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Class 12 History Chapter 16 Framing of the Indian Constitution The Beginning of a New Chapter
Selected Questions & Answers
A. Very Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 1)
1. What was the name of the first all-India national organization formed in 1885?
Ans: Indian National Congress.
2. Which Act of 1919 introduced a bicameral legislature?
Ans: The Government of India Act 1919.
3. State one argument for calling the Government of India Act of 1935 an anti-Indian Act.
Ans: This Act did not support the formation of a fully responsible representative government.
4. Which political party of England was sympathetic to India’s political problems?
Ans: The Labour Party.
5. What was the name of the Labour Party Prime Minister mentioned in your textbook?
Ans: Clement Attlee.
6. What was the total number of members in the Constituent Assembly of India?
Ans: 389 members.
7. Write the name of the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
Ans: B. R. Ambedkar.
8. State one argument in favour of separate electorates.
Ans: A representative belonging to a particular community can present the needs, grievances, and problems of that community in the Assembly more effectively than a representative from another community.
9. To which community did Jaipal Singh belong?
Ans: He belonged to the Adivasi (tribal) community.
10. Who was R. V. Dhulekar?
Ans: R. V. Dhulekar was a member of the Congress Party from the United Provinces. He spoke in favour of making Hindi the national language in the Constituent Assembly.
11. In which Part of the Indian Constitution are the Directive Principles of State Policy included?
Ans: In Part IV.
12. Why has the Indian Constitution provided for single citizenship?
Ans: To eliminate regional discrimination and divisions.
13. Write the name of a leader who demanded separate electorates.
Ans: B. Pocker Bahadur.
14. Who was Somnath Lahiri?
Ans: Somnath Lahiri was a leader of the Communist Party.
15. Where was the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly held?
Ans: In Delhi (on 9 December 1946).
16. Who was the last British Governor-General of India?
Ans: Lord Mountbatten.
17. What is meant by ‘Dyarchy’?
Ans: The system of dividing the subjects of administration between the Centre and the Provinces is called ‘Dyarchy’.
18. With which significant words does the Preamble of the Indian Constitution begin?
Ans: “We, the people of India.”
19. Write the name of a woman leader who opposed separate electorates.
Ans: Begum Aizaz Rasul.
20. From when did the Congress accept Hindi as the national language?
Ans: From the 1930s.
21. When was the Draft Constitution published?
Ans: In January 1948.
22. From when did the Indian Constitution come into force?
Ans: From 26 January 1950.
23. In which Part of the Indian Constitution are the Fundamental Rights included?
Ans: In Part III.
24. In which year was the Department of Atomic Energy established in India?
Ans: In 1954.
25. What was the literacy rate in India at the time of independence?
Ans: 16.6 percent.
26. In which year was the Atomic Energy Commission established?
Ans: In 1948.
27. In which year was the First Five-Year Plan adopted in India?
Ans: In 1951.
28. How many princely states were there in India at the time of independence?
Ans: 565.
29. Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India?
Ans: Jawaharlal Nehru.
30. Who was the first Home Minister of independent India?
Ans: Vallabhbhai Patel.
31. Who was the first Education Minister of independent India?
Ans: Abul Kalam Azad.
32. Write the names of two women members of the Constituent Assembly.
Ans: Hansa Mehta and Sarojini Naidu.
33. “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” Who said this?
Ans: Jawaharlal Nehru.
B. Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each question – 2)
1. How did the contemporary political situation of India influence the framing of the Constitution?
Ans: During the period of framing the Constitution, the contemporary political situation created unnecessary complexities. The Constituent Assembly had 389 members. They came from different provinces of India and held diverse ideologies. Each member wanted the Constitution to be framed in a way that would safeguard the interests and address the local
problems of their respective regions.
2. Describe the discussion held in the Constituent Assembly regarding separate electorates. H. S. ’18
Ans: In the Constituent Assembly, the issue of separate electorates led to considerable debate. B. Pocker Bahadur of Madras demanded separate electorates, emphasizing that smaller communities should not beoverwhelmed and destroyed by larger communities. On the other hand, the nationalists opposed the system of separate electorates. They argued that such a system would permanently divide the smaller groups from the mainstream. Begum Aizaz Rasul strongly supported this argument. Another member of the Constituent Assembly, Pant, expressed the view that to be a good citizenone must think not only of one’s own community but of the entire nation. Ultimately, with the objective of building a united and stronger nation, the demand for separate electorates was abandoned.
3. How did N. G. Ranga define minorities?
Ans: N. G. Ranga, a leader of the Socialist group, stated that the term’minority’ should be determined from an economic perspective. According to him, the poor, deprived, exploited, and oppressed sections of society should be regarded as minorities because they are unable to assert and safeguard their rights.
