April 14 marks an important date for the Constitution of India, the document that is foundational to our democracy. It is the birthday of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee, and one of the most vocal participants in the Constituent Assembly debates.

The Constituent Assembly of India, comprising indirectly elected representatives, was tasked with drafting the nation's constitution. Initially consisting of 389 members, it was reduced to 299 after the departure of many Muslim League members. Of these, 229 represented British Indian provinces, 70 came from Princely States, with 15 being women representatives, including one Dalit and one Muslim woman, and six representing backward tribes.

Convening on December 9, 1946, the Assembly dedicated two years and 11 months to its task, conducting 11 sessions over 166 days and generating approximately 36 lakh words of debate. Women collectively contributed 2% to the discussions. On November 26, 1949, the constitution was adopted and signed by 284 members. The final session on January 24, 1950, witnessed each member signing two meticulously hand-written copies of the Constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English, each page adorned by artists from Shantiniketan.

How much do you know about the people behind the Constitution of India?

Samvidhaan Ke Naam, this special episode of Samvidhaani Pitaara, is presented as a game show to test your knowledge, and have some fun, while you learn about the minds that influenced the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

Samvidhaan Ke Naam is presented by Vineet KKN Panchhi for Radio Azim Premji University.

Credits:

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Harshit Hillol Gogoi, Harsh Gupta, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sameera Ahmed, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar

Audience voices:

Aashi Chheda, Anand Athialy, Gulsingh Badgujer, Hitika Gilhotra, Kinshuk Ghosh

For a full list of acknowledgements and resources, please visit our website: https://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/radio-azim-premji-university