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Question 27 of 58 · Making & Sources of the Constitution
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The Constituent Assembly of India ratified India's decision to remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations as a republic in:

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Answer: Option C — May 1949

Detailed Solution

The Constituent Assembly of India ratified, in May 1949, India's decision to continue as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations even after becoming a republic.

Background:

  • Before 1949, the members of the British Commonwealth recognised the British monarch as their head of state.
  • India wanted to become an independent republic, with an elected head of state, and not owe allegiance to the British Crown.
  • This raised the question whether India could remain a member of the Commonwealth.

The London Declaration (April 1949):

  • At the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference held in London in April 1949, a solution was found.
  • It was agreed that India would continue as a full member of the Commonwealth, while becoming a republic.
  • India accepted the British monarch as "the symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth".
  • The monarch would have no constitutional role in India.
  • The word "British" was dropped, and the organisation came to be called the "Commonwealth of Nations".

Nehru's role:

  • Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister, played the main role in reaching this agreement.
  • He argued that membership would help India's interests in trade, defence and international relations, without any loss of independence.

Ratification:

  • Nehru placed the London Declaration before the Constituent Assembly, which ratified it in May 1949 after a debate.
  • Some members criticised the decision, but most supported it.

Significance:

  • India's decision changed the Commonwealth from a group of British dominions into a free association of independent nations.
  • Many other former colonies later joined the Commonwealth as republics.

The Commonwealth today:

  • It has more than fifty member countries, and its Secretariat is at Marlborough House, London.
  • The Commonwealth Games are held every four years; India hosted them in Delhi in 2010.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗August 1947, January 1950 and December 1946 are not the month in which the Assembly ratified Commonwealth membership.

Quick tip

Remember: London Declaration (April 1949) - India stays in the Commonwealth as a republic; ratified by the Constituent Assembly in May 1949.

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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.

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