Q1. Write a short note on the composition of the Constituent Assembly.

The Constituent Assembly of India was a sovereign body formed to draft the Constitution for an independent India. It was constituted in November 1946 based on the proposals of the Cabinet Mission Plan.

Composition of the Assembly

• Total Strength: The Assembly’s total strength was fixed at 389 members.
• Distribution of Seats:
  • British India: 296 seats were allotted to British India.
    • 292 members were drawn from the eleven governors’ provinces.
    • 4 members were from the four chief commissioners’ provinces.
  • Princely States: 93 seats were allotted to the Princely States.
• Method of Selection:
  • British India: Members were indirectly elected by the members of the provincial legislative assemblies, using the method of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
  • Princely States: Representatives were to be nominated by the heads of the princely states.
• Community-Based Representation: Seats in British India were divided among the three principal communities—Muslims, Sikhs, and General (all others)—in proportion to their population.
• Post-Partition Change: Following the partition under the Mountbatten Plan of June 3, 1947, the membership of the Assembly was reduced to 299. The strength of the Indian provinces was reduced to 229, and that of the princely states to 70.

Conclusion

Though not directly elected by universal adult suffrage, the Constituent Assembly was a highly representative body, comprising eminent personalities from nearly all sections of Indian society. It successfully completed its historic and monumental task of drafting the Constitution of India in 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days.