Who among the following elected/appointed Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar as Chairman of the committee to scrutinize draft constitution?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The correct option is 3: **Members of the committee to scrutinize draft Constitution**. To understand this, students must recognize the procedural difference between the formation of a constitutional body and the selection of its internal leadership. The Constituent Assembly formed several major committees to handle different aspects of the constitution-making process. The most crucial of these was the Drafting Committee, tasked with preparing the final draft of the Constitution. This committee was set up on August 29, 1947, and consisted of seven members, including Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. While the resolution establishing the committee and appointing its members was passed by the larger Constituent Assembly, the specific process for electing the Chairman of a committee often rests with the members of that committee themselves. The resolution setting up the Drafting Committee included the names of the members, but the first act of the Committee, once formed, was generally to elect its Chairman from among its members, a practice reflecting standard parliamentary procedure for committees. Thus, Dr. Ambedkar was elected by the six other members to lead their crucial work of scrutinizing and finalizing the draft document.

The incorrect option is 1:

The **President of the Constituent Assembly** (Dr. Rajendra Prasad) had the power to constitute various committees and appoint their members by resolution passed in the Assembly. However, the President did not typically unilaterally appoint the Chairman of the major committees like the Drafting Committee; rather, the Assembly as a whole (or the members of the committee themselves) confirmed the choice. While the President’s influence was undoubtedly significant in recommending Dr. Ambedkar, the formal election or appointment of the Chairman was derived from the internal processes of the committee or the resolution of the Assembly, not a direct, personal presidential appointment after the committee was established. The President's role was broader, overseeing the entire functioning of the Assembly, not acting as the sole appointing authority for the internal posts of all committees.

The incorrect option is 2:

**Members of the Constituent Assembly** approved the *formation* of the Drafting Committee and *appointed* its seven members, including Dr. Ambedkar, via a resolution on August 29, 1947. However, the question specifically asks who elected/appointed him as the *Chairman*. While the Assembly collectively gave him membership, it was the specific action of the committee members themselves to confer the chairmanship on him when they first convened, or the Assembly's resolution implicitly designated the Chairman. Furthermore, stating 'Members of the Constituent Assembly' is too broad; they appointed him as a *member*, but the act of making him *Chairman* was either done by the smaller committee or, if done by the Assembly, it was done via a procedural vote on the resolution, not merely by being a member.

The incorrect option is 4:

The **Central Government** was not responsible for the election or appointment of the Chairman of a Constitutional Assembly committee. The Constituent Assembly was a sovereign body tasked with drafting the Constitution; it operated independently of the executive branch (the Central Government/Interim Government of the time). Its internal appointments, including the chairmen of its committees, were strictly determined by the Assembly’s own rules, procedures, and members. Allowing the executive (Central Government) to appoint the head of the committee tasked with creating the basic legal framework would have undermined the sovereignty and independent functioning of the Constituent Assembly itself.