Abhishek Pandey is teaching live on Unacademy Plus
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND By Abhishek Pandey
What is Constitution? Constitution of a country is the legal document which provides the basic structure of the political system and defines the power of main organs of the State and demarcates their responsibilities and jurisdictions. CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Constitutional Developments It was in 1934 when the idea of Constituent Assembly for India was put forward for the first time by M N Roy . In 1935, the Indian National Congress demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution. declared that thee Constitution of Free India must be framed without outside interference, by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of Adult Franchise. The demand was accepted by British Government during August Offer 1940.
Constitutional Developments In 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the Cabinet came to India with draft proposal of the British Government on the framing of an independent Constitution, to be adopted after the World War Il The Cripps proposals were rejected by the Muslim League which wanted India to be divided into two autonomous States with two separate Constituent Assemblies Finally the Constituent Assembly was constituted in November, 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan
Landmarks in the Development of Constitution Regulating Act, 1773 (i) It made provision of Supreme Court at Fort William Calcutta comprising one Chief Justice and three other judges. (ii) It prohibited the servants of the company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the natives.
Landmarks in the Development of Constitution Pitt's India Act, 1784 (i) It made provision of separation in company's commercial and political activities. It created a new body called Board of Control to manage the Political Affairs while Court of Directors were allowed to manage the commercial affairs. (ii) (ii) The Company's territories in India were for the first time called British possessions in India
Landmarks in the Development of Constitution Charter Act, 1793 (i) Salaries of the members of the board to be drawn from the Indian exchequer.