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THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
395 Articles, organised into 25 Parts and 12 Schedules, make up the Constitution of India

PARTS
Each Part collates Articles on specific themes. E.g. Fundamental Rights in Part III.

SCHEDULES
Each Schedule contains provisions necessary to apply related Articles.

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HISTORICAL CONSTITUTIONS
The Constitution of India 1950 was preceded by British authored framework legislation to govern India, and proto-constitutional drafts by several Indian individuals and groups. These Historical Constitutions are archived here.

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The Constitution of India 1950 was drafted by a Constituent Assembly. 167 days of plenary assembly debates from 9 December 1946 to 24 January 1950 are archived here.

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COMMITTEE REPORTS
Documents prepared by smaller groups of Constituent Assembly members which conducted preliminary research and advanced recommendations on specific constitutional topics.
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A stage-by-stage overview of the drafting of the Constitution of India 1950. Begin with our popular video on the making of the Indian Constitution.
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A 389-member body responsible for drafting India’s Constitution.

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Committees were created by the Constituent Assembly comprising smaller groups of members delegated with various responsibilities.

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An unofficial forum consisting of Assembly members belonging to the Indian National Congress that met on the side-lines of the Assembly.
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Home ≫ Committees ≫ Sub-Committee on Minorities

Constitution Making
Committees

Sub-Committee on Minorities

This sub-committee was set up to look into whether the clauses on fundamental rights needed to be amplified to promote the interests of minorities

Members

H. C. Mookherjee (Chairperson), Jagjivan Ram, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, B. R. Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Bakshi Tek Chand, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Jairamdas Daulatram, K. M. Munshi, Govind Ballabh Pant, Stanley Henry Prater, Tajamul Hussain, R. K. Sidhwa, Ujjal Singh, Shankarrao Deo, P. R. Thakur

Meeting Dates

April 17, 1947
July 21, 1947

Background

The Sub-Committee on Minorities was appointed on 27 February 1947, together with the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee. Its purpose was to examine the draft clauses recommended by the Fundamental Rights Committee and propose relevant changes or additions to ensure the protection of minority rights.

Work Summary

During their first meeting on 19 April 1947, the Sub-Committee elected H.C. Mookherjee as its Chairman and discussed the scope of their work. They were tasked with examining the draft clauses recommended by the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee in their report of 16 April to determine if any amendments or amplifications were necessary to safeguard minority rights. The discussion took three days, and an interim report addressing fundamental rights from the perspective of minorities was submitted on 19 April.

Subsequently, from 21 to 27 July 1947, the Sub-Committee convened to review responses, memoranda, notes, and letters from minority communities and organizations. Their decisions were outlined in the final report, which was drafted and approved on 27 July 1947, and submitted to the Advisory Committee on the same day.

Key Documents

Interim Report of the Sub-Committee on Minorities on 19 April 1947
Report of the Sub-Committee on Minorities on 27 July 1947
Report of the Advisory Committee on the Subject of Minority Rights on 8 August 1947

Resources

The Framing of India’s Constitution 1966, Vol. 2 by Shiva Rao
The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation by Granville Austin