Constitution: Why and How? Class 11 Political Science (Indian Constitution at Work)

What Constitution: Why and How? is about

Weightage: Indian Constitution at Work carries 40 of the 80 theory marks in the school annual exam, shared among its chapters; project work carries the other 20 marks.Source: CBSE Political Science (028) syllabus 2026-27, Class XI course structure

Key concepts

Function 1: coordination and assurance

NCERT section Why Do We Need a Constitution? (Constitution allows coordination and assurance)

The chapter starts with a thought experiment: imagine a large, diverse group (different religions, professions, tastes, rich and poor, old and young) that disagrees on many things (how much property one may own, whether schooling should be compulsory, how much to spend on security) but must live together and depends on each other's cooperation.

• Without basic rules, every member would be insecure, not knowing what others might do or who could claim what.
• So a group needs basic rules that are publicly promulgated and known to all, for a minimal degree of coordination.
• The rules must also be enforceable. If people have no assurance that others will obey, they have no reason to obey themselves. Legal enforceability assures everyone that rule-breakers will be punished.

First function: a constitution provides a set of basic rules that allow minimal coordination among members of a society.

Worked example

Why must the basic rules of a society be both publicly known and enforceable? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. If the rules are not publicly known, people cannot coordinate their actions and remain insecure about what others may do.
2. If they are not enforceable, people have no assurance that others will follow them, and so no reason to follow them themselves.

Answer: Publicity makes coordination possible; enforceability gives the assurance that makes people willing to obey.

Function 2: who decides (specification of decision-making powers)

NCERT section Specification of decision making powers

The textbook defines a constitution as a body of fundamental principles by which a state is set up and run. Before deciding which rules should govern, a society must settle a prior question: who gets to decide?

• In a monarchical constitution, a monarch decides; in some, like the old Soviet Union, a single party decided; in democratic constitutions, broadly the people decide.
• Even then, one must decide how the people decide: should everyone agree, should people vote directly on each matter (as the ancient Greeks did), or should they elect representatives, and how?
• The Indian Constitution specifies that, in most instances, Parliament makes laws and policies and is organised in a particular way. For Parliament to have this authority, there must be a law that gives it that authority in the first place: that is the constitution, an authority that constitutes government.

Second function: a constitution specifies who has the power to make decisions in a society and decides how the government will be constituted.

Worked example

Why is 'who gets to decide' a more basic question than 'which rules should govern us'? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. People disagree about which rules are best, so a procedure is needed to settle whose preferences become law.
2. The constitution answers this first by allocating power (for example, to Parliament in India), and only then can laws be made.

Answer: Because laws can be made only after it is settled who has the authority to make them, which the constitution decides.

Function 3: limits on the powers of government

NCERT section Limitations on the powers of government

Knowing who decides is not enough. A legitimately formed government might still pass unjust laws: banning a religion, prohibiting clothes of a colour or certain songs, forcing a caste or religious group to serve others, allowing arbitrary arrest, or letting only people of one skin colour use wells.

• So a constitution sets limits that government may never trespass.
• The most common way is to specify fundamental rights that no government may violate. Their content varies, but most constitutions protect a basic cluster: no arbitrary arrest; freedom of speech, conscience, association, and to conduct a trade or business.
• In practice these rights can be limited during a national emergency, and the constitution specifies when.

Third function: a constitution sets limits on what a government can impose on its citizens.

The chapter's side-character asks whether we first create a 'monster' (government) and then worry about protecting ourselves from it, a reminder that limiting power is as important as creating it.

Worked example

Give two ways in which a constitution limits the power of government. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. By guaranteeing fundamental rights, such as protection from arbitrary arrest and freedom of speech, conscience and association, that no government may violate.
2. By specifying the circumstances (such as a national emergency) under which rights may be limited, so that even restrictions follow constitutional rules.

Answer: Through guaranteed fundamental rights and through rules on when and how those rights may be restricted.

Function 4: aspirations and goals of a society

NCERT section Aspirations and goals of a society

Older constitutions mostly allocated power and limited government. Many twentieth-century constitutions, of which the textbook calls the Indian Constitution the finest example, also provide an enabling framework for government to do positive things.

