Get summary, textual answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF to NBSE Class 12 (Arts) History (Themes in Indian History) chapter 12 “The Making of the Constitution”. However, the educational materials should only be used for reference and students are encouraged to make necessary changes.
Introduction
The period surrounding India’s independence and partition was a tumultuous and challenging time, marked by a mix of hope, disappointment, and significant obstacles. Despite the spirit of unity demonstrated in popular risings and the struggle against British rule, the Congress and Muslim League failed to reach a consensus on religious and social harmony. This led to a series of riots and violence, culminating in the tragic partition of India and the subsequent mass migration of millions of people. The newly formed Indian government was faced with the enormous task of integrating princely states into the Indian Union and rehabilitating the countless refugees displaced by the creation of Pakistan. Amidst these difficult circumstances, the Constituent Assembly began its work to frame the Constitution of independent India, demonstrating the resilience and courage of a nation determined to overcome adversity.
Exercise/textual questions and answers
Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. How did Dr. Ambedkar justify the incorporation of the directive principles of state policy in the Constituent Assembly?
Answer: Dr. Ambedkar said the Directive Principles were meant to be the basis of all legislative and executive actions, not just pious declarations.
2. How did Dr. Ambedkar justify the incorporation of emergency powers of the President of India in the Constituent Assembly?
Answer: Emergency powers were accepted as necessary to safeguard the Constitution, despite not harmonising with its democratic pattern.
3. What important suggestion of the Drafting Committee was incorporated in the Constitution by Constituent Assembly?
Answer: The Draft proposed that residuary powers should reside in the Union, a departure from the Objective Resolution, and this was accepted.
4. Give the names of any three committees appointed by the Constituent Assembly to deal with different aspects of the constitution.
Answer:
- The Union Power Committee
- The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Minorities
- The Committee on the Union and Provincial Constitutions
5. Describe any two basic values of the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
- India is a secular state with no state religion and guarantees religious freedom.
- India is a democratic state where people are the source of power and have the right to vote.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. Describe briefly how the problems of the refugees from Pakistan were solved by the Government of Indian Republic.
Answer: Nearly five million Hindus and Muslims were evacuated from Punjab (West Pakistan), Baluchistan, NWFP, and Sindh within a few months from September to December 1947 and resettled in various parts of India.
2. Write a note on the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Answer: The Preamble declares that India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. It aims to secure justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for its citizens and to promote the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
3. Describe the role of the Constituent Assembly before August 15, 1947.
Answer: The Constituent Assembly met under the chairmanship of Dr. Sachidanand Sinha and elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its permanent chairman. The Assembly was tasked with framing the Constitution and was composed of eminent political leaders and scholars, representing all classes of the country.
4. What were the Ideals expressed in the Objective Resolution?
Answer: The Resolution ensured that safeguards would be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other classes. It proclaimed that the ancient land would attain its rightful and honoured place in the world and contribute to world peace and welfare of mankind.
5. How did the different groups define the term minority?
Answer: B. Pocker Bahadur argued that minorities existed in India and needed to be well represented within the political system for peace and harmony. However, many nationalists feared this might lead to divided loyalties and hinder forging a strong nation. Some Muslims, like Begum Afzal Rasul, opposed separate electorates as they felt it isolated minorities from the majority and hampered their political influence.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Describe the history of framing of the Indian Constituent Assembly.
Answer: The idea of a Constituent Assembly for framing a constitution was implicit in the demands of the Swarajist Party and the Nehru Committee of 1928. But it was only in 1934 that the Indian National Congress officially adopted the demand of a Constituent Assembly for framing the Indian Constitution. The demand for a Constituent Assembly was repeated in the historic statement of the Working Committee of the Congress on September 14, 1939. But the British Government paid no heed to it. However, the shock of the World War made the British Government realise that the Indians would not be satisfied with anything less. The substance of the demand of a Constituent Assembly was conceded in the August, 1940 statement of the Government. The Cripps Mission of 1942 contained a concrete proposal on the part of the British Government to set up a constitution-making body charged with the task of framing a new constitution for India immediately after the War, consisting of Indians alone. The Cripps Mission proposals were rejected by the leaders of all the political parties of India. It was in February, 1946 that Mr. Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister, categorically admitted the right of the Indians to frame their own constitution. The Constituent Assembly which framed the present constitution of India was set up in 1946, under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
