SSC CGL Polity Study Material, Making of Indian Constitution

To help strengthen your preparation, we are providing free SSC CGL Polity Notes in this blog. In this edition, we focus on the important topic making of the Indian Constitution, which is frequently asked in the SSC CGL exam and other competitive exams. Understanding this topic is essential to grasp how India’s Constitution was framed, the ideas behind it, and the process of its creation. The notes are presented in a simple and exam-oriented manner to help you revise quickly and effectively.

Making of Indian Constitution

For aspirants preparing for the SSC CGL Exam, understanding the making of Indian Constitution is very important as it is a frequently asked topic in Polity. The Making of the Indian Constitution started 72 years from now on December 9, 1946 When the First session of the Constituent Assembly took place. The journey of being a democratic nation started on that day as it marked the making of national anthem, national flag and also a status of national symbol. The idea of Constituent Assembly for India was suggested by M.N Roy.

Constituent Assembly formation

The Cabinet Mission Plan had formulated a scheme for the formation of Constituent Assembly. Some features of this scheme are as follows -:

1. The Constituent Assembly in total consisted of 389 members. Among these 93 seats were allotted to Princely States and  296 seats were allotted to British India.
2. The seats were allotted to Princely States according to the population of that particular state. On an average one seat was allotted for every million population.
3. The seats allocated for the Constituent Assembly to each British Province was to be decided by considering the population of the three principal communities Muslims, Sikhs and General (All Except Muslims and Sikhs) in each province.
4. During a provincial legislative assembly the members of that community elect the representative of each community.
5. The head of the princely states nominated the representative of the princely states.

Who were the important members of the Constituent Assembly?

Several important leaders played different roles in the making of the Indian Constitution. For SSC CGL, questions are commonly framed by matching a person with their position or responsibility in the Constituent Assembly.

Person	Important Role
Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha	Temporary Chairman of the Constituent Assembly
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	President of the Constituent Assembly
H.C. Mookherjee	Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar	Chairman of the Drafting Committee
B.N. Rau	Constitutional Adviser
Jawaharlal Nehru	Moved the Objectives Resolution; headed important Union-related committees
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	Chaired important committees dealing with provincial constitution, fundamental rights and minorities

How did the Strength of the Constituent Assembly Change After Partition?

The composition of the Constituent Assembly changed after the Partition of India. The Cabinet Mission scheme originally provided for 389 members, but the strength of the Indian Constituent Assembly was subsequently reduced to 299.

Category	Original Strength	After Partition
British Indian Provinces/territories	296	229
Princely States	93	70
Total	389	299

This 389 → 299 change is an important one-line fact for SSC Polity revision.

Was the Constituent Assembly Directly Elected?

No, the Constituent Assembly was not directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise. Under the Cabinet Mission scheme, representatives from the provinces were chosen indirectly through the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, while representatives of the princely states were nominated according to the applicable arrangements. For SSC exams, remember:

Constituent Assembly → Indirect Election → Provincial Legislative Assemblies

What were the Major Committees of the Constituent Assembly?

The Constitution was not prepared by the Drafting Committee alone. The Constituent Assembly created several committees to examine different constitutional subjects before their recommendations were debated by the full Assembly.

Committee	Chairman	Major Area
Drafting Committee	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar	Preparation and revision of Draft Constitution
Union Powers Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru	Powers of the Union
Union Constitution Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru	Structure of Union Government
Provincial Constitution Committee	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	Provincial constitutional structure
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal Areas	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	Rights, minorities and related safeguards
Rules of Procedure Committee	Dr. Rajendra Prasad	Procedure of the Constituent Assembly

The Union Constitution Committee was headed by Nehru, while the Provincial Constitution Committee and the major Advisory Committee were chaired by Patel.

Who were the Original Members of the Drafting Committee?

The Drafting Committee was appointed on 29 August 1947 to scrutinise and prepare the constitutional draft based on decisions already taken by the Constituent Assembly. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar became its Chairman. The original seven members were:

S.No.	Drafting Committee Member
1	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
2	Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
3	N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar
4	K.M. Munshi
5	Syed Mohammad Saadullah
6	B.L. Mitter
7	D.P. Khaitan

Later, N. Madhava Rau replaced B.L. Mitter, while T.T. Krishnamachari replaced D.P. Khaitan. Your existing article currently lists the replacements among the seven without clearly separating them from the original composition, so this section would make that distinction clearer.

How much time did the Constituent Assembly Spend Framing the Constitution?

The Constituent Assembly worked for nearly three years to complete the Constitution. It held 11 sessions, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar recorded that the Assembly sat for 165 days, of which 114 days were devoted to considering the Draft Constitution.

Fact	Details
First meeting	9 December 1946
Number of sessions	11
Total sitting days	165
Days spent considering Draft Constitution	114
Constitution adopted	26 November 1949

Important Events

The Constituent Assembly was formed based on the Cabinet Mission Plan, which outlined the scheme for representation and election. The Assembly had 389 members, with 296 from British India and 93 from Princely States. Representation Details:

• Princely States: Seats were allotted according to population, roughly 1 seat per million people. The head of each princely state nominated their representative.
• British Provinces: Seats were allocated based on the population of three communities – Muslims, Sikhs, and General (all except Muslims and Sikhs). Members of each community elected their representatives in the provincial legislative assemblies.

Date	Event
Dec 9, 1946	First meeting of the Constituent Assembly
Dec 11, 1946	Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected President, H.C.M. Mukherjee elected Vice-President
Dec 13, 1946	‘Objectives Resolution’ passed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Jan 22, 1947	Objectives Resolution unanimously adopted
Jul 22, 1947	National Flag inaugurated
Jan 24, 1950	National Anthem adopted; Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected first President; Final session of Constituent Assembly held

Drafting Committee

The Drafting Committee was one of the most important committees among the constituent Assembly. It was set up on August 29, 1947. This committee was entitled with the responsibility of preparing the draft of the new Constitution.

The name of the members who had contributed are as follows;

1. Dr B.R Ambedkar
2. Dr K. M Munshi
3. Syed Mohammad Saadullah
4. N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
5. Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar.
6. T. T Krishnamchari (replaced D.P Khaitan as he died in 1948)
7. N Mandhava Rau (replaced B. L Mittal who had withdrawn due to medical reasons)

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