• Societies with deep inequalities must not only limit government but also empower it to overcome inequality and deprivation.
• India aspires to a society free of caste discrimination, so government must be enabled to act; South Africa's new constitution had to enable government to end racial discrimination.
• The framers wanted every person to have the basics for living with minimal dignity and social self-respect, such as education and a minimum of material well-being. Such enabling provisions have the support of the Preamble, appear in the Fundamental Rights, and the Directive Principles of State Policy also direct government to fulfil people's aspirations.
• Other examples: South Africa's constitution asks government to promote conservation, protect people facing unfair discrimination and progressively ensure housing and health care; Indonesia's requires a national education system and care for poor and destitute children.

Fourth function: a constitution empowers government to realise what society aspires to, building the conditions for a just society.

Worked example

Why do societies with deep inequalities need constitutions that enable, not just limit, government? Give an example. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Limiting government protects people from its abuse, but does not by itself remove existing inequality or deprivation.
2. Deeply unequal societies need government to take positive measures to overcome these inequalities.
3. India aspires to end caste discrimination and ensure a life of minimal dignity (material well-being, education), so its Constitution empowers government through the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
4. Similarly, South Africa's constitution enables government to end racial discrimination and progressively ensure housing and health care.

Answer: Because overcoming entrenched inequality requires positive state action, which an enabling constitution, like India's or South Africa's, authorises.

Function 5: the fundamental identity of a people

NCERT section Fundamental identity of a people

Perhaps most importantly, a constitution expresses the fundamental identity of a people.

• Political identity: people become a collective entity by agreeing on basic norms about how and by whom they should be governed. Many identities exist before a constitution, but agreement on basic norms creates one's basic political identity.
• Moral identity: constitutional norms are the overarching framework within which individuals pursue their goals; the constitution defines fundamental values one may not trespass.
• Shared values: many political and moral values (some form of democracy, basic rights) are now shared across constitutional traditions.
• National identity differs: constitutions embody different conceptions of nationhood. The text notes that German identity was constituted by being ethnically German, whereas the Indian Constitution does not make ethnic identity a criterion for citizenship. Nations also differ on the relationship between regions and the central government.

Fifth function: a constitution expresses the fundamental identity of a people.

Check-your-progress examples: 'government cannot order any citizen to follow or not follow any religion' = limitation on power; 'government must try to reduce inequalities of income and wealth' = aspirations and goals; 'the President has the power to appoint the Prime Minister' = who decides; 'Indian citizenship is not limited to people of any race, caste or religion' = identity.

Worked example

How does the Indian Constitution's view of national identity differ from the example of Germany given in the chapter? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The chapter says German identity was constituted by being ethnically German, and its constitution expressed this.
2. The Indian Constitution does not make ethnic identity a criterion for citizenship.

Answer: India's constitutional identity is civic and inclusive, not based on ethnicity.

The authority of a constitution: promulgation, provisions and design

NCERT section The Authority of a Constitution

Three further questions: what is a constitution, how effective is it, and is it just?

• In most countries the constitution is a compact document; the United Kingdom instead has a series of documents and decisions taken together. So a constitution is the document or set of documents that performs the five functions.
• Many constitutions exist only on paper. Effectiveness depends on three factors:

1. Mode of promulgation: who made it and with what authority. Constitutions drafted by military leaders or unpopular leaders often remain defunct. The most successful (India, South Africa, the United States) followed popular national movements. India's was formally made by a Constituent Assembly between December 1946 and November 1949, but drew on the nationalist movement's ability to bring different sections together, and on framers with immense public credibility. Some countries hold a referendum; India did not, but people adopted the Constitution by abiding by it.

2. Substantive provisions: a successful constitution gives everyone some reason to go along with it. One that let permanent majorities oppress minorities, privileged some at others' expense, or stifled any group's identity would lose allegiance. No constitution achieves perfect justice, but it must convince people it provides a framework for basic justice; the more it preserves freedom and equality of all, the likelier its success.

3. Balanced institutional design: constitutions are often subverted by small groups seeking power. Well-crafted ones fragment power: India divides it horizontally among legislature, executive and judiciary and independent bodies like the Election Commission, a system of checks and balances. A constitution must also balance authoritative core values with flexibility: too rigid and it breaks; too flexible and it gives no security or identity. India's is called a 'living' document for striking this balance.