2. What historical factors shaped the vision of the constitution?
Answer: Every country in the world has its constitution. The government and the administration is run according to the basic laws laid down in the constitution. It also states rights and duties of the country’s citizens. It lays down the structure of the government. It states the powers and functions of the legislature, executive and the judiciary. It is thus the backbone of the whole structure of a country. In the independent India, the work of framing its constitution was entrusted to a Constituent Assembly. Evolution of the idea of Constituent Assembly in India. The idea of a Constituent Assembly for framing a constitution was implicit in the demands of the Swarajist Party and the Nehru Committee of 1928. But it was only in 1934 that the Indian National Congress officially adopted the demand of a Constituent Assembly for framing the Indian Constitution. The demand for a Constituent Assembly was repeated in the historic statement of the Working Committee of the Congress on September 14, 1939. But the British Government paid no heed to it. However, the shock of the World War made the British Government realise that the Indians would not be satisfied with anything less. The substance of the demand of a Constituent Assembly was conceded in the August, 1940 statement of the Government. The Cripps Mission of 1942 contained a concrete proposal on the part of the British Government to set up a constitution-making body charged with the task of framing a new constitution for India immediately after the War, consisting of Indians alone. The Cripps Mission proposals were rejected by the leaders of all the political parties of India. It was in February, 1946 that Mr. Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister, categorically admitted the right of the Indians to frame their own constitution.
3. Describe the different arguments given in favour of the protection of oppressed groups.
Answer: The question arose in the Assembly that should the oppressed groups have any special rights. What rights should the minorities have? The members had no collective answer to any of these questions. There was a clash of opinions. Nehru had declared that the makers of the constitution had to “fulfil the passions that lie in the hearts of the masses.” The different groups expressed their will in different ways, and made different demands. The conflicting views had to be debated and reconciled before a consensus could be reached. B. Pocker Bahadur, a member from Madras, made a powerful plea for continuing separate electorates. He argued that minorities existed in India and they could not be washed away. If the minorities were to be allowed to live in peace and harmony, they should be well represented within the political system. The demand for separate electorates enraged some of the nationalist leaders. They held that the British introduced separate electorates to divide the people. R.V. Dhulekar told B. Pocker Bahadur that with the help of it, the British misguided the people. Separate electorates were a poison that had entered the body politic of the country declared Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, “Do you want peace in this land? If so, do away with the separate electorates.” Behind all these arguments against separate electorates was the concern with making a unified nation-state. For the political unity of the country, every individual had to be moulded into a citizen of a state, each group had to be assimilated within the nation. Even though the importance of community rights was being recognised, there was a lurking fear among many nationalists that this might lead to divided loyalties. It would make it difficult to forge a strong nation. All the Muslims did not support the demand for separate electorates. For instance, Begum Afzal Rasul felt that separate electorates were self-destructive since they isolated the minorities from the majority. The Muslims needed to take an active part in the democratic process so that they had a decisive voice in the political system.
4. 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: It meant that there was no universal adult franchise. The vision that Jawaharlal Nehru was trying to outline on 13 December, 1946 in the Objective Resolution was the vision of the constitution of the Indian sovereign republic. The question arose in the Assembly that should the oppressed groups have any special rights. What rights should the minorities have? The members had no collective answer to any of these questions. There was a clash of opinions. Nehru had declared that the makers of the constitution had to “fulfil the passions that lie in the hearts of the masses.” The different groups expressed their will in different ways, and made different demands. The conflicting views had to be debated and reconciled before a consensus could be reached. B. Pocker Bahadur, a member from Madras, made a powerful plea for continuing separate electorates. He argued that minorities existed in India and they could not be washed away. If the minorities were to be allowed to live in peace and harmony, they should be well represented within the political system. The demand for separate electorates enraged some of the nationalist leaders. They held that the British introduced separate electorates to divide the people. R.V. Dhulekar told B. Pocker Bahadur that with the help of it, the British misguided the people. Separate electorates were a poison that had entered the body politic of the country declared Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, “Do you want peace in this land? If so, do away with the separate electorates.” Behind all these arguments against separate electorates was the concern with making a unified nation-state. For the political unity of the country, every individual had to be moulded into a citizen of a state, each group had to be assimilated within the nation. Even though the importance of community rights was being recognised, there was a lurking fear among many nationalists that this might lead to divided loyalties. It would make it difficult to forge a strong nation. All the Muslims did not support the demand for separate electorates. For instance, Begum Afzal Rasul felt that separate electorates were self-destructive since they isolated the minorities from the majority. The Muslims needed to take an active part in the democratic process so that they had a decisive voice in the political system.
