Framing of India's constitution / edited by v.1

In these volumes is unfolded the fascinating story of the framing of India's Constitution by the Constituent Assembly through all the rapid changes that the country experienced at the end of the second world war upto 2004."

Its numerous problems were almost baffling in their complexity. The partition of the country, at an early stage of the Assembly's deliberations. into two independent Sovereign States: the overhaul, as its inevitable sequel. of the design, structure and scope of the Union for a divided India: later, the absorption. through patient negotiation, of all the five hundred and odd princely States into the over all Union of India and finally, the decision to retain, as a republic. membership of the Commonwealth: these and other momentous events are highlighted in these volumes of absorbing interest. The present revised and updated edition brings the story up-to-date by delving deep into the constitutional developments during 1950-2004.

The four volumes of documents make available for the first time to the student of India's Constitution a great mass of source-material gathered from papers, memoranda. reports and other documents that guided its framers in reaching final conclusions. Here are published the actual texts: or. in the case of lengthy documents. substantial summaries, of the earlier attempts at constitution-making by India's freedom fighters undertaken at various stages of the struggle. Between the two world wars was developed in successive phases the concept of a Constituent Assembly. from the time that the principle of self-determination first gripped the imagination of the Indian people: later. on the establishment of the Constituent Assembly. there were reports of Advisory Committees and other bodies: not less important were the views of eminent individuals and learned societies which were submitted at various stages of the Assembly's proceedings.

The companion study volume by Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap

renders a lucid and straightforward account of the Assembly's progress through the clash of divergent views and interests that influenced the constitution makers in confirming or revising earlier decisions. It examines in sober perspective the alterations made in successive drafts in important provisions of the Constitution.

No constitution-making body in recorded history faced tasks so colossal in their nature, or of such magnitude and complexity, as were implicit in the establishment of a full fledged democracy in India, with all her diversities and disparities; its achievement in less than thirty months. despite major upheavals. including the assassination of the Father of the Nation almost half-way through its labours, is a tribute to the courage and the clear vision that inspired the Constituent Assembly. The Committee which undertook this monumental project consisted of men practically all of whom were intimately connected in one capacity or other with the Constituent Assembly. In the execution of the project the Committee's constant aim has been to produce. in Jawaharalal Nehru's words. "a study of enduring importance" for students of India's Constitution all over the world.

The other companion volume is entirely a new addition done by Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap giving the developments in the Constitution of India upto date.