States Committee
Also called: Committee for Negotiating with States · Topic: Making of the Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Sources and Salient Features · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The States Committee, also called the Committee for Negotiating with States, was a Constituent Assembly committee chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru. It held talks with the princely states, which were areas ruled by Indian kings under British overlordship. Its main task was to settle how these states would send members to the Assembly and join the constitution-making process.
Example
The Cabinet Mission Plan gave the princely states 93 of the Assembly's 389 seats. Their members were to be chosen "by consultation", and in practice the rulers nominated them. The States Committee carried out the talks that brought these members into the Assembly.
Don't confuse with
- Provincial Constitution Committee: chaired by Patel, it designed government for the British-ruled provinces, not the princely states.
- Union Powers Committee: also chaired by Nehru, but it divided powers between the Union and the units. It did not negotiate with rulers.
Related concepts
- Drafting Committee
- Union Powers Committee
- Union Constitution Committee
- Provincial Constitution Committee
- Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas
- Fundamental Rights Sub-committee
- Steering Committee