5. Write an essay on the Constituent Assembly of India.
Answer: The Constituent Assembly of India was the sole constitutional authority for the union as well as for the states. In the words of Dr. Ambedkar, “The Constitution of the Union and the States is a single frame which neither can get out of and within which they must work” (Constituent Assembly Debates, Vol. VIII, Page 44). The most remarkable feature of the proceedings of the Assembly was the passing of the resolution on Aims and Objectives moved by Pt. Nehru on December 13, 1946. Pt. Nehru described the Resolution as “a solemn pledge to our people”. It gave expression to the aspirations and ideals for which the people of India had worked and struggled and embodied the broad objectives which the Constituent Assembly was to set before itself. The Constituent Assembly was thus to frame a democratic constitution for India. The Resolution ensured that safeguards would be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other classes. And finally, the Resolution proclaimed that the “ancient land” would attain its rightful and honoured place in the world and make its full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind. (Constitutional Assembly Debates, Vol. I, page 57). In the words of Dr. M.K.M. Munshi, ‘The Resolution cast the horoscope of our Sovereign Democratic Republic.” It declared that the Assembly’s firm and solemn resolve laid down that this Republic would be a union of autonomous units in which residuary powers should be with the latter. The Draft Constitution was published in the form of a book in February, 1948. An eight-month interval was allowed for its discussion all over the country. Next, the Constituent Assembly discussed it thoroughly clause by clause. During the discussions, no fewer than 7635 amendments were tabled and as many as 2473 were actually discussed. It held eleven sessions and took two years, eleven months and eight days to frame the Constitution of the Indian Republic. The twelfth and the final session of the Constitutional Assembly was held on January 24, 1950, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was unanimously elected as the first President of the Indian Union. In an impressive ceremony, the members of the Constituent Assembly signed the embossed and illuminated copies of the Constitution. The Constitution came into force on the Republic Day, January 26, 1950. On the same day, Dr. Rajendra Prasad assumed the office of the President of the Indian Republic.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who said, “On the basis of number, Harijans are not in minority”?
A. Nagappa
B. B. Pokar Bahadur
C. G.B. Pant
D. Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru
Answer: A. Nagappa
2. Who demanded justice for women?
A. Hansa Mehta
B. Tara Bhai Deshmukh
C. Sarojini Naidu
D. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
Answer: A. Hansa Mehta
3. Who gave the concept of Hindustani language?
A. Pt. Nehru
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. R.V. Dhulekar
D. Durgabai
Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
4. When did Muslim league demand to dissolve Constituent Assembly?
A. 29 Jan. 1947
B. 26 Jan. 1946
C. 25 Jan. 1946
D. 16 July 1947
Answer: A. 29 Jan. 1947
5. When was the last meeting of Interim Government held?
A. 14 Aug. 1947
B. 12 July 1946
C. 2 Nov. 1946
D. 16 July 1947
Answer: D. 16 July 1947
Competency-Based Questions
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Match the following:
| Column-I (Leaders) (i) Jawaharlal Nehru (ii) B.R. Ambedkar (iii) Rajendra Prasad (iv) B. N. Rau | Column-II (Role in the Constituent Assembly) (A) President of the Constituent Assembly (B) Constitutional Advisor (C) Chairman of the Drafting Committee (D) Worked on the ‘Objective Resolution’ |
Options:
A. (i) (C), (ii) (B), (iii) (A), (iv) (D)
B. (i) (C), (ii) (D), (iii) (A), (iv) (B)
C. (i) (D), (ii) (C), (iii) (A), (iv) (B)
D. (i) (B), (ii) (C), (iii) (D), (iv) (A)
Answer: C. (i) (D), (ii) (C), (iii) (A), (iv) (B)
2. Study the following statement carefully:
“I believe separate electorates will be suicidal to the minorities and will do them tremendous harm. If they are isolated forever, they can never convert themselves into a majority and the feeling of frustration will cripple them even from the very beginning.”
Who among the following made the above statement?
