Facts at Glance- Presidential Elections from 1952 to 2007

	Date of Poll	Electoral College	No. of Votes for Each Member	No. of Contesting Candidates	Elected	Votes Secured	Date of Assumption of Office
1st Presidential Election	02.05.1952	Elected Members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and 23 State Legislative Assemblies. Total Electors 4056	Each M.P. had 494 Votes. Votes of MLAs differed from State to State. Lowest Value of Votes MLAs of Coorg State was 7 and highest of 143 for MLAs of U.P. Population Basis of 1951 Census.	Five	Dr. Rajendra Prasad	5,07,400	13.05.1952
2nd Presidential Election	06.05.1957	Elected Members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and 14 State Legislative Assemblies.	Each M.Ps = 496 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of J &K was 59 and highest of 147 of U.P.	Three	Dr. Rajendra Prasad	4,59,698	13.05.1957
3rd Presidential Election	07.05.1962	Elected Members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and 15 State Legislative Assemblies.	Each MPs= 493votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of J &K was 59 and highest of 147 of U.P.	Three	Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan	5,53,067	13.05.1962
4th Presidential Election	06.05.1967	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (520) , Rajya Sabha (228) and 17 State Legislative Assemblies (3383)	Each MPs= 576 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Nagaland was 08 and highest of 174 of U.P. The population basis was 1961 census.	Seventeen	Dr. Zakir Hussain	4,71,244	13.05.1967
5th Presidential Election	16.08.1969		-Do-	Fifteen	Shri V.V. Giri	4,01,515	24.08.1969
6th Presidential Election	17.08.1974	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (521) , Rajya Sabha (230) and 21 State Legislative Assemblies (3654)	Each MPs = 723 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Nagaland was 09 and highest of 208 of U.P. The population basis was 1971 census.	Two	Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed	7,65,587	24.08.1974
7th Presidential Election	06.08.1977	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (524) , Rajya Sabha (232) and 22 State Legislative Assemblies (3776)	Each MPs = 702 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Sikkim was 07 and highest of 208 of U.P.	One	Shri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy	Elected unopposed ( First time a candidate was declared elected to the highest office of President of India without a contest.	25.07.1977
8th Presidential Election	12.07.1982	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (524) , Rajya Sabha (232) and 22 State Legislative Assemblies (3827)	Each MPs = 702 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Sikkim was 07 and highest of 208 of U.P	Two	Gyani Zail Singh	7,54,113	25.07.1982
9th Presidential Election	13.07.1987	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (543) , Rajya Sabha (233) and 25 State Legislative Assemblies (3919)	Each MPs = 702 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Sikkim was 07 and highest of 208 of U.P	Three	Shri R. Venkataraman	7,40,148	25.07.1987
10th Presidential Election	13.07.1992	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (543) , Rajya Sabha (233) and 25 State Legislative Assemblies (3972)	Each MPs = 702 votes Lowest value of votes for MLAs of Sikkim was 07 and highest of 208 of U.P	Four	Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma	6,75,804	25.07.1992
11th Presidential Election	14.07.1997	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (543) , Rajya Sabha (233) and 27 State Legislative Assemblies (4072)	Each MPs = 708 votes No of votes of each MLAs differed from state to state.	Two	Shri K.R. Narayanan	9,56,290	25.07.1997
12th Presidential Election	15.07.2002	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (543) , Rajya Sabha (233) and 30 State Legislative Assemblies (4120) including NCT of Delhi and UT of Pondicherry.	Each MPs = 708 votes No of votes of each MLAs differed from state to state.	Two	Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam	9,22,884	25.07.2002
13th Presidential Election	19.07.2007	Elected Members of Lok Sabha (543) , Rajya Sabha (233) and 30 State  legislative Assemblies (4120) including NCT of Delhi and UT of Pondicherry.	Each MPs = 708 votes No of votes of each MLAs differed from state to state.	Two	Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil	6,38,116	25.07.2007

Important Points :

