Read the passage and answer the questions:
Constitution: The Power of the State
The rights of the states were mostly eloquently defended by K. Santhanam. A reallocation of powers were necessary, he felt, to strengthen not only the states but also the Centre. “There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong.” This was a misconception, said Santhanam. If the Centre was overburdened with responsibilities, it could not function effectively. By relieving it of some its functions, and transferring them to the states, the Centre could, in fact, be made stronger. As for the states, Santhanam felt that the proposed allocation of powers would cripple them. The fiscal provisions would impoverish the provinces since most taxes, except the land revenue, had been the preserve of the Centre. Without finances how could the states undertake any project of development? The argument for greater power to the provinces provoked a strong reaction in the Assembly. The need for a strong centre had been underlined on numerous occasions since the Constituent Assembly had begun its sessions. Ambedkar had declared that he wanted “a strong and united Centre much stronger than the Centre we had created under the Government of India Act of 1935”. Reminding the members of the riots and violence that was ripping the nation apart, many members had repeatedly stated that the powers of the Centre had to be greatly strengthened to enable it to stop the communal frenzy. Reacting to the demands for giving power to the provinces, Gopalaswami Ayyangar declared that “the Centre should be made as strong as possible”.
Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → B.R. Ambedkar
The lawyer and economist B.R. Ambedkar had been a political opponent of the Congress during British rule. On the advice of Mahatma Gandhi he was asked at Independence to join the Union Cabinet as law minister, and in this capacity he served as Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. K.M. Munshi and Alladi Krishnaswamy Aiyar served with him, and the civil servant B.N. Rau assisted as Constitutional Advisor.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| 25-05 S1 | 23-05 S1* 02-06 S1* | – | 02-06 S3* 09-06 S1* 23-06 S3* | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2025-26): “1.2 The dominant voices … Besides this Congress trio, a very important member of the Assembly was the lawyer and economist B.R. Ambedkar. During the period of British rule, Ambedkar had been a political opponent of the Congress; but, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, he was asked at Independence to join the Union Cabinet as law minister. In this capacity, he served as Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. Serving with him were two other lawyers, K.M. Munshi from Gujarat and Alladi Krishnaswamy Aiyar from Madras, both of whom gave crucial inputs in the drafting of the Constitution. These six members were given vital assistance by two civil servants. One was B. N. Rau, Constitutional Advisor to the Government of India, who prepared a series of background papers based on a close study of the political systems obtaining in other countries.” |