The Constituent Assembly met for the first time in New Delhi on 9 December 1946 in the Constitution Hall which is now known as the Central Hall of Parliament House. Decorated elegantly for the occasion, the Chamber wore a new look on that day with a constellation of bright lamps hanging from the high ceilings and also from the brackets on its walls. Overwhelmed and jubilant as they were, the hon'ble members sat in semi-circular rows facing the Presidential dias. The desks which could be warmed electrically were placed on sloping green-carpeted terraces. Those who adorned the front row were Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Acharya J.B. Kripalani
Read MoreThe Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months, and seventeen days to be precise) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. During this period, it held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days. Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution. As to its composition, members were chosen by indirect election by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, according to the scheme recommended by the Cabinet Mission. The arrangement was: (i) 292 members were elected through the Provincial Legislative Assemblies; (ii) 93 members represented the Indian Princely States; and (iii) 4 members represented
Read More| S. No | Name of Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Committee on the Rules of Procedure | Rajendra Prasad |
| 2 | Steering Committee | Rajendra Prasad |
| 3 | Finance and Staff Committee | Rajendra Prasad |
| 4 | Credential Committee | Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar |
| 5 | House Committee | B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya |
| 6 | Order of Business Committee | K.M. Munsi |
| 7 | Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag | Rajendra Prasad |
| 8 | Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly | G.V. Mavalankar |
| S. No | State | No. of Members |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madras | 49 |
| 2 | Bombay | 21 |
| 3 | West Bengal | 19 |
| 4 | United Provinces | 55 |
| 5 | East Punjab | 12 |
| 6 | Bihar | 36 |
| 7 | C.P. and Berar | 17 |
| 8 | Assam | 8 |
| S. No | State | No. of Members |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alwar | 1 |
| 2 | Baroda | 3 |
| 3 | Bhopal | 1 |
| 4 | Bikaner | 1 |
| 5 | Cochin | 1 |
| 6 | Gwalior | 4 |
| 7 | Indore | 1 |
| 8 | Jaipur | 3 |
Parliament House, New Delhi Monday, December 9, 1996 18 Agrahyana, 1918 (Saka) It gives me immense pleasure to participate in this function to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly of India. On behalf of the nation I pay tribute to all Members of the Constituent Assembly. Their painstaking efforts provided India with the basic legal and ethical framework for progress and development. It is also my privilege to felicitate some members of the Constituent Assembly who are with us today. The 9th of December, like the 9th of August, is important in the history of our long struggle for Freedom. Indeed, the demand for a Constituent Assembly was intrinsically
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