Nepal example: Nepal had constitutions in 1948, 1951, 1959, 1962 and 1990, all 'granted' by the King; after popular agitation it became a democratic republic in 2008 and adopted a new constitution in 2015.

Worked example

Explain the three factors that make a constitution effective, with reference to India. (6 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Mode of promulgation: India's Constitution was made by a Constituent Assembly (1946-49) of credible leaders drawing on the nationalist movement, giving it legitimacy even without a referendum.
2. People adopted it as their own by abiding by its provisions.
3. Substantive provisions: it seeks to preserve the freedom and equality of all, giving every group a reason to go along with it rather than privileging some.
4. It does not let majorities oppress minorities or stifle any group's identity, and provides a framework for basic justice.
5. Balanced design: power is divided among legislature, executive, judiciary and independent bodies like the Election Commission, so no single institution can subvert it.
6. It balances core values with flexibility (a 'living' document), so it can adapt without losing its identity.

Answer: Credible promulgation, just and inclusive provisions, and balanced, flexible institutions explain the effectiveness of India's Constitution.

Composition of the Constituent Assembly

NCERT section How was the Indian Constitution Made? (Composition of the Constituent Assembly)

Formation:

• The Constituent Assembly was elected for undivided India; first sitting 9 December 1946; reassembled for divided India on 14 August 1947.
• Members were chosen by indirect election by members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies set up under the Government of India Act, 1935.
• Composition followed roughly the Cabinet Mission plan:
• Seats to each Province and Princely State (or group) roughly in proportion to population, about 1 seat per 10 lakh people: Provinces were to elect 292 members and Princely States were allotted a minimum of 93 seats.
• Seats in each Province divided among Muslims, Sikhs and general in proportion to population.
• Each community's members in the Provincial Assembly elected their representatives by proportional representation with single transferable vote.
• Princely States' representatives were chosen by consultation.

After Partition:

• Under the plan of 3 June 1947, members from areas that went to Pakistan ceased to be members, leaving 299.
• Adoption came on 26 November 1949; on 24 January 1950, 284 members put their signatures to it; it came into force on 26 January 1950.
• Framed amid Partition violence, it committed to a citizenship where minorities would be secure and religious identity would have no bearing on citizenship rights.

Representativeness: members were not elected by universal suffrage, but the Assembly tried to be representative: all religions were represented, and there were 28 members from the Scheduled Castes. The Congress held about 82 per cent of seats after Partition, but was so diverse that it accommodated almost all shades of opinion.

Worked example

How were seats in the Constituent Assembly allotted and filled under the Cabinet Mission plan? (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Each Province and each Princely State (or group of States) got seats roughly in proportion to its population, about one seat for every 10 lakh people.
2. So the Provinces under direct British rule were to elect 292 members and the Princely States were allotted a minimum of 93 seats.
3. Within each Province, seats were divided among Muslims, Sikhs and 'general' in proportion to their populations.
4. Each community's members in the Provincial Legislative Assembly elected its representatives by proportional representation with single transferable vote; Princely States' representatives were chosen through consultation.

Answer: Seats by population (about 1 per 10 lakh: 292 for Provinces, at least 93 for Princely States), divided among communities and filled by indirect election (PR with single transferable vote) or, in the States, by consultation.

Deliberation and procedures of the Assembly

NCERT section The Principle of Deliberation; Procedures

Deliberation: the Assembly's authority came also from its procedures and values. Members deliberated with the interests of the whole nation in mind; disagreements were legitimate differences of principle, not self-interest: centralised or decentralised government? Centre-state relations? Powers of the judiciary? Protection of property rights?

• Only one provision passed with virtually no debate: universal suffrage (every citizen above a certain age votes, regardless of religion, caste, education, gender or income), which the textbook treats as the best testament to the Assembly's democratic commitment.
• Members practised public reason: giving principled reasons to others, which moves one away from narrow self-interest. The debates deserve to be remembered, the text says, as equal in importance to the French and American revolutions.

