Q: How many members did the Constituent Assembly of India have?

Provincial assembly elections were held early in 1946. Constituent Assembly members were elected indirectly by members of the newly elected provincial assemblies, and initially included representatives for those provinces which formed part of Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly had 299 representatives, including nine women.

Q: Who among the following was not a member of the Constituent Assembly?

Mahatma Gandhi was not really sidelined from the constitution framing. He chose not to be part of any form of government. In fact he was a strong advocate of dissolution of the Congress after independence. He was also not present when Nehru made his first speech to the Constituent Assembly.

Question 1

Explain five major factors which contributed to the making of our Constitution.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution of India was made after a series of events that led to it's making:1) Nationalism arose in people of India, which raised the demand of sovereignty and own Constitution.2)Draft of Constitution was prepared in 1928 by Motilal Nehru and his companions which reflected the belief and ideology of Indians.3) In 1935, the Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of India 4) Constituent Assembly was constituted in 1946 and was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing India's own Constitution.5) After the Independence, the Assembly was made fully Sovereign body, the partition raised the demand of sovereign recognition of State, the Constituent Assembly adopted Constitution on November 26, 1949.

Question 2

Explain the following keywords used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution: We, the people of India, sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

Accepted Answer

Several key words have been used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution:(i) We, the people of India. The constitution has been drawn up and enacted by the people through their representatives, and not handed down to them by a king or any outside powers.(ii) Sovereign. People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India.(iii) Socialist. Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. Government should regulate the ownership of land and industry to reduce socio-economic inequalities.(iv) Secular. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion. Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.(v) Democratic. A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable.(vi) Republic. The head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary position.(vii) Justice. Citizens cannot be discriminated on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. Social inequalities have to be reduced.(viii) Liberty. There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in what they think, how they wish to express their thoughts and the way they wish to follow up their thoughts in action.(ix) Equality. All are equal before the law. The government should ensure equal opportunity to all.(x) Fraternity. All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.

Question 3

Describe the composition of the Constituent Assembly of India.

Accepted Answer

Constituent Assembly of India was set up under Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946. It consisted of 385 members, of which 292 were elected by the elected members of the provincial Legislative Assemblies while 93 members were nominated by the Princely States.It also had one representative each from the four chief Commissioners provinces of Delhi, Ajmer-Marwar, Coorg and British Baluchistan. B N Rao was the Constitutional Advisor of the Assembly. Dr. Rajendra prasad was elected as its president.

Question 4

Why is the Preamble to the Constitution very important? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Preamble is an introductory statement to the Constitution which contains the ideals on which the Constitution is based and the basic underlying principles of the Constitution.Importance of the Preamble can be stated as follows(i) The Preamble contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built. It provides a standard to examine and evaluates any law and action of government to find out whether it is good or bad. Hence, it is the soul of the Constitution.(ii) The Preamble shows the way the government ought to run. It declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic.(iii) It envisages justice-social, economic and political-for all its citizens. It seeks to give the citizens all types of freedoms-freedom of thought and expression, freedom of belief and worship etc.(iv) The Preamble mentions people as the source of the Constitution. It seeks to provide equality of status and opportunity to all individuals and thus promotes a sense of brotherhood among all citizens.

Question 5

What does the word 'Sovereign' mean in the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Sovereign- It means people have the supreme right to take decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India.

Question 6

Which of the following is not included in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Education to men, women and children isn't mentioned in the Preamble of India.The Preamble of Indian Constitution goes like:We, The People of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens:Justice, social, economic and political,Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship,Equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among them allFRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.

Question 7

How many members did the Constituent Assembly of India have?

Accepted Answer

Provincial assembly elections were held early in&#10;1946. Constituent Assembly members were elected indirectly by members of the&#10;newly elected provincial assemblies, and initially included representatives for&#10;those provinces which formed part of Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly had 299&#10;representatives, including nine women.

Question 8

Explain the meaning and importance of Fundamental Rights.

Accepted Answer

In India, like most other democracies in the world, some rights are mentioned in the Constitution. These rights are fundamental to our life and are given a special status. They are called Fundamental Rights. It talks about securing for all its citizens equality, liberty and justice. Fundamental Rights are an important basic feature of the Indian Constitution. These are preserved in the Part III of the Constitution. Importance' of Fundamental Rights: (i) Fundamental Rights create a feeling of security amongst the minorities in the country. (ii) No democracy can function in the absence of basic rights such as freedom of speech and expression. (iii) Fundamental Rights grant the standards of conduct, citizenship, justice and fair play. They act as a check on the government.

Question 9

Explain the three circumstances when the President can exercise his emergency powers.

Accepted Answer

The President can exercise his emergency powers in three types of emergencies: national emergency, state emergency, and financial emergency. National Emergency is imposed by the President on request by the Prime Minister&#8217;s cabinet of ministers. Article 352 of the Indian Constitution states that an emergency can be called in the event of imminent danger to the national security due to armed rebellion, war or external aggression. State Emergency is often referred to as President&#8217;s Rule. State emergency is declared under Article 356, in the event when the state government collapses and the constitutional machinery fails in a particular state. It can be imposed for a period of six months and can last only for three years with parliamentary consent required every six months. The Governor, the President&#8217;s representative in the state, governs the state under emergency in the name of the President.Financial Emergency is imposed by the President if he reckons financial stability of the country is in danger. Article 360 empowers the President to declare this emergency on the condition that it would be approved by the Parliament within two months of its enforcement.

Question 10

Who among the following was not a member of the Constituent Assembly?

Accepted Answer

Mahatma Gandhi was not really sidelined from the&#10;constitution framing. He chose not to be part of any form of government. In&#10;fact he was a strong advocate of dissolution of the Congress after&#10;independence. He was also not present when Nehru made his first speech to the&#10;Constituent Assembly.