
Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29, 30): Protected the rights of minorities to conserve their distinct language, script, or culture, and to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
Rights to Equality (Articles 14, 16, 17): Ensured equality before the law and equal protection of the laws, prohibited discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth (especially in employment), and abolished untouchability.
These rights collectively ensured that all religions were guaranteed equal treatment by the State and were given the right to maintain charitable institutions. The State also sought to distance itself from religious communities by banning compulsory religious instructions in State-run schools and colleges and declaring religious discrimination in employment illegal. However, it maintained a kind of judicious distance rather than absolute separation, creating legal space for social reform within communities, such as banning untouchability and introducing changes in personal and family laws.
Additional MCQs
1. When did the Indian Constitution come into effect?
A. 15 August 1947
B. 26 January 1950
C. December 1949
D. 9 December 1946
Answer: B. 26 January 1950
60. According to the Language Committee’s proposal, what authority did individual provinces have regarding language?
A. They could abolish all regional languages
B. They could choose one regional language for official work
C. They had to adopt Hindi exclusively
D. They were required to follow English only
Answer: B. They could choose one regional language for official work
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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