Procedures:

• Eight major committees, usually chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel or B.R. Ambedkar, men who often disagreed (Ambedkar had been a bitter critic of the Congress and Gandhi; Patel and Nehru disagreed on many issues) yet worked together.
• Committees drafted provisions, which the whole Assembly debated; consensus was sought; some provisions were voted on; every argument was answered carefully, in writing.
• The Assembly met for 166 days spread over two years and eleven months; sessions were open to the press and public.
• Rajendra Prasad, President of the Assembly, praised the Drafting Committee and its Chairman Ambedkar, who worked with zeal 'in spite of his indifferent health'.

Worked example

Why does the textbook treat the passage of universal suffrage without debate as a testament to the Assembly's democratic commitment? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Almost every other issue (centre-state relations, judiciary, property) was debated in detail.
2. Members felt no need even to discuss who should vote: giving every adult citizen the vote regardless of religion, caste, education, gender or income was taken for granted.

Answer: Because the right of all adults to vote was accepted unanimously as a basic principle, showing a deep shared commitment to democracy.

Inheritance of the nationalist movement and the Objectives Resolution

NCERT section Inheritance of the nationalist movement

No constitution is simply the product of its Assembly. A body as diverse as India's could function only because of a background consensus forged during the freedom struggle, which for decades had debated the form of government, the values India should uphold and the inequalities it should overcome.

The best summary is the Objectives Resolution, moved by Nehru in 1946, which defined the Assembly's aims. Its main points:

• India is an independent, sovereign republic.
• A Union of British Indian territories, Indian States and other willing areas.
• Territories are autonomous units exercising all powers except those assigned to the Union.
• All power and authority flow from the people.
• Everyone assured social, economic and political justice, equal status and opportunity, equality before law, and fundamental freedoms (speech and expression, belief, faith and worship, vocation, association and action) within law and public morality.
• Adequate safeguards for minorities, backward and tribal areas, depressed and other backward classes.
• Maintenance of territorial integrity and sovereign rights on land, sea and air.
• Contribution to world peace and the welfare of mankind.

Based on it, the Constitution gave institutional expression to equality, liberty, democracy, sovereignty and a cosmopolitan identity. It is therefore not merely rules and procedures but a moral commitment to fulfil the promises of the nationalist movement.

Ambedkar (25 November 1949) warned that political democracy cannot last unless social democracy, recognising liberty, equality and fraternity as a 'union of trinity', lies at its base.

Worked example

Name four principles of the Objectives Resolution and explain why it is called a summary of the nationalist movement's legacy. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. India as an independent, sovereign republic.
2. All power and authority flowing from the people.
3. Social, economic and political justice, equality and fundamental freedoms for all; safeguards for minorities and backward classes.
4. It summed up principles forged in decades of nationalist debate on government, values and inequality, which the Constitution then gave concrete form.

Answer: Sovereignty, popular authority, justice with equality and freedoms, and safeguards for minorities; it condensed the consensus built by the freedom movement.

Institutional arrangements and borrowed provisions

NCERT section Institutional arrangements; Provisions Adapted from Constitutions of Different Countries

Institutional arrangements: the basic principle was a government that is democratic and committed to the welfare of the people. The Assembly spent much time balancing the executive, legislature and judiciary, adopting the parliamentary form and a federal arrangement that distributes power between legislature and executive, and between the States and the centre.

Learning from others: the framers borrowed widely, but not as slavish imitation: each provision had to be defended as suited to Indian problems and aspirations. Ambedkar (4 November 1948) remarked that a constitution framed so late in history could add only variations to remove faults and fit the country's needs.

Provisions adapted (as listed in the chapter):

• From Britain: the rule of law; the parliamentary system; the first-past-the-post method; the office and role of the Speaker; the procedure for making laws.
• From the United States: judicial review and an independent judiciary; a charter of fundamental rights.
• From Ireland: the Directive Principles of State Policy.
• From France: the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.
• From Canada: residual powers; a quasi-federal design, i.e. federalism with a strong centre.

Conclusion: the Constitution has become a 'living reality' while many others perished, and was itself an exemplar for others, notably South Africa.

Worked example

Match each of these with the constitution it was adapted from: (i) Directive Principles; (ii) judicial review; (iii) residual powers; (iv) liberty, equality and fraternity. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (i) Directive Principles: Irish; (ii) judicial review: United States.
2. (iii) residual powers: Canadian; (iv) liberty, equality and fraternity: French.