• During fifth Presidential Elections (1969) , the Commission made the Civil Aviation authorities to permit the escort of the polled ballot boxes (the respectively Assistant Returning Officers) to keep the sealed ballot boxes by his side closely near his seat in the Plane.
• During Sixth Presidential Elections (1974), The Presidential And Vice-Presidential Act,1952 was amended to provide for nomination paper of a Presidential candidate shall be subscribed by at least 10 electors as proposers and 10 electors as seconders,  the Security deposit is made Rs. 2,500/- and election petition challenging an election can be presented only before the Supreme Court by any contesting candidate or by minimum  20 electors joined together as petitioners.
• During the 11^th Presidential Elections (1997), the President of India promulgated an Ordinance on 5^th June, 1997 to further amend the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Act, 1952. The following amendments to the act were made:-

          (a) In the case of the Presidential Election, the number of Proposers and seconders for            any nomination paper was increased from ten proposers to fifty proposers and from ten seconders to fifty seconders.

        (b) In the case of the Presidential Election, the number of Proposers and seconders for  any nomination paper was likewise increased from five Proposers and five Seconders   to twenty proposers and twenty seconders.

        ( c) The amount of Security was increased from Rs. 2,500/- to Rs. 15,000/-.

NATIONAL WATER POLICY 2012

Water is a natural resource, fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development. It is also a scarce resource. India has more than 17 percent of the world’s population, but has only 4% of world’s renewable water resources with 2.6% of world’s land area. There are further limits on utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution over time and space. Precipitation is confined to only about three or four months in a year and varies from 100 mm in the western parts of Rajasthan to over 10000 mm at Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. Rivers and underground aquifers often cut across state boundaries.  Water, as a resource is one and indivisible: rainfall, river waters, surface ponds and lakes and ground water are all part of one system. In addition, there are challenges of frequent floods and droughts in one or the other part of the country. With a growing population and rising needs of a fast developing nation as well as the given indications of the impact of climate change, availability of  utilizable  water will be under  further strains in future with the possibility of deepening water conflicts among different user groups. Low public consciousness about the overall scarcity and economic value of water results in its wastage and inefficient use. In addition, there are inequitious distribution and lack of a unified perspective in planning, management and use of water resources. The objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognizance of the existing situation and to propose a framework for creation of an overarching system of laws and institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national perspective. National Water Policy was adopted in September, 1987. Since then, a number of issues and challenges have emerged in the development and management of the water resources. Therefore, the National Water Policy (1987) has been reviewed and updated in 2012. The salient features of new National Water Policy (2012) are: a) Constitutionally the States have the right to frame suitable policies, laws and regulations on water, the draft NWP, 2012 lays emphasis on the need for a national water framework law, comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys, public trust doctrine, amendment of the Indian Easements Act, 1882, etc. b) The draft NWP, 2012 presents a holistic picture of ecological need of the river rather than restricting it to only minimum flow requirement. It states that the ecological needs of the river should be determined recognizing that river flows are characterized by low or no flows, small floods (freshets), large floods and flow variability and should accommodate development needs. A portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet ecological needs ensuring that the proportional low and high flow releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime. c) It recognizes the need to adapt to climate change scenario in planning and implementation of water resources projects. Coping strategies for designing and management of water resources structures and review of acceptability criteria has been emphasized. d) Need and approaches towards enhancing water availability have been stipulated. Direct use of rainfall and avoidance of inadvertent evapo-transpiration have been proposed as the new additional strategies for augmenting utilizable water resources. e) Draft proposes the mapping of the aquifers to know the quantum and quality of ground water resources in the country has been proposed with provision of periodic updation. f) A system to evolve benchmarks for water uses for different purposes, i.e., water footprints, and water auditing should be developed to ensure efficient use of water. g) Water Users Associations should be given statutory powers to collect and retain a portion of water charges, manage the volumetric quantum of water allotted to them and maintain the distribution system in their jurisdiction. h) All water resources projects, including hydro power projects, should be planned to the extent feasible as multi-purpose projects with provision of storage to derive maximum benefit from available topology and water resources. i) The draft NWP, 2012 lays emphasis on preparedness for flood / drought with coping up mechanisms as an option. Frequency based flood inundation maps should be prepared to evolve coping strategies. j) Appropriate institutional arrangements for each river basin should be developed to collect and collate all data on regular basis with regard to rainfall, river flows, area irrigated by crops and by source, utilizations for various uses by both surface and ground water and to publish water accounts on ten daily basis every year for each river basin with appropriate water budgets and water accounts based on the hydrologic balances. Planning and implementation of water resources projects involve a number of socio-economic aspects and issues such as environmental sustainability, appropriate resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected people and livestock, public health concerns of water impoundment, dam safety etc.

