Constitution Day

About Constitution Day:

• Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day, is celebrated in India on November 26th each year.
• This day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.
• In 2015, the government decided to celebrate this day to promote constitutional values among citizens.

Constituent Assembly (CA) of India:

• The Constituent Assembly (CA) was set up in 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946.
• The Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, and elected Dr. Sachhidanand Sinha, the oldest member of the Assembly, as the Provisional President.
• On December 11, 1946, the Assembly elected Rajendra Prasad as its permanent Chairman.
• The CA took 3 years (1946-49) to complete the drafting.
• The CA had 299 elected members from provincial legislative assemblies.
• The CA had 13 committees, including the drafting committee headed by B.R. Ambedkar.
• The Constitution was adopted in 1949 when 284 members signed it, marking the completion of the Constitution-making process.

Interesting facts about the Indian Constitution:

• It is the world’s longest: The original copy of the Indian Constitution is 251 pages long; it is the most detailed in the world.
• It is completely handwritten and designed.
• Prem Behari Narain Raizada, a master of calligraphic art, singlehandedly handwrote the Constitution.
• Nand Lal Bose, a pioneer of modern Indian art, designed the borders of every page of the Constitution and adorned it with art pieces.
• The original manuscript of the Constitution was written on parchment sheets measuring 16 x 22 inches and having a lifespan of a thousand years. It weighed 3.75 kg.