UPSC Prelims 2024 Q61: Provisional President of Constituent Assembly
Who was the Provisional President of the Constituent Assembly before Dr. Rajendra Prasad took over?
- C. Rajagopalachari
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- T.T. Krishnamachari
- Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Answer: (d) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Statement-wise explanation
- a: incorrect — C. Rajagopalachari was a member of the Constituent Assembly but never presided over it, even for a short time. He is better remembered as the only Indian Governor-General of independent India, from June 1948 to January 1950.
- b: incorrect — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee. The Assembly set up that committee on 29 August 1947, months after its first sitting. He never presided over the Assembly, and the Drafting Committee chair is a different office from the President of the Assembly.
- c: incorrect — T.T. Krishnamachari joined the Drafting Committee later, after D.P. Khaitan died in 1948. He did not preside over the Assembly. The two Vice-Presidents of the Assembly were H.C. Mookherjee and V.T. Krishnamachari. Do not confuse V.T. Krishnamachari with T.T. Krishnamachari.
- d: correct — At the first sitting on 9 December 1946, J.B. Kripalani proposed Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha as temporary Chairman. Kripalani called him the oldest member and the oldest parliamentarian in India, a member of the Imperial Legislative Council since 1910. Sinha presided until 11 December 1946, when Dr. Rajendra Prasad was declared the elected permanent Chairman (President).
How to eliminate
You can narrow this down from what you already know. The Drafting Committee is the most famous committee of the Assembly, and Ambedkar chaired it, so the question uses his name as a trap. T.T. Krishnamachari is known as a Drafting Committee member and later Finance Minister, so he is unlikely too. That leaves Rajagopalachari and Sinha. The rule that settles it: the temporary President was the oldest member, following the French practice. Sinha, born in 1871, was the senior-most member and had been a legislator since 1910. In the end this is a fact question, so remember the timeline: Sinha presided from 9 to 11 December 1946, and Prasad from 11 December 1946.
Know more
Presiding officers of the Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946 in the Constitution Hall (now Central Hall of Parliament), New Delhi. The Muslim League stayed away. The Assembly needed a presiding officer before it could elect one, so it followed the French practice of letting the oldest member preside. J.B. Kripalani proposed Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha (1871–1950). Frank Anthony was named Deputy Chairman to preside in the afternoons, because Sinha could not sit through afternoon sessions on medical advice.
On 11 December 1946 Dr. Rajendra Prasad was declared elected as permanent Chairman (President). Two days later, on 13 December 1946, Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution.
| Office | Person | Date / note |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary President | Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha | 9–11 Dec 1946; oldest member |
| Deputy to temporary Chairman | Frank Anthony | For afternoon sessions |
| Permanent President | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | From 11 Dec 1946 |
| Vice-Presidents | H.C. Mookherjee, V.T. Krishnamachari | Elected by the Assembly |
| Constitutional Adviser | B.N. Rau | Prepared the first draft |
| Chairman, Drafting Committee | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | Committee set up 29 Aug 1947 |
Common traps
- The President of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee are different offices.
- V.T. Krishnamachari was a Vice-President. T.T. Krishnamachari was a Drafting Committee member who replaced D.P. Khaitan after Khaitan died in 1948.
- Rajendra Prasad presided over the Assembly until the end. He later became the first President of India on 26 January 1950.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Sachchidananda Sinha: The question turns on who presided over the Assembly's first sittings in December 1946; this entry covers his long legislative career.
- Rajendra Prasad: Prasad's election as permanent President on 11 December 1946 marks the end of the provisional arrangement the question asks about.
- Constituent Assembly of India: Explains the body itself: when it first met, how members were chosen, and who presided over it.
- Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly: One option chaired this committee; knowing it was set up in August 1947 separates it from the Assembly's presidency.
- Objectives Resolution: Moved on 13 December 1946, just after the presidency changed hands; useful for fixing the timeline of the first session.