Blog posts by: Vineeth Krishna

Borrowing Battles: Kerala’s Curious Reliance on Constitutional History

24 April 2024 • By

7 mins

B.R. Ambedkar’s Defence of Constitutional Borrowing

18 April 2024 • By

Ambedkar defends the Constitution's borrowing by highlighting its global alignment and need for adaptation to national requirements. He refutes claims of blind imitation, emphasizing the document's original variations tailored to India's needs.

3 mins

Ambedkar’s Challenge to the Republic

12 April 2024 • By

Ambedkar was optimistic about constitutional democracy working in India. However, by 1953, he had lost hope.

4 mins

The Einstein-Nehru Exchange on Israel and Palestine

20 March 2024 • By

Albert Einstein's remarkable letter to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a spirited attempt to sway him towards endorsing an Israeli state. Nehru however, was not convinced.

4 mins

The Women’s Indian Association and Indian Constitutional Thought

12 March 2024 • By

Unlike the American constitutional founding, which was exclusively led by men, the Indian Constituent Assembly included women. Until recently, the contributions and even the presence of these women were overlooked in public memory.

6 mins

This Month in Constitution-Making (January 1947): The Constituent Assembly passes the Objectives Resolution

4 January 2024 • By

After a month of uncertainty, the Constituent Assembly passed Nehru's Objective Resolution, marking the start of Indian constitution-making

4 mins

Beyond Legal Legitimacy: How to Better Engage with Judgments

21 December 2023 • By

This piece explores various dimensions in evaluating Supreme Court judgments, including legal, moral, and sociological legitimacy, with a focus on the significance of moral perspectives in judicial discourse.

3 mins

This Month in Constitution Making (Nov 1949): Drafting Committee Comes Under Fire

16 November 2023 • By

In November 1949, as the Assembly reviewed its nearly three-year-long efforts, some members launched an attack on the Drafting Committee.

2 mins

This Month in Constitution Making (September 1945): Newly-elected Labour Party announces a Constituent Assembly for India

4 September 2023 • By

How did the results of the 1945 UK General election have cascading effects on the setting up of two separate constitution-making bodies in India and Pakistan respectively?

3 mins
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

This Month in Constitution Making (June 1934): Congress Makes The First Official Demand For A Constituent Assembly

13 June 2023 • By

In a historic moment in June 1934, the Indian National Congress, for the first time, officially demanded an Indian Constituent Assembly to frame India's Constitution. In a span of a few years, this demand transformed into the cornerstone of India's freedom movement.

3 mins

Founding of India’s Republic: Continuity or Departure from Civilisation?

1 June 2023 • By

The Sengol ceremony during the new parliament's inauguration was an attempt to depict India's founding as a continuation of its civilizational heritage. Did the Founders perceive India's transformation in similar vein?

4 mins

Delhi and Washington D.C. : The Two Capitals’ Pursuit of Self-Governance

19 May 2023 • By

Longstanding conflicts over the control of a nation's capital city between national and state governments are not exclusive to India. This piece draws parallels between India and the United States, examining the historical debates and current developments surrounding self-government their capital cities.

5 mins

Bhagat Singh Hanged, Karachi Resolution Passed

23 March 2023 • By

On 23 March 1931 the British hanged Bhagat Singh for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. Just a week later, the the Indian National Congress passed the iconic Karachi Resolution 1931. Were these two historic events connected?

3 mins

Should Courts Review Delimitation?

22 March 2023 • By

There are allegations that the recent delimitation exercises have redrawn constituency boundaries to give an advantage to a particular political party. Should courts intervene?

4 mins

How did Ambedkar and Gandhi imagine Indian Federalism?

13 October 2022 • By and

B.R. Ambedkar's and M.K. Gandhi's contrasting views on the caste system, have garnered wide attention. Here, we compare their views on an important constitutional design feature: Federalism.

3 mins

Chileans Overwhelmingly Reject a New Progressive Constitution

12 September 2022 • By

In September 2022, the Chilean population voted to reject the Draft of a new Chilean Constitution. What does the rejection of a highly progressive draft constitution mean for future constitution-making projects?

4 mins

Transfer of Power: The Delayed Announcement of the Boundaries of India and Pakistan

30 August 2022 • By and

On the evening of 13 August 1947, Sir Cyril Radcliffe submitted a report to the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, that settled the territorial boundaries of India and Pakistan, referred to as the Commissions' ‘awards’. The British archives reveal why there was a delay in the publication of the awards.

2 mins

This Month in Constitution Making (July 1947): Constituent Assembly Reacts to India’s Partition

11 July 2022 • By

In this desk brief, we break down the reactions to the announcement of Partition in the Indian Constituent Assembly.

3 mins

How a 1934 U.S. Case Shaped the Press Freedom Debate in the Assembly

28 June 2022 • By and

How was the debate on the Seventh Schedule of the Draft Constitution of India 1948 influenced by U.S. case law?

3 mins

Why India’s Constitution Framers Hated the Sedition Law

13 May 2022 • By

The views of 'sedition' from our Constitution framers as compared to present day.

2 mins

This Month in Constitution Making (May 1949): India Decides to Remain in the Commonwealth of Nations

4 May 2022 • By

How Nehru ended up convincing the Constituent Assembly to join the Commonwealth Group of Nations.

3 mins

Workers’ Rights in M.N. Roy’s Constitution of Free India : A Draft (1944)

2 May 2022 • By

We examine the provisions of the Constitution of Free India: A Draft (1944).

2 mins

This Month in Constitution Making (April 1947): Princely States Join the Constituent Assembly

6 April 2022 • By

How did the group of Princely States join the Union of India?

3 mins

How A 1933 U.S. Law Shaped India’s Financial Emergency Provision

25 February 2022 • By and

What was the impact of FDR's actions during the Great Depression on the Indian Constituent Assembly?

2 mins

This Month in Constitution-Making (February 1947): Britain Announces It Will Quit India

9 February 2022 • By

The background behind the announcement of Britain quitting India in February 1947.

2 mins

Finding Bose in the Indian Constitution

26 January 2022 • By and

How did the views of Subhas Chandra Bose manifest in the Constituent Assembly Debates?

2 mins

This Month in Constitution-Making (November 1946): Was The Constituent Assembly Valid Despite Muslim League Absence?

8 November 2021 • By

Did the absence of the Muslim League from the Indian Constituent Assembly test its validity of existence?

3 mins

This Month In Constitution Making (October, 1949): Constituent Assembly Adds Contempt of Court to Free Speech Limitations

5 October 2021 • By

Why did TT Krishnamachari want to add 'contempt of court' as a constraint to the Fundamental right of Freedom of speech?

2 mins

This Month in Constitution-Making (September 1949): Constituent Assembly Settles on a Name for the Union

20 September 2021 • By

Read about how our Constitution framers debated on the naming of the country as per Article 1 of the Constitution of India 1950

2 mins