Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 46 of 58 · Making & Sources of the Constitution
Questionmedium
This question was previously asked in

Railway

"Nobody holds any patent rights in the fundamental ideas of a Constitution." Who said this while defending the borrowed features of the Indian Constitution?

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option D — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Detailed Solution

B.R. Ambedkar. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee, made this remark in the Constituent Assembly in November 1948 while replying to critics who said that the Draft Constitution had borrowed too much from other constitutions.

Context of the remark:

  • Critics argued that the Draft Constitution was a copy of the Government of India Act, 1935 and of other constitutions.
  • Ambedkar replied that a constitution framed late in history must adopt the best features of earlier constitutions.
  • He added that the fundamental ideas of a constitution are common property, and the only new things can be variations to remove faults and suit the country's needs.

Main sources of the Indian Constitution:

  • Government of India Act, 1935: federal scheme, office of Governor, judiciary, public service commissions, emergency provisions.
  • British Constitution: parliamentary government, rule of law, single citizenship, cabinet system.
  • United States Constitution: Fundamental Rights, independence of the judiciary, judicial review, impeachment of the President.
  • Irish Constitution: Directive Principles of State Policy and the method of election of the President.
  • Canadian Constitution: a federation with a strong Centre.
  • Australian Constitution: Concurrent List and joint sitting of the two Houses.
  • Former USSR: Fundamental Duties and ideals of justice in the Preamble.

About Dr. Ambedkar:

  • He was the first Law Minister of independent India.
  • He is called the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
  • He described Article 32 as the "heart and soul" of the Constitution.
  • He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990.

Defence of the Constitution:

Ambedkar also said that the Constitution is workable and flexible, and strong enough to hold the country together in peace and war.

Why not the other options?

B.N. Rau was the Constitutional Adviser who prepared the first draft.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was President of the Constituent Assembly.

K.M. Munshi was a member of the Drafting Committee.

Quick tip

Remember: "Nobody holds patent rights in the fundamental ideas of a Constitution" = Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, defending borrowed features.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Making & Sources of the Constitution Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Who was the Constitutional Adviser (legal adviser) to the Constituent Assembly of India?
  2. Q2.The original Constitution of India was handwritten in English by:
  3. Q3.The idea of the 'Rule of Law' in the Indian Constitution was adopted from the Constitution of:
  4. Q4.The structural part of the Indian Constitution is largely derived from the:
  5. Q5.Which province had the highest representation in the Constituent Assembly of India as on 31 December 1947?

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

Making & Sources of the Constitution — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Making & Sources of the Constitution, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers how the Indian Constitution was made: the Constituent Assembly, its committees and members, the drafting process and key dates, and the features India borrowed from other constitutions, such as the parliamentary system from Britain and Fundamental Rights from the USA. Exams frequently ask who chaired the Drafting Committee (B. R. Ambedkar), who was President of the Constituent Assembly (Rajendra Prasad), and when the Constitution was adopted (26 November 1949) and came into force (26 January 1950). Questions on borrowed features are very common, so learn a table of features and their source countries. Practise the making of the Constitution questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All Making & Sources of the Constitution questionsBrowse all topics ›