Q. Who was the Provisional President of the Constituent Assembly before Dr. Rajendra Prasad took over?
- C. Rajagopalachari
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- T.T. Krishnamachari
- Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Answer: (d) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Notes:
- The Constituent Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946. The Muslim League boycotted the meeting and insisted on a separate state of Pakistan. The meeting was, thus, attended by only 211 members.
- Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, was elected as the temporary/provisional President of the Assembly, following the French practice.
- Later, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the Assembly, and Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a Christian from Bengal and former vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, was vice-president.
- The Assembly approved the draft constitution on 26 November 1949. On 26 January 1950, the constitution took effect (commemorated as Republic Day), and the Constituent Assembly became the Provisional Parliament of India (continuing until after the first elections under the new constitution in 1952).
Important Committees of Constituent Assembly and Their Chairmen
| Name of Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|
| Committee on the Rules of Procedure | Rajendra Prasad |
| Steering Committee | Rajendra Prasad |
| Finance and Staff Committee | Rajendra Prasad |
| Credential Committee | Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar |
| House Committee | B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya |
| Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag | Rajendra Prasad |
| Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly | G.V. Mavalankar |
| Order of Business Committee | K.M. Munsi |
Timeline of Formation of the Constitution of India
- 9 December 1946: Formation of the Constituent Assembly (demanding a separate state, the Muslim League boycotted the meeting)
- 11 December 1946: President Appointed – Rajendra Prasad, vice-chairman Harendra Coomar Mookerjee and constitutional legal adviser B. N. Rau (initially 389 members in total, which declined to 299 after partition. Out of 389, 292 were from government provinces, 4 from chief commissioner provinces and 93 from princely states)
- 13 December 1946: An ‘Objective Resolution’ was presented by Jawaharlal Nehru, laying down the underlying principles of the constitution, which later became the Preamble of the constitution.
- 22 January 1947: Objective resolution unanimously adopted.
- 22 July 1947: National flag adopted.
- 15 August 1947: Achieved independence. India split into Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan.
- 29 August 1947: Drafting Committee appointed, with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as the chairman. Other 6 members of the committee were: K.M.Munshi, Muhammed Saadulah, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Gopala Swami Ayyangar, N. Madhava Rao (He replaced B.L. Mitter who resigned due to ill health), T. T. Krishnamachari (He replaced D.P. Khaitan who died in 1948).
- 16 July 1948: Along with Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, V. T. Krishnamachari was also elected as the second vice-president of the Constituent Assembly.
- 26 November 1949: ‘Constitution of India’ passed and adopted by the assembly.
- 24 January 1950: Last meeting of the Constituent Assembly. ‘The Constitution of India’ (with 395 articles, 8 schedules, 22 parts) was signed and accepted by all.
- 26 January 1950: The ‘Constitution of India’ came into force after 2 years, 11 months, and 18 Days, at a total expenditure of ₹6.4 million to finish.
- Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was the first speaker when meeting the assembly of Lok Sabha, after turning republic.