Answer: Irish, US, Canadian, French respectively.

Constitution: Why and How? in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• The Five Functions of a Constitution and What Gives It Authority
• The Making of the Indian Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Procedures and the Objectives Resolution

Constitution: Why and How?: key facts

Five functions of a constitution

1. 1.Coordination and assurance
2. 2.who decides
3. 3.limits on government
4. 4.aspirations and goals
5. 5.fundamental identity

In the order the chapter presents them.

Three factors of authority

Mode of promulgation + substantive provisions + balanced institutional design

India: credible makers, inclusive provisions, checks and balances.

Constituent Assembly dates

1. 1.First sitting 9 Dec 1946
2. 2.reassembled 14 Aug 1947
3. 3.adopted 26 Nov 1949
4. 4.signed 24 Jan 1950 (284 members)
5. 5.in force 26 Jan 1950

166 days over 2 years 11 months.

Cabinet Mission composition

Ratio	about 1 seat per 10 lakh people
Provinces	292
Princely States	minimum 93
Communities	Muslims, Sikhs, general
Method	PR with single transferable vote

299 members after Partition.

Representativeness

28 Scheduled Caste members; Congress about 82% of seats after Partition

Congress itself accommodated almost all shades of opinion.

Borrowings

UK	FPTP, parliamentary form, rule of law, Speaker, law-making
USA	fundamental rights, judicial review, independent judiciary
Ireland	DPSP
France	liberty-equality-fraternity
Canada	quasi-federal, residual powers

Adapted to Indian needs, not copied.

Committee chairs

Eight major committees, usually chaired by Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Patel or Ambedkar

Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee; Prasad was President of the Assembly.

How the school exam asks Constitution: Why and How?

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Constitution: Why and How?

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Five functions: C-W-L-A-I

  'Can We Limit All Injustice?': Coordination, Who decides, Limits, Aspirations, Identity.

  Use it when: Functions questions.

• Authority test: P-S-B

  Promulgation, Substantive provisions, Balanced design.

  Use it when: Effectiveness questions.

• Assembly numbers

  292 + 93 planned; 299 after Partition; 284 signed; 28 SC members; 82% Congress; 166 days.

  Use it when: Numerical MCQs.

• Borrowings by country

  UK = Parliament things; USA = Rights and courts; Ireland = Directives; France = Liberty-Equality-Fraternity; Canada = strong centre and residuals.

  Use it when: Matching items.

• Key dates 9-14-26-24-26

  9 Dec 1946 first sitting; 14 Aug 1947 reassembled; 26 Nov 1949 adopted; 24 Jan 1950 signed; 26 Jan 1950 in force.

  Use it when: Chronology.

Constitution: Why and How?: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Constitution: Why and How?

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the Constituent Assembly was directly elected by the people

  Students assume all assemblies are popularly elected.

  Wrong working

  Indians voted in 1946 to elect the Constituent Assembly.

  Right working

  Members were indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies under the 1935 Act; Princely States' members were chosen by consultation.

  ✓Do this: Remember 'indirect, provincial, 1935 Act'.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in MCQs; accuracy in 4-mark answers.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing adoption and commencement dates

  Both are famous dates.

  Wrong working

  The Constitution came into force on 26 November 1949.

  Right working

  Adopted on 26 November 1949; signed on 24 January 1950; came into force on 26 January 1950.

  ✓Do this: November = adopted; January = in force.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Calling the Constitution 'borrowed' without qualification

  The borrowing list is memorable.

  Wrong working

  India copied its Constitution from Britain and the USA.

  Right working

  Provisions were adapted, not slavishly copied; each had to be defended as suited to Indian conditions.

  ✓Do this: Always add 'adapted to Indian needs'.

  Usually costs: Evaluation marks.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the sources of borrowed provisions

  Five countries, many items.

  Wrong working

  Judicial review came from Britain; DPSP from the USA.

  Right working

  Judicial review and fundamental rights: USA; DPSP: Ireland; rule of law and Speaker: UK; residual powers: Canada.

  ✓Do this: Learn as a five-row table.

  Usually costs: 1 mark per matching item.

