Understanding the Constituent Assembly Chairman

The Constituent Assembly of India was formed to draft the Constitution of India. Its first meeting was held on December 9, 1946. In this initial meeting, an interim Chairman was elected. Following French practice, the oldest member of the Assembly, Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, was chosen as the temporary Chairman.

However, this was only a temporary arrangement. A permanent Chairman was needed to preside over the Assembly's proceedings for the long term. The election for the permanent Chairman took place a few days later.

Election of the Permanent Chairman

On December 11, 1946, the Constituent Assembly elected its permanent Chairman. The individual elected to this crucial role was Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Therefore, Dr. Rajendra Prasad replaced Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha as the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly of India.

Let's look at the roles of the other prominent figures mentioned in the options to understand why they were not the Chairman:

• Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru: He was a leading member of the Constituent Assembly and later became the first Prime Minister of independent India. He chaired committees like the Union Powers Committee and the Union Constitution Committee, but he was not the overall Chairman of the Assembly.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Another key member of the Assembly and later the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. He chaired committees like the Provincial Constitution Committee and the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, but not the overall Assembly.
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi was a central figure in India's independence movement, but he was not a member of the Constituent Assembly.

Based on the historical facts regarding the formation and functioning of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the permanent Chairman, taking over from the interim Chairman, Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha.

Key Roles in the Constituent Assembly

Revision Table: Constituent Assembly Leadership

Additional Information: The Constituent Assembly

The Constituent Assembly was constituted under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946. Its total strength was 389, with 296 seats allotted to British India and 93 seats to the Princely States. The seats for British India were further divided into 292 members from the eleven Governors' provinces and four from the four Chief Commissioners' provinces.

The members were elected by the provincial legislative assemblies. The method of election was proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. The Princely States were to be represented by members nominated by the heads of the Princely States.

The Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946. After the partition of India under the Mountbatten Plan of June 3, 1947, the membership of the Assembly was reduced. The Assembly completed the task of drafting the Constitution in two years, 11 months, and 18 days. The Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, and came into force on January 26, 1950.