MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION FOR INDIA

Question 1

Commonwealth of India Bill?

Answer 1

• The Commonwealth of India Bill first drafted by the “National Convention” in April 1924 and to which Annie Besant, Tej Bahadur Sapru (chairman), V.S. Srinivasa Shastri made important contributions, was accepted unanimously by the executive committee of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
• The Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons in December 1925; it was defeated, but it proved crucial as it had the support of very wide sections of Indian opinion, and specified in clear words that “India shall be placed on an equal footing with the self governing dominions”.

Question 2

Why did the British appointed the all white Simon Commission?

Answer 2

• After the Non Cooperation Movement, Motilal Nehru in February 1924 introduced in the Central Legislative Assembly a resolution that gave due regard to minority rights and interests and came to be known as the National Demand.
• It was passed by a large majority in the Assembly. For the first time, a demand for a constitution and the procedure for its adoption, were expounded in clear terms.
• Britain, in response to the National Demand, appointed the all white Simon Commission in November 1927 to recommend further constitutional changes.
• In response to Lord Birkenhead’s challenge, the Nehru Report, submitted on August 1928, was an outline of a draft constitution for India. Most of its features were later incorporated in the Constitution of independent India.

Question 3

The idea that India’s Constitution should be framed via a Constituent Assembly elected for this very purpose and based on widest possible franchise gained support.
Although M.N. Roy had made such a suggestion earlier, ________ was the first national leader to enunciate the idea in 1933.

Answer 3

Jawaharlal Nehru.

Question 4

At which Congress session it was declared that “no constitution imposed by an outside authority and no constitution which curtails the sovereignty of the people” would be acceptable to the Congress?

Answer 4

At the Lucknow session in 1936.

Question 5

In July 1937, after the Congress accepted office in a majority of provinces, Nehru passed the legislation to introduce resolutions in the assemblies rejecting the present constitution and demanding a Constituent Assembly. In August, the CWC accepted a draft resolution prepared under _______.

Answer 5

Acharya Kriplani.

Question 6

The ________ proposal, though rejected by the Congress as unacceptable, had one redeeming feature in that their own constitution through a constituent assembly.

Answer 6

The Cripps Proposals of 1942.