A. Dr. Ambedkar
B. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Govind Ballabh Pant
D. Sardar Patel
Answer: C. Govind Ballabh Pant
3. Consider the given statements regarding Constituent Assembly and select the correct from the following options:
A. Motilal Nehru moved resolution of National flag in the Constituent Assembly
B. G.B. Pant was the Legal Advisor
C. Sardar Patel was the Constitutional Advisor
D. K.M. Munshi was called as Frontier Gandhi
Answer: C. Sardar Patel was the Constitutional Advisor
4. Which among the following is correct in relation to separate electorate.
A. B.K. Pokar Bahadur was in favour of keeping separate electorate system.
B. Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel was against separate electorate.
C. Govind Ballabh Pant was also against it.
D. All the above points are true.
Answer: D. All the above points are true.
5. Consider the given statements regarding Constituent Assembly and select the correct from the following options:
A. Motilal Nehru moved resolution of National flag in the Constituent Assembly.
B. G.B. Pant was the Legal Advisor.
C. Sardar Patel was the Constitutional Advisor.
D. K.M. Munshi was called as Frontier Gandhi.
Answer: C. Sardar Patel was the Constitutional Advisor.
Case-based Questions
1. Read the following passage and answer any three questions by choosing the correct option.
The Constituent Assembly debates help us understand the many conflicting voices of those who took part in the discussions while framing the Constitution. The members articulated many demands and ideas. They tell us about the ideals that were invoked and the principles that the makers of the Constitution operated with. But in reading these debates, we need to be aware that the ideals invoked were very often re-worked according to what seemed appropriate within a context. At times, the members of the Assembly also changed their ideas as the debate unfolded over three years. Hearing others argue, some members rethought their positions, opening their minds to contrary views, while others changed their views in reaction to the events around.
1. What do we understand by the Constituent Assembly disputes?
(i) What kind of opposing voices were raised in the making of the constitution.
(ii) What kind of demand was wanted
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) We should not do dispute.
Answer: Both (i) and (ii)
2. What ideals and principles tell us about the Constituent Assembly?
(i) About the principle of constitution makers
(ii) About the ideals of if the constitution makers
(iii) Both of the above
(iv) About the character of the members of the Constituent Assembly.
Answer: Both of the above
3. What do we need to remember to understand the controversies?
(i) The ideals were changed according to specific context
(ii) Some members changed their views with discussion held in three years
(iii) Both of above
(iv) Fighters sacrifice.
Answer: Both of above
4. What role did the controversies of the house of representatives play in the creation of India?
(i) Strengthens the constitution
(ii) Made the country strong
(iii) Both of above
(iv) Increase disharmony in people
Answer: Both of above
2. Govind Vallabh argued that in order to become loyal citizens, people had to stop focusing only on community and self:
“For the success of democracy one must train himself in the art of self-discipline. In democracies, one should care less for himself and more for others. There cannot be any divided loyalty. All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the state. If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests, then democracy is doomed.”
a. Explain the qualities of a good citizen.
Answer: For the success of democracy one must train himself in the art of self-discipline. In democracies, one should care less for himself and more for others. There cannot be any divided loyalty. All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the state.
b. Explain why all loyalties must be centred round the state.
Answer: All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the state. If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests, then democracy is doomed.
c. Examine the circumstances which may lead democracy to a doom.
Answer: If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests, then democracy is doomed.
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. When did India achieve her independence and what were the two separate states formed?
Answer: India achieved her independence on 15th August, 1947, and the country was partitioned into two separate states: India and Pakistan.
29. Mention the two important features of the Indian Constitution that had substantial agreement among the Constituent Assembly members.
Answer: The two important features of the Indian Constitution that had substantial agreement among the Constituent Assembly members were:
- The granting of the right to vote to every adult Indian.
- The emphasis on secularism, which was done through a series of Fundamental Rights given in Articles 25 to 28, Right to Freedom of religion, Articles 29-30 cultural and educational rights, and Articles 14, 16, 17, Right to Equality.
Extra/additional MCQs
1. When did India achieve independence?
A. 1945 B. 1946 C. 1947 D. 1948
Answer: C. 1947
50. Who was the main architect of the Indian Constitution?
A. Dr. Rajendra Prasad B. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru C. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: C. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
Get notes of other boards, classes, and subjects