UPSC Prelims 2023 Q85: Constitution Day and the Drafting Committee
Consider the following statements in respect of the Constitution Day:
Statement-I:
The Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th November every year to promote constitutional values among citizens.
Statement-II:
On 26th November, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution of India.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
Statement-wise explanation
- Statement-I: correct — The Government of India notified on 19 November 2015 that 26 November would be observed every year as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas). The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment made the announcement, and its stated aim was to promote constitutional values among citizens. The date marks the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949. Before 2015 the same day was observed as National Law Day.
- Statement-II: incorrect — The Drafting Committee was set up on 29 August 1947, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was elected its Chairman at its first meeting on 30 August 1947. On 26 November 1949 the Constituent Assembly did the opposite of starting a draft: it adopted the finished Constitution. Because Statement-II is false, it cannot explain Statement-I. Constitution Day marks adoption, not the start of drafting.
How to eliminate
You can settle this with one chain of reasoning. Most aspirants know that 26 November 1949 is the day the Constitution was adopted. That was the last step of drafting. A committee set up to prepare the first draft could not have been formed on the day the finished text was adopted. So Statement-II must be false, and both options that call it correct drop out. Statement-I is easy to accept. Constitution Day on 26 November is widely observed, and 'to promote constitutional values' is the phrase used when it was introduced in 2015. That leaves only one option: Statement-I correct, Statement-II incorrect. A common trap is that Statement-II describes the Drafting Committee correctly (chairman and purpose) but gives the wrong date. The dates to memorise are 29 August 1947 (Drafting Committee), 26 November 1949 (adoption) and 26 January 1950 (commencement).
Know more
Key dates in the making of the Constitution
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 Dec 1946 | First sitting of the Constituent Assembly |
| 13 Dec 1946 | Nehru moves the Objectives Resolution (adopted 22 Jan 1947) |
| 29 Aug 1947 | Drafting Committee set up; B. R. Ambedkar elected Chairman on 30 Aug |
| Feb 1948 | Draft Constitution published for public comment |
| 26 Nov 1949 | Constitution adopted (now Constitution Day) |
| 24 Jan 1950 | Members sign the Constitution; Rajendra Prasad elected first President |
| 26 Jan 1950 | Constitution comes into force (Republic Day) |
Drafting Committee (7 members): B. R. Ambedkar (Chairman), N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K. M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadulla, B. L. Mitter (later replaced by N. Madhava Rau) and D. P. Khaitan (replaced by T. T. Krishnamachari after his death in 1948).
Adoption vs commencement. Adoption is the date the Assembly passed the text. Commencement is the date it took effect. Article 394 brought some provisions into force on 26 November 1949 itself, including citizenship (Articles 5–9), elections (Article 324), the provisional Parliament (Article 379) and Article 394 itself. The rest came into force on 26 January 1950. That date was chosen because the Indian National Congress had declared Purna Swaraj on 26 January 1930.
Constitution Day. The day was observed as National Law Day until 2015. In 2015, the 125th birth anniversary year of Ambedkar, the government renamed it Samvidhan Divas. Common observances are a public reading of the Preamble and an online Constitution quiz. In 2024 a two-year campaign, 'Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Swabhiman', marked 75 years since adoption.
How UPSC frames these questions: it puts a real event next to the wrong date. Learn each event with its own date.
In the news
Constitution Day was observed across the country on 26 November 2022, months before the May 2023 Prelims. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs launched online Preamble-reading and Constitution-quiz portals for it. The question is still mainly a static test of constitutional history dates.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Constitution Day: Statement-I is about when Constitution Day is observed and why it exists.
- Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly: Statement-II gives a date and chairman for the Drafting Committee; check both against this entry.
- Adoption of the Constitution 1949: Adoption on 26 November 1949 is the event behind the date in both statements.
- Commencement of the Constitution: Separates commencement (26 January 1950) from adoption, the most common date confusion in this topic.
- Constituent Assembly: The Drafting Committee was a body within the Constituent Assembly; knowing the Assembly's timeline helps place each date.