Nepal's constitution-making
Topic: Making of the Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Sources and Salient Features · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Constitution: Why and How?"
Meaning
Nepal's constitution-making is a case NCERT uses to show how a constitution's authority depends on how it is made. Nepal's kings granted it five constitutions (1948, 1951, 1959, 1962 and 1990). These came from the ruler, not the people. In October 2002 the King took over all powers.
Example
After an agitation led by the Maoists, Nepal abolished the monarchy in 2008. Its first Constituent Assembly (an elected body to write a constitution), formed in 2008, failed to finish the job. The second, formed in 2013, adopted a federal republican constitution with seven provinces on 20 September 2015. Protests by the Madhesis followed.
Don't confuse with
- India's constitution-making: India's single Constituent Assembly (1946–49) finished its work once, and the Constitution has lasted since 1950. Nepal went through several king-granted constitutions and two assemblies.