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THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
395 Articles, organised into 25 Parts and 12 Schedules, make up the Constitution of India

PARTS
Each Part collates Articles on specific themes. E.g. Fundamental Rights in Part III.

SCHEDULES
Each Schedule contains provisions necessary to apply related Articles.

Original Manuscript

Regional Translations
HISTORICAL CONSTITUTIONS
The Constitution of India 1950 was preceded by British authored framework legislation to govern India, and proto-constitutional drafts by several Indian individuals and groups. These Historical Constitutions are archived here.

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES
The Constitution of India 1950 was drafted by a Constituent Assembly. 167 days of plenary assembly debates from 9 December 1946 to 24 January 1950 are archived here.

Browse digitised, edited and paragraph-numbered versions of critical primary materials related to the Indian Constitution and its origins.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Documents prepared by smaller groups of Constituent Assembly members which conducted preliminary research and advanced recommendations on specific constitutional topics.
ExploreConstitution-Making
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Travel through the various stage of the constitution-making process, discover the contributions of diverse institutions, and learn more about the framers of the Constitution through their biographies.

THE CONSTITUTION FRAMERS
Learn about the members of the Constituent Assembly, the role they played in India’s freedom movement and their contributions to constitution-making.

STAGES OF CONSTITUTION-MAKING
A stage-by-stage overview of the drafting of the Constitution of India 1950. Begin with our popular video on the making of the Indian Constitution.
INSTITUTIONS
The Constitution of India 1950 was drafted by the collective work of the following institutions:

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
A 389-member body responsible for drafting India’s Constitution.

COMMITTEES
Committees were created by the Constituent Assembly comprising smaller groups of members delegated with various responsibilities.

CONGRESS ASSEMBLY PARTY
An unofficial forum consisting of Assembly members belonging to the Indian National Congress that met on the side-lines of the Assembly.
LearnDigital Classroom
EngageWritings & Media
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Engage

Discover a wide range of writings and original multimedia content, in the form of blogs, podcasts and videos, that offer valuable insights into the history of India's Constitution, highlighting its relevance to current events both in India and worldwide. We rely on our extensive database of primary materials to produce this content.

Museum
Explore India’s rich constitutional and political history through a diverse collection of archival images, audio and video.

1946 Assembly Debates
Audio

Blog
Articles that engage with important political, social and legal developments in India and the world through constitutional and political history.

Podcasts
Our writings and research brought to life through voice. Also features interviews with scholars and educators.

Videos
Workshops, talks, and educational videos exclusively produced by us on India’s constitutional origins.

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Blog posts by: Varsha Nair

Ladakh’s Sixth Schedule Demand

25 February 2023 • By Varsha Nair

Ladakh has been witnessing huge protests demanding constitutional safeguards for the region under the Sixth Schedule. We examine if this demand is legitimate.

3 mins

Why India’s Vice President is Wrong About Parliamentary Sovereignty

7 January 2023 • By Varsha Nair

On 7 December 2022, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar declared that ‘Parliament is the exclusive and ultimate determinative of the architecture of the Constitution’ and insisted that ‘the basic structure is primacy of the will of the people’. Are we at the beginning of another inter-institutional debate, 40 years after the Basic Structure Doctrine?

3 mins

Transfer of Power: The Delayed Announcement of the Boundaries of India and Pakistan

30 August 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna and Varsha Nair

On the evening of 13 August 1947, Sir Cyril Radcliffe submitted a report to the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, that settled the territorial boundaries of India and Pakistan, referred to as the Commissions' ‘awards’. The British archives reveal why there was a delay in the publication of the awards.

2 mins

पहला संवैधानिक संशोधन

16 July 2022 • By Varsha Nair

1 mins

आजाद भारत का पहला बजट

16 July 2022 • By Varsha Nair

1 mins

How a 1934 U.S. Case Shaped the Press Freedom Debate in the Assembly

28 June 2022 • By Varsha Nair and Vineeth Krishna

How was the debate on the Seventh Schedule of the Draft Constitution of India 1948 influenced by U.S. case law?

3 mins

Regional Translations of the Indian Constitution

27 March 2022 • By Varsha Nair

The Constitution of India has been translated into all 22 scheduled languages by the Government of India. Access the translated versions of the Constitution here.

1 mins

Tightening the Noose on Interfaith Marriage

31 January 2022 • By Varsha Nair

What is the impact of the fusing of anti-conversion bills with interfaith marriage legislation?

2 mins

Should Minors Have the Right to Convert?

4 January 2022 • By Varsha Nair

The Indian Constituent Assembly engages with adulthood in the context of religious conversion.

2 mins