Celebrating 60 years of Indian Parliament

India has long history and there are many historic events to remember.   13^th May 2012, is another day, a day on which the  Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,  are holding special sittings celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the first session of Indian Parliament.   After becoming a Republic, the first general elections were held in 1951-52 ; Lok Sabha was constituted on April 17, 1952 and the Lok Sabha held its first session, a month later, on May 13^th  statistically, the first Lok Sabha’s tenure was 17^th April 1952 to 4^th April 1957. Can you recall the names of the first Speak and Deputy Sepaker of the Lok Sabha. 

Commemorating 60 years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will initiate the debate in the Rajya Sabha while Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will do it in the Lok Sabha. Besides prominent members from all sides, independents are also being accomodated in the over five-hour discussion. A few living members of the first Lok Sabha, including Reishang Keishing and Resham Lal Jangde, will be honoured on the occasion.  91-year-old Reishang Keishing, now a member of the Rajya Sabha, was member of the first and third Lok Sabhas. Jangde was member of first, second and ninth Lok Sabhas. Both the Houses of Parliament will meet at 11.00 am and will conclude the discussions at 4.30 pm.   In the evening, President Pratibha Patil will address a joint sitting of both Houses in the Central Hall. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister and Kumar will also address the joint sitting. 

Coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination to mark the occasion along with a special stamp are being released as also  three books published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat — Members’ Introduction: First Lok Sabha; Speakers of Lok Sabha and ’60 years of the Lok Sabha.  There is also to be a cultural programme featuring Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Maharajapuram Ramachandran, versatile singer Shubha Mudgal and Iqbal Khan.

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. Just as the House of Lords and House of commons in UK, Indian parliament  is bicameral with its two Houses, Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States).   The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Sansad Bhavan (located on the Sansad Marg), in New Delhi. The Members of either house are commonly referred to as Members of Parliament or MP. The MPs of Lok Sabha are elected by direct election and the MPs of Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies and Union territories of Delhi and Pondicherry only in accordance with proportional voting. The Parliament is composed of 790 MPs, who serve the largest democratic electorate in the world. 

Every Indian can have a justifiable sense of pride on the completion of six significant decades of Parliamentary democracy.  Our PM Manmohan Singh called Rajya Sabha as the house of elders  - an  institution whose deliberations over the years have enriched our parliamentary democracy, nurtured the strength of our federal polity and served as a bulwark against the transient impulses of the moment.

Parliament is not only a legtistlative but a deliberative body. The bodies have been repository  of wisdom and have passed landmark legislations from land reforms to nationalisation of banks.  The resilience of our pluralistic democracy is the proudest achievement of the Indian state and Indian people. The people of India have repeatedly and regularly reposed their faith in the institutions of parliamentary democracy.    When India gained independence, some were critical of its success questioning its size, variety and vastness – the Institutions have  weathered many storms and have successfully stood up winning the test of time, which augurs well the for the Nation

History has it that the Parliament house had various plans from triangular to a Roman colosseum like structure but eventually settled to be its present circular designed colonnaded verandah, with 144 pillars and 560 feet diameter. The foundation stone of the council House was laid on February 12, 1921 by the Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria.  The building spread over nearly six acres was inaugurated on January 18, 1927 by then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. It is now commonly known as Sansad Bhavan.

