Blog posts by: Vineeth Krishna
B.R. Ambedkar’s Defence of Constitutional Borrowing
18 April 2024 • By Vineeth Krishna
Ambedkar defends the Constitution's borrowing by highlighting its global alignment and need for adaptation to national requirements. He refutes claims of blind imitation, emphasizing the document's original variations tailored to India's needs.
Ambedkar’s Challenge to the Republic
12 April 2024 • By Vineeth Krishna
Ambedkar was optimistic about constitutional democracy working in India. However, by 1953, he had lost hope.
The Einstein-Nehru Exchange on Israel and Palestine
20 March 2024 • By Vineeth Krishna
Albert Einstein's remarkable letter to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a spirited attempt to sway him towards endorsing an Israeli state. Nehru however, was not convinced.
The Women’s Indian Association and Indian Constitutional Thought
12 March 2024 • By Vineeth Krishna
Unlike the American constitutional founding, which was exclusively led by men, the Indian Constituent Assembly included women. Until recently, the contributions and even the presence of these women were overlooked in public memory.
This Month in Constitution-Making (January 1947): The Constituent Assembly passes the Objectives Resolution
4 January 2024 • By Vineeth Krishna
After a month of uncertainty, the Constituent Assembly passed Nehru's Objective Resolution, marking the start of Indian constitution-making
Beyond Legal Legitimacy: How to Better Engage with Judgments
21 December 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
This piece explores various dimensions in evaluating Supreme Court judgments, including legal, moral, and sociological legitimacy, with a focus on the significance of moral perspectives in judicial discourse.
This Month in Constitution Making (Nov 1949): Drafting Committee Comes Under Fire
16 November 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
In November 1949, as the Assembly reviewed its nearly three-year-long efforts, some members launched an attack on the Drafting Committee.
This Month in Constitution Making (September 1945): Newly-elected Labour Party announces a Constituent Assembly for India
4 September 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
How did the results of the 1945 UK General election have cascading effects on the setting up of two separate constitution-making bodies in India and Pakistan respectively?
This Month in Constitution Making (June 1934): Congress Makes The First Official Demand For A Constituent Assembly
13 June 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
In a historic moment in June 1934, the Indian National Congress, for the first time, officially demanded an Indian Constituent Assembly to frame India's Constitution. In a span of a few years, this demand transformed into the cornerstone of India's freedom movement.
Founding of India’s Republic: Continuity or Departure from Civilisation?
1 June 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
The Sengol ceremony during the new parliament's inauguration was an attempt to depict India's founding as a continuation of its civilizational heritage. Did the Founders perceive India's transformation in similar vein?
Delhi and Washington D.C. : The Two Capitals’ Pursuit of Self-Governance
19 May 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
Longstanding conflicts over the control of a nation's capital city between national and state governments are not exclusive to India. This piece draws parallels between India and the United States, examining the historical debates and current developments surrounding self-government their capital cities.
Bhagat Singh Hanged, Karachi Resolution Passed
23 March 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
On 23 March 1931 the British hanged Bhagat Singh for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. Just a week later, the the Indian National Congress passed the iconic Karachi Resolution 1931. Were these two historic events connected?
Should Courts Review Delimitation?
22 March 2023 • By Vineeth Krishna
There are allegations that the recent delimitation exercises have redrawn constituency boundaries to give an advantage to a particular political party. Should courts intervene?
How did Ambedkar and Gandhi imagine Indian Federalism?
13 October 2022 • By Siddharth Jha and Vineeth Krishna
B.R. Ambedkar's and M.K. Gandhi's contrasting views on the caste system, have garnered wide attention. Here, we compare their views on an important constitutional design feature: Federalism.
Chileans Overwhelmingly Reject a New Progressive Constitution
12 September 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
In September 2022, the Chilean population voted to reject the Draft of a new Chilean Constitution. What does the rejection of a highly progressive draft constitution mean for future constitution-making projects?
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.
This Month in Constitution Making (July 1947): Constituent Assembly Reacts to India’s Partition
11 July 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
In this desk brief, we break down the reactions to the announcement of Partition in the Indian Constituent Assembly.
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?
Why India’s Constitution Framers Hated the Sedition Law
13 May 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
The views of 'sedition' from our Constitution framers as compared to present day.
This Month in Constitution Making (May 1949): India Decides to Remain in the Commonwealth of Nations
4 May 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
How Nehru ended up convincing the Constituent Assembly to join the Commonwealth Group of Nations.
Workers’ Rights in M.N. Roy’s Constitution of Free India : A Draft (1944)
2 May 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
We examine the provisions of the Constitution of Free India: A Draft (1944).
This Month in Constitution Making (April 1947): Princely States Join the Constituent Assembly
6 April 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
How did the group of Princely States join the Union of India?
How A 1933 U.S. Law Shaped India’s Financial Emergency Provision
25 February 2022 • By Kalyani Menon and Vineeth Krishna
What was the impact of FDR's actions during the Great Depression on the Indian Constituent Assembly?
This Month in Constitution-Making (February 1947): Britain Announces It Will Quit India
9 February 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna
The background behind the announcement of Britain quitting India in February 1947.
Finding Bose in the Indian Constitution
26 January 2022 • By Sudhir Krishnaswamy and Vineeth Krishna
How did the views of Subhas Chandra Bose manifest in the Constituent Assembly Debates?
This Month in Constitution-Making (November 1946): Was The Constituent Assembly Valid Despite Muslim League Absence?
8 November 2021 • By Vineeth Krishna
Did the absence of the Muslim League from the Indian Constituent Assembly test its validity of existence?
This Month In Constitution Making (October, 1949): Constituent Assembly Adds Contempt of Court to Free Speech Limitations
5 October 2021 • By Vineeth Krishna
Why did TT Krishnamachari want to add 'contempt of court' as a constraint to the Fundamental right of Freedom of speech?
This Month in Constitution-Making (September 1949): Constituent Assembly Settles on a Name for the Union
20 September 2021 • By Vineeth Krishna
Read about how our Constitution framers debated on the naming of the country as per Article 1 of the Constitution of India 1950