Chapter 1: Our Constitution

Question 1

When did The constitution of India come into effect?

Answer 1

26th January, 1950. This was the date when India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic.

Question 2

What is the constitution?

Answer 2

Constitution is a comprehensive document containing the set of rules that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the manner according to which the governance of a country is to be carried out.

Question 3

What are the 3 organs of the government?

Answer 3

The legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

Question 4

What is the aim of the constitution?

Answer 4

The aim of the constitution of a nation is to ensure the smooth governance for the welfare of its citizens.

Question 5

When did the Cabinet Mission arrive in India?

Answer 5

1946

Question 6

What did the Cabinet Mission propose?

Answer 6

The setting up of a Constituent Assembly whose members were to be elected indirectly by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies (Lower house only)

Question 7

When were elections to the Provincial Assemblies completed?

Answer 7

Elections to the Provincial assembly were completed by July 1946.

Question 8

How many members did the constituent assembly of undivided India consist of?

Answer 8

The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of 389 members (292 elected, 93 nominated by princely states, 3 from Chief Commissioner Provinces and 1 British)

Question 9

Which body framed the constitution?

Answer 9

The Constituent Assembly framed the constitution.

Question 10

When and where was the first sitting of the constituent assembly held?

Answer 10

December 9th, 1946. Present central hall of the parliament.

Question 11

Who presided over the first sitting of the constituent assembly.

Answer 11

Dr. Sachidananda Sinha who is the oldest sitting member of the central assembly

Question 12

Who was elected as the president of the constituent assembly and when?

Answer 12

On December 11, 1946 Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected President of the Constituent Assembly.

Question 13

After the Muslim League Boycott, what was the membership of the constitution?

Answer 13

299 members, out of which 284 were present on November 26, 1949 and signed and passed the constitution.

Question 14

How many sessions did the assembly hold between December 9, 1946 and August 14, 1947?

Answer 14

5 sessions.

Question 15

What was the composition of the Constituent Assembly of India?

Answer 15

The Anglo-Indians were represented by Mr. S.H Prater and Mr. Frank Anthony. The Sikhs were represented by Ujjal Singh and Sardar Hukum Singh. The Muslims were represented by Zafar Imam and Mohammad Saadullah.
The Christians were represented by Dr. H.C. Mukherjee and Joseph D’souza. The Parsees were represented by Dr. HP Modi.

Question 16

Who proposed the Objectives resolution and when?

Answer 16

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the ‘Objectives resolution’ on December 13th, 1946.

Question 17

What did the resolution highlight?

Answer 17

The resolution highlighted the objectives and laid down the national goals.

Question 18

What were the objectives of the resolution?

Answer 18

• Free India will be nothing but a Republic.
• The ideals of social, political and economic democracy would be guaranteed to all people.
• The Republic would grant fundamental rights to all the citizens.
• The state would safeguard the rights of minorities and backward classes.

Question 19

When was the Objectives Resolution passed?

Answer 19

The Objective Resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.

Question 20

What was the motive of the Indian Independence Act?

Answer 20

The Indian Independence Act, 1947, created the 2 independent states of India and Pakistan and recognised the existence of the constituent assembly of India.

Question 21

When was the Constituent assembly set up and who was its chairman?

Answer 21

The committee, under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar was set up on August 29, 1947 and was entrusted with the task of drafting the constitution.

Question 22

Dr.BR Ambedkar was popularly known as _____?

Answer 22

Babasaheb

Question 23

Who was Dr. BR Ambedkar?

Answer 23

He was an eminent jurist, economist, politician and social reformer. He was the main architect of the Indian Constitution.

Question 24

What are the principles that Babasaheb incorporated into the Indian Constitution?

Answer 24

• Made the constitution flexible, workable and strong enough to hold the country together both in peace and war.
• Provided special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and educationally backward.
• Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the fundamental Rights of the individuals are not infringed by the central or the state governments.
• Single citizenship, single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws to integrate Indian society.
• Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic democracy and welfare of the people of India.

Question 25

When did the 3 readings of the constitution take place?

Answer 25

November 4, 1948,
October 17, 1949
November 26, 1949

Question 26

How many articles and schedules does the constitution have?

Answer 26

395 articles, 8 schedules.

Question 27

When did the constitution come into force with effect?

Answer 27

January 26, 1950.

Question 28

What is the significance of January 26th?

Answer 28

At the Lahore Session of the congress held in December 1929, a resolution was passed which declared Poorna Swaraj or complete independence to be the objective of the Congress. January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence Day which was to be so celebrated every year. Since then the day was celebrated as Independence day up to 1947.

On achieving Independence, 15th August, 1947, became the Independence day. January 26 became the Republic day.