Introduction
Independence and the integration of princely states (Chapter 28) were only the first steps in
nation-building. The new Republic faced simultaneous challenges — framing a Constitution, absorbing
millions of refugees, reorganising internal state boundaries, and charting an economic development path.
Making of the Constitution
- The Constituent Assembly (formed under the Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946) began drafting the Constitution on 9 December 1946, under the temporary chairmanship of Sachchidananda Sinha, later Dr. Rajendra Prasad as President.
- The Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, prepared the detailed text.
- The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 (celebrated as Constitution Day) and came into force on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day) — chosen to commemorate the 1930 Purna Swaraj declaration.
Refugee Rehabilitation
Partition displaced an estimated 10-15 million people. The government set up refugee camps, resettlement colonies (e.g., in Delhi, Punjab), and rehabilitation finance schemes to absorb this population — one of the largest humanitarian challenges any newly independent nation had faced.
States Reorganisation
Flowchart — Path to Linguistic Reorganisation
Dhar Commission (1948) — recommended reorganisation on administrative, not linguistic, lines
↓
JVP Committee (1948-49) — also initially rejected language as the sole basis
↓
Potti Sriramulu's fast unto death (1952) for a separate Andhra state — died in December 1952
↓
Andhra State formed (1953) — first linguistic state, carved from Madras
↓
Fazl Ali Commission (States Reorganisation Commission, 1953-55) recommends broader linguistic reorganisation
↓
States Reorganisation Act, 1956 — creates 14 states and 6 Union Territories
Early Economic Consolidation
| Milestone | Year | Significance |
|---|
| Planning Commission established | 1950 | Non-statutory body to formulate Five Year Plans (replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015) |
| First Five Year Plan | 1951-56 | Focused on agriculture, given post-Partition food scarcity; based on the Harrod-Domar growth model |
| Second Five Year Plan | 1956-61 | Focused on rapid industrialisation (heavy industry), based on the "Mahalanobis model" |
| Community Development Programme | 1952 | Rural development initiative aimed at agricultural modernisation and village self-reliance |
Other Early Nation-Building Steps
- Abolition of the Zamindari system began through state-level land reform legislation in the early 1950s.
- Formation of the Election Commission of India (1950) and conduct of the first General Elections (1951-52) — the largest exercise of universal adult franchise in the world at that time.
✅ UPSC Focus: Constituent Assembly key dates (9 Dec 1946 start, 26 Nov 1949 adoption, 26 Jan 1950 commencement) · Potti Sriramulu's role in triggering linguistic reorganisation · SRC 1956 outcome (14 states, 6 UTs) · First vs Second Five Year Plan's differing focus.