Page 39 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2
P. 39
Chapter 2
A New Democracy
on World Map
longest wri en cons tu on, spanned across two years,
11 months and 14 days broken into 11 sessions. This
culminated in the adop on of the Cons tu on of India
on November 26, 1949. On January 24, 1950 the
assembly met again when 284 members appended their
Seal of the Constituent Assembly signatures to the original copy of the Cons tu on.
While the bulk of the Cons tu on came into force on
January 26, 1950, the provisions related to ci zenship
he Cons tuent Assembly first met on December 9, (Ar cles 5,6,7,8 and 9) as well as the Ar cle 324 regarding
1946 to decide upon a Cons tu on for India. se ng up of Elec on Commission of India had come into
T Under the Independence of India Act, 1947 the immediate force with its adop on. The Elec on
central Legisla ve Assembly and Union of States ceased to Commission was formally ins tuted on January 25, 1950
exist at independence. On August 15, 1947 the Cons tuent
Assembly assumed the role of unicameral union legislature
besides being the cons tu on making body. Simultaneously,
a number of its members, including Chairman Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, became ministers in the union cabinet. The
legisla ve func ons of Cons tuent Assembly had to be
separated from its Cons tu on making func ons, and
placed under a neutral Speaker. The Cons tuent Assembly
(Legisla ve) at its first si ng on November 17, 1947
unanimously elected G.V. Mavalankar to that posi on.
The Cons tuent Assembly, in its 165 days of delibera on,
of which 114 were devoted to considering the world's Making of Indian Constitution - Constituent Assembly of India
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