Q. In July 1946, the Indian National Congress appointed an ‘Experts Committee’. With reference to this Experts Committee of Congress, consider the following statements:
1. It was appointed to prepare material for the Constituent Assembly.
2. It recommended the draft of the Objectives Resolution.
3. Krishna Kriplani was the chairman of this committee.
How many statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option b is the correct answer. Even before the elections to the Assembly had concluded, the Congress Party had one eye on the Constituent Assembly. The Congress Working Committee on 9 July 1946, appointed an Experts Committee to undertake preliminary constitutionmaking work.
Statement 1 is correct. While elections to the Constituent Assembly were still in progress, on July 8, 1946, the Congress Party (Indian National Congress) appointed an Experts Committee for the purpose of preparing material for the Constituent Assembly.
Statement 2 is correct. The Experts Committee recommended procedures for the election of the Assembly’s top functionaries and the setting up of important Assembly committees. But the most significant part of the recommendations was a section titled ‘Declaration of Objectives’ – the very first version of what would later become the Objectives Resolution.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Chairman of the Committee. Later, on the Chairman’s proposal, it was resolved that Krishna Kriplani be co-opted as a member and convener of the committee.
Important Tips
The Committee consisted of Jawaharlal Nehru (Chairman), K.M. Munshi, N Gopalsawmi Ayyangar, K.T. Shah, D.R. Gadgil, Humayun Kabir and K Santhanam. Evidently, the Congress Party consciously included individuals who were not Congress members.