• ✗Mistake: Listing only 'limits on government' as the function

  Rights are the best-known part of constitutions.

  Wrong working

  A constitution's function is to protect rights.

  Right working

  Five functions: coordination, who decides, limits, aspirations, identity.

  ✓Do this: Write all five in a 6-mark answer.

  Usually costs: Up to half the marks.

• ✗Mistake: Assuming universal suffrage was hotly debated

  Students expect controversy over voting.

  Wrong working

  Members argued for months over who should vote.

  Right working

  Universal suffrage was the one provision passed with virtually no debate.

  ✓Do this: Link 'no debate' with 'democratic commitment'.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in A-R items.

NCERT exercise guide: Constitution: Why and How?

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Practice questions on Constitution: Why and How?

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   The members of the Constituent Assembly were chosen by:
   (a) direct election by all adult citizens
   (b) indirect election by members of Provincial Legislative Assemblies
   (c) nomination by the British government
   (d) the Indian National Congress

   Hint

   Assemblies set up under the 1935 Act.

   Answer

   (b).

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Directive Principles of State Policy were adapted from the constitution of:
   (a) the USA
   (b) Canada
   (c) Ireland
   (d) France

   Hint

   Not the USA.

   Answer

   (c) Ireland.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   Consider the statements:
   1. The United Kingdom has no single constitutional document; its constitution is a series of documents and decisions.
   2. The Indian Constitution was approved by the people in a nationwide referendum.
   3. Universal suffrage was the one provision the Constituent Assembly passed with virtually no debate.
   Which option is correct?
   (a) T, F, T
   (b) T, T, F
   (c) F, F, T
   (d) T, F, F

   Hint

   People adopted the Constitution by abiding by it.

   Answer

   (a) T, F, T.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   Match the provision with the function it mainly performs:
   A. Freedom of speech cannot be taken away at the will of the government 1. Who decides
   B. The State is directed to work for a life of minimal dignity for all 2. Identity
   C. Elected representatives in Parliament make most laws 3. Limits on government
   D. Citizenship does not depend on ethnic origin 4. Aspirations and goals
   (a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
   (b) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
   (c) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
   (d) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3

   Hint

   Rights limit; directives enable; Parliament decides; citizenship defines who we are.

   Answer

   (a).

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

   Assertion (A): India's Constitution carries great authority although it was never put to a referendum.
   Reason (R): It was drawn up by leaders with immense public credibility, and people adopted it by abiding by its provisions.
   Choose the correct option as in the standard A-R format.

   Hint

   Mode of promulgation.

   Answer

   (a) Both true; R explains A.

6. Q6 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   How many members from the Scheduled Castes were there in the Constituent Assembly?
   (a) 18
   (b) 28
   (c) 82
   (d) 93

   Hint

   82 is the Congress percentage.

   Answer

   (b) 28.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

   What is meant by a 'balanced institutional design'? Give one Indian example. (2 marks)

   Hint

   Fragmenting power.

   Answer

   Fragmenting power intelligently so no single group or institution can subvert the constitution, while balancing core values with flexibility. India divides power among legislature, executive, judiciary and independent bodies like the Election Commission, creating checks and balances.

8. Q8 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   A government elected with a huge majority passes a law allowing the police to arrest anyone without giving reasons. Using the chapter, explain why being legitimately elected does not make such a law acceptable, and how a constitution guards against it. (4 marks)

   Hint

   Third function: limits that no government may trespass.

   Answer

   The chapter warns that even a properly formed government may pass unjust laws, so knowing who decides is not enough. A constitution therefore sets limits that no government may cross, most commonly through fundamental rights; protection against arbitrary arrest is part of the basic cluster most constitutions guarantee. Rights can be limited only in circumstances the constitution itself specifies (such as a national emergency), not at a government's will. Balanced design adds a check: power is divided, so an independent judiciary can test such a law against the constitution.

9. Q9 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   With two examples each, show how the Indian Constitution (a) limits the government and (b) enables the government to act. (4 marks)

   Hint

   Rights and divided power; Preamble and Directive Principles.