4. What is meant by Preamble? What are its objectives?
Ans: The term ‘Preamble’ refers to an introductory statement placed at the beginning of a document. In the Indian Constitution, the Preamble serves as the introductory statement. It was drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru. The Preamble reflects the fundamental objectives of the Indian Constitution, namely that India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic, and it is founded on the principles of Justice, Equality, and Fraternity.
Note: The words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were inserted into the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.
5. Mention two measures approved by the Constituent Assembly for the abolition of untouchability in India. H. S. ’18
Ans: The two measures approved by the Constituent Assembly for the abolition of untouchability are—
(a) Granting equal rights to people of all religions.
(b) Declaring religious discrimination in matters of public employment as unlawful.
6. Why is the Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929 important in Indian history?
Ans: In 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress was held. This session is highly significant in Indian history because it was here that the demand for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) was formally adopted. After this, the struggle for India’s independence assumed a more intense and comprehensive character.
7. Describe the experiences of women during the Partition of India. H. S. ’18
Ans: During the Partition of India, the experiences of women were extremely tragic and painful. Many women were subjected to rape, abduction, and murder. For example, in a village of Rawalpindi, nearly ninety women jumped into a well and committed suicide to protect their honour.
C. Long Answer Questions: (Marks – 4 or 6)
1. What suggestions were put forward in the Constituent Assembly for the protection of the tribal people?
Ans: In the Constituent Assembly, several members put forward suggestions for the protection of tribal communities. Tribal leader Jaipal Singh Munda, socialist leader N. G. Ranga, J. Nagappa, and K. G. Khandkar were among those who expressed their views.
N. G. Ranga stated that tribal communities had their own customary laws and social systems. However, in rural areas, poor tribal people had lost their lands to moneylenders and were reduced to a condition of bondage. Therefore, the Constitution should provide them with adequate safeguards. Jaipal Singh argued that the tribal people were not minorities in terms of population but were minorities in economic terms. They had been exploited for generations and were unable to protect themselves. Hence, the Constitution must ensure special protection and safeguards for them.
2. What were the arguments in favour of strengthening the Central Government? H. S. ’19
Ans: In the Constituent Assembly, various members advanced different arguments in favour of a strong Central Government. Jawaharlal Nehru supported granting greater powers to the Centre to ensure the unity and security of the country. He argued that a weak central authority could not maintain peace in a vast and diverse country like India. B. R. Ambedkar emphasized that a strong Centre was necessary to check communal forces and maintain national integrity. Balkrishna Sharma of the United Provinces stated that only a strong Central
The government could safeguard the collective interests of the nation. N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar also expressed the view that as much power possible should be vested in the Central Government.
3. Discuss the main features of the Indian Constitution. H. S. ’16
Ans: After nearly three years of deliberation and hard work, the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. Its main features are as follows:
(a) Written and Lengthy Constitution: The Indian Constitution is one of the longest written constitutions in the world. Originally, it contained 22 Parts, 395 Articles, and 8 Schedules.
(b) Preamble: A distinctive feature of the Constitution is its Preamble, which reflects its ideals and objectives.
(c) Federal and Parliamentary System: India is a federal state with a parliamentary form of government based on democratic principles.
(d) Universal Adult Franchise: The Constitution grants the right to vote to all citizens above 18 years of age, enabling them to elect their representatives freely.
(e) Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties: The Constitution guarantees six Fundamental Rights to citizens and also lays down Fundamental Duties. Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976.
(f) Directive Principles of State Policy: To establish India as a welfare state, the Constitution lays down certain Directive Principles to guide the State in governance.
(g) Single Citizenship: The Constitution provides for single citizenship for all Indians; there is no provision for dual citizenship.
(h) Official Language: The Constitution recognizes Hindi as the official language of the Union and allows states to adopt their own official languages.
(i) Emergency Powers of the President: The Constitution vests the President with special emergency powers to deal with extraordinary situations.
4. Discuss the historical background of the framing of the Indian Constitution.
Ans: In 1946, on the basis of the Cabinet Mission Plan, the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of India was held on 9 December 1946. However, the members of the Muslim League initially boycotted the meeting. In the Assembly, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the Constituent Assembly, and thirteen committees were formed to examine various aspects of the Constitution. B. R. Ambedkar was appointed Chairman of the Drafting Committee, and the work of framing the Constitution began.
B. N. Rau and N. C. Mukherjee made a comparative study of the constitutions of various countries and prepared an initial draft, which they submitted to the Drafting Committee.
Under the leadership of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Drafting Committee prepared the final draft of the Constitution. On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution. It came into force on 26 January 1950, and India was declared a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
Note: The words “Socialist” and “Secular” were added later in 1976 by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment.