The First Speaker of the First Lok Sabha was Shri G.V. Mavalankar  (15.5.1952 - 27.2.1956), succeeded by Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar  (8.3.1956 - 10.5.1957 and 11.5.1957 - 16.4.1962).  Sardar Hukam Singh succeeded the first Deputy Speaker Shri M Ananthasayanam Iyengar in 1956.  The First secretary was Mr MN Kaul.    Read that the first thing that the Parliament did was an act to give  land to the landless through Land reforms Act.   It was a place of high moral rectitude -  Lal Bahadur Shashtri quit as Railways Minister from Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet after an accident.

60 years of Parliament: People highlight need for professionalism

Has the functioning of the Indian Parliament been able to foster democratic values and strengthen participatory institutions down the line or has it been a failed experiment?

These are the questions being asked as our Westminster-modelled parliamentary democratic system celebrates its 60th anniversary.

"From panchayats and nagar nigams to the assemblies and the two houses of Parliament you only have rabble rousers, playing to the galleries. One does no longer hear enlightened debates interspersed with wit and sarcasm, as was the case till the 1977 Janata Party experiment," political commentator Paras Nath Choudhary told IANS.

Former socialist leader from Lucknow Ram Kishore, says: "The likes of Raj Narain, Madhu Limaye or even Piloo Mody, made Parliament a vibrant democratic institution. The 'firing range' comprising HV Kamath, Subramanian Swamy, SN Mishra, Shibban Lal Saxena and Kunwar Lal Gupta was ever alert during the 1970s to government lapses. Their questions and points of orders were dreaded and ministers never made a mistake of coming to Parliament without doing adequate home work."

During the 1960s and 1970s, the performance of parliamentarians was generally of a high order and the media relished the quotable quotes. As long as Ram Manohar Lohia was in the house, one was assured of sparkling fire-works. Madhu Limaye, Nath Pai, NG Gorey, Ashok Mehta and others carried the tradition forward.

"In 1977 there were so many heavy weights, each an institution in himself. Today's Parliament is no match. One finds pathetic lack of ideological commitment today, especially among the younger parliamentarians. They hardly go to the library and prepare notes. There is a shocking qualitative degeneration in democratic institutions at all levels," Ramji Lal Suman, former deputy minister in Chandra Shekhar government.

Young politicians if groomed properly and infused with a degree of ideological professionalism could still change the depressing scenario, Suman added.

In sharp contrast to the composition of the two houses in the 1960s or the 1970s, the present house is dominated by amateurs who are better fighters than debaters. Many make public speeches rather than try debating a point.

"If we have a Parliament we must also have able parliamentarians who not only expose the scams but also contribute to the policy making and enliven the proceedings through literary quotes and witticisms. Giving speeches like one was addressing a street corner gathering is easy, but to hit the headlines in the next day's newspapers or making valuable contribution to debates requires a lot of mid-night oil-burning and a professional approach," says social activist Shravan Kumar Singh who worked with many leaders in Bihar.

Indian Parliament is an important democratic institution, for it combines both the legislative and executive functions. By and large it has responded to changing public moods and mass aspirations, say ruling Congress party leaders.

Former Congress MLA Satish Chandra Gupta says, "I have nothing to feel cheerful or happy about the general working of the institutions. The intellectual level of politicians has generally gone down."

During the 1975-77 emergency when most of the opposition leaders were detained, Parliament was reduced to a "walking corpse" - surviving more in form than in vitality.

The Janata Party experiment could not last long enough as there were too many heavy weights pulling the cart in different directions.

"The Congress Young Turks, the egoistic three seniors Morarji Desai, Choudhary Charan Singh, and Babu Jagjivan Ram, in addition to a whole line up of Socialists including Madhu limaye, kept pulling one another down and Raj Narain playing the joker added intriguing dimensions to the survival of a government that was bedevilled by the dual membership controversy that irked the BJP and the RSS," recalls senior ex-Janata party leader Vinay Paliwal.

