History · Class 12 Arts
Ch 12Framing the Constitution — The Beginning of a New Era — Class 12 History, concept-first.
The years just before the Constitution was made were a time of extreme contradiction. On one hand, there was the exhilaration of freedom; on the other, the trauma of Partition.
Key concepts
Hover a concept to preview it and jump to its most relevant Q&A.
Pakistan Studies Objectives Resolution
The Objectives Resolution is the single most important document in Pakistan’s constitutional history. Think of it as the founding promise — the set of principles that the country’s leaders agreed upon before they wrote t…
Most relevant Q&A
Chapter contents
The NCERT structure, section by section. Open a section to see its questions, then read the concept-first solution.
A Tumultuous Time
The years just before the Constitution was made were a time of extreme contradiction. On one hand, there was the exhilaration of freedom; on the other, the trauma of Partition.
The making of the Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly was not elected by the people directly. Instead, elections to the provincial legislatures were held in the winter of 1945–46, and those provincial legislatures then chose the…
The dominant voices
The Constituent Assembly had 300 members, but six individuals played particularly important roles in shaping the Constitution.
The Vision of the Constitution
The Constitution of India was not merely a legal document; it was a vision for a new society. The framers, especially Jawaharlal Nehru, saw the Constitution as an instrument of social revolution.
The will of the people
The Constituent Assembly that met in December 1946 was not a free body. A Communist member, Somnath Lahiri, warned that British imperialism still cast a long shadow over its proceedings.
Defining Rights
The Constitution was not written from scratch by a single committee. Instead, the Constituent Assembly set up several specialised committees to draft different parts of the document.
The problem with separate electorates
The debate on separate electorates on 27 August 1947 was the first major clash in the Constituent Assembly.
“We will need much more than this Resolution”
The section opens with the Constituent Assembly’s adoption of the Objectives Resolution on 22 January 1947 — a document that laid down the guiding principles for India’s Constitution.
“We were suppressed for thousands of years”
The Constituent Assembly’s debates on social justice were not just about abstract rights — they were a direct response to centuries of brutal oppression. When B. R.
The Powers of the State
The Constituent Assembly had to decide how much power the provinces would have. This was not a simple administrative question — it was a debate about the very nature of the Indian Union.
“The centre is likely to break”
The section opens with the Constituent Assembly’s debate on the nature of the Indian Union. The phrase “The centre is likely to break” captures the fear of many members that a strong central governmen…
“What we want today is a strong Government”
In the Constituent Assembly debates, the demand for a strong central government emerged as a defining concern. Members like N. G. Ranga and K.
The Language of the Nation
The question of what language India should speak was one of the most emotionally charged and divisive issues the Constituent Assembly faced.
A plea for Hindi
The Constituent Assembly’s first major clash over language came within its earliest sessions. R. V. Dhulekar, a Congressman from the United Provinces, demanded aggressively that Hindi be used as the l…
The fear of domination
The Constituent Assembly debates on language reveal a deep anxiety: the fear of domination by one linguistic group over others.
CBSE Sample Papers
Questions from official CBSE sample papers.
+−Show 11 questionsHide questions11 questions
- Q1Who among the following members of the Constituent Assembly made a strong plea for Hindi to be used as the language of constitution-making?…Preview
- Q2Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow: (1+1+2=4) "There cannot be any divided loyalty" Govind Ballabh Pant em…Preview
- Q3Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow : "There cannot be any divided loyalty" Govind Ballabh Pant argued…Preview
- Q4Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow : "I believe separate electorates will be suicidal to the minoritie…Preview
- Q5Read the given case carefully and answer the questions that follow : (4) “There cannot be any divided loyalty” Gobind Ballabh Pant argued th…Preview
- Q6Who among the following demanded justice for women in the Constituent Assembly ? (A) H.J. Khandekar (B) T.A. Ramalingam Chettiar (C) Hansa M…Preview
- Q7Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow: (1+1+2=4) "The British element is gone, but they have left the mischie…Preview
- Q8How did G.B. Pant show his concern in the Constituent Assembly for making India a unified nation ? Explain.Preview
- Q9Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow: (1+1+2=4) We say that it is our firm and solemn resolve to have an ind…Preview
- Q10Explain the attributes of a loyal citizen as defined by G.B. Pant.Preview
- Q11Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow : (1+1+2=4) Framing the Constitution The Indian Constitution, which cam…Preview
More questions
11 Q+−Show 4 questionsHide questions4 questions
+−Show 4 questionsHide questions4 questions
- Q5What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?Free
- Q6Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.Free
- Q7What connection did some of the members of the Constituent Assembly make between the political situation of the time and the need for a stro…Preview
- Q8How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?Preview