Indian Constitution and the Experts Committee

Questions and Answers

What percentage of the Constituent Assembly members were Indian Christians?

How many members represented the province of Bihar in the Constituent Assembly?

What was the total number of members in the Constituent Assembly?

296

How many members represented the Indian States (Princely States) in the Constituent Assembly?

70 Signup and view all the answers

When was the Experts Committee of the Congress Party appointed?

July 8, 1946 Signup and view all the answers

What was the number of members representing the province of West Bengal in the Constituent Assembly?

19 Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the Constituent Assembly members were from the Parsees community?

3% Signup and view all the answers

Who was the Chairman of the Experts Committee of the Congress Party?

Jawaharlal Nehru Signup and view all the answers

How many members represented the province of Mysore in the Constituent Assembly?

7 Signup and view all the answers

What was the main purpose of the Experts Committee of the Congress Party?

To prepare material for the Constituent Assembly Signup and view all the answers

How many sittings did the Experts Committee of the Congress Party have?

Two Signup and view all the answers

What was the number of members representing the province of United Provinces in the Constituent Assembly?

55 Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the Experts Committee's discussions?

A resolution on the objectives of the Constitution Signup and view all the answers

Who observed that the Experts Committee set India on the road to its present Constitution?

Granville Austin Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of the Act that was continued in 1949?

The Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act Signup and view all the answers

What was the topic of criticism of the Constituent Assembly?

Various grounds Signup and view all the answers

What is the classification of the Indian Constitution?

Written Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the 42nd Amendment Act (1976)?

It is known as ‘Mini-Constitution’ due to the important and large number of changes made by it Signup and view all the answers

How many Articles did the Constitution originally contain?

395 Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the various amendments carried out since 1951?

About 20 Articles were deleted and one Part was added Signup and view all the answers

What are the geographical factors that contributed to the size of the Indian Constitution?

The vastness of the country and its diversity Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973)?

It ruled that the constituent power of Parliament cannot alter the basic structure of the Constitution Signup and view all the answers

What is true about the number of Schedules in the Indian Constitution?

It has 12 Schedules Signup and view all the answers

What is unique about the Indian Constitution compared to other Constitutions?

It is the lengthiest of all written Constitutions Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a rigid Constitution?

It requires a special procedure for its amendment Signup and view all the answers

What is the Constitution of India a synthesis of?

A rigid and a flexible constitution Signup and view all the answers

What is the requirement for amending some provisions of the Indian Constitution?

A two-third majority of the members of each House and a majority of the total membership of each House Signup and view all the answers

What is a feature of the Indian Constitution that is not typical of a federal system?

A strong Centre Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Union of States' imply?

The Indian Federation is not the result of an agreement by the states, and no state has the right to secede from the federation Signup and view all the answers

What is a feature of the Indian Constitution that is typical of a federation?

Division of powers Signup and view all the answers

What is true about the amendment of some provisions of the Indian Constitution?

They can be amended by a simple majority of the Parliament Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the Indian system of government in the Constitution?

Union of States Signup and view all the answers

Who said that the Constitution was not what Mahatma Gandhi wanted?

Hanumanthaiya Signup and view all the answers

Why did T.Prakasam attribute the lapse in the Constitution to Ambedkar?

Due to Ambedkar's lack of participation in the Gandhian movement Signup and view all the answers

What was the criticism of the Indian Constitution by Sir Ivor Jennings?

That it was too long and complicated Signup and view all the answers

What did H.V.Kamath compare the Indian Constitution to?

A bulky elephant Signup and view all the answers

What did Sir Ivor Jennings call the Indian Constitution?

A lawyer's paradise Signup and view all the answers

What did H.K.Maheswari say the draft of the Constitution would make people?

More litigious and less truthful Signup and view all the answers

What did P.R.Deshmukh compare the draft of the Constitution to?

A ponderous tomes of a law manual Signup and view all the answers

What was the criticism of the Indian Constitution by H.K.Maheswari?

That it was too complicated and opened up avenues of litigation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act (1949)

The Experts Committee of the Congress was appointed on July 8, 1946, to prepare material for the Constituent Assembly.
The committee consisted of eight members, including Jawaharlal Nehru as the chairman, and was later expanded to include Krishna Kripalani.
The committee had two sittings, one at New Delhi and one at Bombay, and discussed the procedure to be adopted by the Constituent Assembly, the appointment of various committees, and the draft of a resolution on the objectives of the constitution.

Criticism of the Constituent Assembly

The Constituent Assembly was criticized for its representation, with some groups, such as the Scheduled Castes, having a significant number of members.
The assembly was also criticized for its membership, with some states having a larger number of members than others.

Salient Features of the Constitution

The Constitution of India is the lengthiest written constitution in the world, with a Preamble, 470 Articles, and 12 Schedules.
The Constitution has undergone several amendments, with the 42nd Amendment Act (1976) being known as the "Mini-Constitution" due to its significant changes.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the constituent power of Parliament does not enable it to alter the "basic structure" of the Constitution.

Features of the Constitution

The Constitution is a federal system with a unitary bias, with a strong Centre and a large number of unitary features.
The Constitution describes India as a "Union of States" rather than a federation, implying that the Indian Federation is not the result of an agreement by the states.
The Constitution is also criticized for its elephantine size, with some provisions being unnecessary and complicated.

Criticisms of the Constitution

The Constitution is criticized for being too legalistic and complicated, with the legal language and phraseology making it a complex document.
The Constitution is also criticized for being a "lawyer's paradise", with its provisions opening up vast avenues of litigation.

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Description

This quiz is about the Experts Committee appointed by the Indian National Congress in 1946 to prepare material for the Constituent Assembly. It covers the members of the committee and its significance in Indian history.