Clearly, the functioning of Parliament in the past decade particularly has been affected by the quality of people that have been elected. Many are believed to have criminal background, if reports released by various pressure groups are to be relied upon. Those who thought introduction of TV cameras to cover the proceedings would usher in desirable changes in performance feel cheated.

Veterans in Parliament have a duty to groom the freshers. Old-timers say the MPs should spend more time in the house and the library than in their individual constituencies. "The discretionary funds for development available to MPs has been a huge distraction," says senior media person Rajiv Saxena.

PUBLIC POLICY IN INDIA

Definition:

A Public Policy is a goal oriented course of action adopted and implemented by the government bodies and officials in pursuit of certain objectives or goals of public interest.

Basically, Public Policies are:

• Goal oriented
• Decision making process
• Government’s collective action
• Addresses public concerns
• Interaction of people’s demands with power structures

Importance of Public Policies:

Although the trend of privatization made the governments to relax from many areas of development still there are many important areas which needs to be focused for the sake of public interest and for social welfare and growth. Thus the study of Public Policy, also called ‘Planned view of development’, gains much more relevance.

The scientific analysis of public policy helps in understanding the causes and consequences of the policy thereby facilitating practical solutions to social problems.

A Policy which is formulated and is implemented in a participative, transparent, open and accountable manner is an effective public policy serving public interest.

Stages in Public Policy Process:

(i) Policy Formulation:

A policy will be formulated in a coherent fashion keeping in mind the needs, interests, and problems of the society. It covers the larger sections of the society too.

(ii) Policy Education:

Educating the masses and actual beneficiaries about the formulated policies and their impacts through media.

(iii) Policy Implementation:

This is a crucial stage which actually decides the translation of the policy goals into action. It is the task of the executive branch of the government to systematically act upon the policies with the available resources.

(iv) Policy Monitoring:

Monitoring is the task done after the implementation and performing auditing and reporting process.

(v) Policy Impact:

A quantitative and qualitative study needs to be done to know the impact of the policy.

Types of Public Policies:

1. Welfare & Development Public policies
2. Regulatory Public policies
3. Distributive & Re-distributive policies

Institutions that play a crucial role in policy making are:

• Legislature
• Executive
• Cabinet and Cabinet secretariat
• Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Office
• NDC and Planning Commission
• IAS, IPS and IFS officers
• Judiciary.

Here is the List of the Major PUBLIC POLICIES undertaken by Government of India over the years:

1. National Policy for Farmers, 2007
2. Agriculture Pricing Policy
3. National Agriculture Development Programme or Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
4. Agriculture Policy: A Vision for 2020
5. Consolidated FDI Policy, 2010
6. National Employment Policy, 2008
7. National Manufacturing Policy, 2011
8. National Drug Policy
9. National Pharmaceutical Policy, 2002
10. National Broadband Policy, 2004
11. National Policy on Information Technology, 2011
12. National Policy on Electronics, 2011
13. National Policy on Education, 1968
14. National Policy on Education, 1986
15. National Programme of Action
16. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan- Education For All
17. Policy Statement on Environment and Development
18. National Skill Development Policy
19. National Nutrition Policy
20. National Health Policy of 2002
21. National Population Policy of 2000
22. National Mineral Policy
23. National Electricity Policy, 2003
24. Rural Electrification Policy
25. National Policy on Older Persons
26. National Policy for Empowerment of Women
27. National Telecom Policy, 2011
28. National Water Policy, 2002
29. National Urban Sanitation Policy
30. National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy
31. National Tourism Policy, 2002.

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MINORITIES: Instilling a Sense of Confidence Among the Five Religious Minorities

The National Commission for Minorities was set up in 1993 as a statutory body with the purpose of instilling a sense of confidence among the five religious minorities that the laws of the land and the constitutional rights and freedoms are respected by the State. The NCM is enjoined to carry out research and institute studies to assess the functioning of the constitutional rights and safeguards and assess the progress of the development of minorities in both the Union and the States.