   Answer

   (a) Limits: fundamental rights such as protection from arbitrary arrest and freedom of speech, conscience and association; and the division of power among legislature, executive, judiciary and bodies like the Election Commission, so no organ acts unchecked. (b) Enables: provisions, supported by the Preamble and found in the Fundamental Rights, that empower government to end caste discrimination; and the Directive Principles, which direct government to secure minimal dignity, such as education and material well-being.

10. Q10 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    'The Congress held about 82 per cent of the seats, so the Constituent Assembly could not have produced a constitution acceptable to all Indians.' Critically evaluate this statement. (6 marks)

    Hint

    Weigh composition against the way the Assembly worked.

    Answer

    Support for the claim: the Assembly was dominated by one party, and its members were indirectly elected by Provincial Assemblies, not by universal suffrage. Against it: (1) the Congress was itself so diverse that it accommodated almost all shades of opinion; (2) all religions were represented and there were 28 Scheduled Caste members; (3) committee chairs included Ambedkar, a bitter critic of the Congress and Gandhi; (4) the Assembly worked by deliberation and public reason, seeking consensus so that no particular interest was harmed, and answered every argument in writing; (5) sessions were open to the press and public; (6) the Objectives Resolution promised safeguards for minorities and backward classes. Conclusion: dominance in numbers did not mean domination of outcomes; the process and provisions made the Constitution broadly acceptable, though the lack of universal suffrage is a fair limitation.

11. Q11 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    A new country's constitution says only that the President, Parliament and the courts shall each have 'such powers as are necessary for good government'. Predict two problems this could cause and explain how the Indian Constitution avoids them. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Who decides, and fragmenting power.

    Answer

    Problems: (1) no one would know who has authority to make which decisions, so institutions could claim the same powers and clash, leaving citizens without assurance about the rules; (2) without defined limits, one organ or a small group could expand its powers and subvert the constitution. India avoids this by specifying who decides (for example, Parliament makes laws in most instances and is organised in a set way) and by dividing power among legislature, executive, judiciary and independent bodies such as the Election Commission, and between the States and the centre, so that each checks the others.

12. Q12 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

    Why does the textbook call the Indian Constitution the finest example of a twentieth-century constitution with an enabling framework? (2 marks)

    Hint

    Positive welfare measures.

    Answer

    Besides limiting government, it empowers government to take positive measures, some legally enforceable, to end caste discrimination and ensure a life of minimal dignity, through the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Which plan shaped the composition of the Constituent Assembly?Show answer

   The Cabinet Mission plan.

2. 2.What method did community members use to elect their representatives?Show answer

   Proportional representation with single transferable vote.

3. 3.Who moved the Objectives Resolution and when?Show answer

   Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1946.

4. 4.Which country lacks a single constitutional document, according to the chapter?Show answer

   The United Kingdom.

5. 5.Which provision was passed with virtually no debate?Show answer

   Universal suffrage.

6. 6.For how many days did the Assembly meet?Show answer

   166 days, spread over two years and eleven months.

7. 7.Which Constitution did India's later inspire, according to the chapter?Show answer

   South Africa's.

8. 8.In which year did Nepal become a democratic republic?Show answer

   2008; it adopted a new constitution in 2015.

9. 9.What does 'quasi-federal' mean?Show answer

   A federal system with a strong central government (adapted from Canada).

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐A constitution is the body of fundamental principles by which a state is constituted or governed.
• ☐Function 1: publicly known, enforceable rules for coordination and assurance.
• ☐Function 2: specifies who decides and how government is constituted.
• ☐Function 3: limits government, mainly through fundamental rights.
• ☐Function 4: enables government to fulfil aspirations (India the finest example).
• ☐Function 5: expresses political and moral identity; Indian citizenship not based on ethnicity.
• ☐Authority: mode of promulgation, substantive provisions, balanced institutional design.
• ☐Assembly: indirect election, Cabinet Mission plan, 299 after Partition, 28 SC members, Congress 82%.
• ☐Deliberation and public reason; universal suffrage passed without debate; eight committees; 166 days.
• ☐Objectives Resolution (Nehru, 1946): sovereignty, popular authority, justice, freedoms, safeguards.
• ☐Borrowings: UK, USA, Ireland, France, Canada, adapted to Indian needs.

Constitution: Why and How?: frequently asked questions