During the year 2011-2012 the National Commission for Minorities carried out on the spot visits to three riot affected areas:

• Forbesganj in Araria district of Bihar where 4 Muslims were killed in police firing. The Commission recommended that the police personnel responsible for opening fire on the crowd should be brought to book and also recommended compensation to those killed and injured in the firing.

• Bharatpur in Rajasthan where again a clash between the police, the Meos and the Gujjars had resulted in the death of 10 persons. The Commission rushed a two member team consisting of Ms Syeda Imam and Mr. K.N.Daruwalla to Bharatpur to study the situation. The NCM recommended both short term and long term measures for sensitization of district officials and the police in particular to minority sensibilities. The District Magistrate, SP and ASP were all suspended on the recommendation of NCM

• Rudrapur in Uttarakhand where a clash between two groups had resulted in violence and death of 4 persons and large scale damage to public and private property including arson and looting. The NCM team headed by Mr. K.N. Daruwalla visited the incident spot and met the affected families. Recommendations included activation of Mohalla peace committees and sensitization of police personnel and transfer of all police personnel who played a biased role

The arrest of large number of Muslim youth and their long periods of detention in jails without adequate evidence was a matter of concern to the Commission. The Commission was also agitated that after years of being under trials, sometimes for more than a decade, the police were not able to prove the charges. The acquitted youth were not properly rehabilitated and in extreme cases not allowed to lead normal lives after their acquittal and they were looked upon suspiciously by the society.

In this context the Commission had taken up with the states and the Union government the need to have speedy trial and to strengthen and make the prosecution branch independent and critical so that before a case is filed the prosecution branch is able to question the police arrests and check the infallibility of the evidence. The Commission had taken up with the Andhra Pradesh government the rehabilitation of the Muslim youth who had been acquitted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the Mecca Masjid blasts. The State Government has positively responded has taken action for financial assistance of Rs. 70 lakhs to the 20 Muslim youths who were acquitted by the Courts.

Issues of Christians taken up by the Commission included incidents of profiling of Christians in Madhya Pradesh where a census of Christian organizations and churches was ordered by the Bhopal police, the anti Christian propaganda carried out in the last year’s Khumb Mela in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh and harassment of Christians in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh for holding prayer meetings in their houses –a right guaranteed to them under the Constitution. The non -registration of police cases against policemen who publicly insulted a brother in Bangalore, the registration of a frivolous case against 3 priests for performing the last rites of a “Hindu” believer in Madhya Pradesh were resolved with the intervention of the Commission. The policeman in Bangalore was suspended and inquiry is on. In the case of the Madhya Pradesh incident the police cases were withdrawn.

During the year the Commission also tried to calm the frayed sensibilities of the Buddhists who were agitated by the adverse media reports on the Karmapa. The Commission took up the matter with the Government as well as with Broadcast Councils so that the media can be a little more sensitized when reporting such matters. The Buddhist Member, Ms Spalzes Angmo also took up the issue of the construction of multiple hydel projects in Sikkim across the Rothung Chu river (a river considered holy to the Buddhists) with the Sikkim Government in the aftermath of the Sikkim earthquake. According to media reports two of these three projects have been scrapped while the third is under review. The management of the Bodhgaya Temple has continued to be a matter of concern

The Commission took suo moto cognizance of a media report regarding incident of alleged massacre of Sikhs in Village of Chhillar in Rewari District of Haryana in 1984 and inaction on rehabilitation of victims by Government was taken up with the Haryana Chief Minister. The Chief Minister had setup a Commission of inquiry headed by retired Judge of Allahabad High Court to go into the facts of the case. Other issues relating to the Sikhs which were taken up include constitution of separate Committee of Gurdwara in Haryana, implementation of Punjabi as 2nd language, for making efforts to start Punjabi programmes from All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra.

Issues relating to the declining number of Parsis, proper reservation and help to the indigent Parsis were taken up with the State and Central Governments. The Member representing the Parsis has also taken up with the Finance Minister, the difficulties that the Parsi charitable organizations will face in case the Direct Tax Code n its present form is implemented. During the current Financial Year till February, 2012, total 20 cases were heard in NCM. The NCM received a total of 2336 complaints concerning grievances. Out of these complaints 588 were disposed of and the remaining complaints are under process/ forwarded to the concerned department for report/necessary action.

During the year two research studies were taken up: one on the "Effects of recent recessions as well as liberalization of Indian Economy on the workforce engaged in small, cottage and handicrafts work, particularly on Muslim minority of India and identification of areas of these effects as well as remedies thereof" and "Compilation of important legal text and case laws on Minority Rights".

THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

The Constituent Assembly met for the first time in New Delhi on 9 December, 1946 in the Constitution Hall which is now known as the Central Hall of Parliament House. Decorated elegantly for the occasion, the Chamber wore a new look on that day with a constellation of bright lamps hanging from the high ceilings and also from the brackets on its walls.
Overwhelmed and jubilant as they were, the hon'ble members sat in semi-circular rows facing the Presidential dias. The desks which could be warmed electrically were placed on sloping green-carpeted terraces. Those who adorned the front row were Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Acharya J.B. Kripalani, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Smt. Sarojini Naidu, Shri Hare-Krushna Mahatab, Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Shri Sarat Chandra Bose, Shri C. Rajagopalachari and Shri M. Asaf Ali. Two hundred and seven representatives, including nine women were present.
The inaugural session began at 11 a.m. with the introduction of Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the temporary Chairman of the Assembly, by Acharya Kripalani. While welcoming Dr. Sinha and others, Acharyaji said: "As we begin every work with Divine blessings, we request Dr. Sinha to invoke these blessings so that our work may proceed smoothly. Now, I once more, on your behalf, call upon Dr. Sinha to take the Chair."
Occupying the Chair amidst acclamation, Dr. Sinha read out the goodwill messages received from different countries. After the Chairman's inaugural address and the nomination of a Deputy Chairman, the members were formally requested to present their credentials. The First Day's proceedings ended after all the 207 members present submitted their credentials and signed the Register.
Seated in the galleries, some thirty feet above the floor of the Chamber, the representatives of the Press and the visitors witnessed this memorable event. The All India Radio, Delhi broadcast a composite sound picture of the entire proceedings.

SOME FACTS

The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and seventeen days to be precise) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. During this period, it held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days. Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution.
As to its composition, members were chosen by indirect election by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, according to the scheme recommended by the Cabinet Mission. The arrangement was: (i) 292 members were elected through the Provincial Legislative Assemblies; (ii) 93 members represented the Indian Princely States; and (iii) 4 members represented the Chief Commissioners' Provinces. The total membership of the Assembly thus was to be 389. However, as a result of the partition under the Mountbatten Plan of 3 June, 1947, a separate Constituent Assembly was set up for Pakistan and representatives of some Provinces ceased to be members of the Assembly. As a result, the membership of the Assembly was reduced to 299.
On 13 December, 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution

1.This Constituent Assembly declares its firm and solemn resolve to proclaim India as an Independent Soverign Republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution;

2.WHEREIN the territories that now comprise British India, the territories that now form the Indian States, and such other parts fo India as are outside British India and the States as well as such other territories as are willing to be constituted into the Independent Soverign India, shall be a Union of them all; and

3.WHEREIN the said territories, whether with their present boundaries or with such others as may be determined by the Constituent Assembly and thereafter according to the law of the Constitution, shall possess and retain the status of autonomous Units, together with residuary powers and exercise all powers and functions of goverrnment and administration, save and except such powers and functions as are vested in or assigned to the Union, or as are inherent or implied in the Union or resulting therefrom; and

4.WHEREIN all power and authority of the Soverign Independent India, its constituent parts and organs of government, are derived from the people; and

5.WHEREIN shall be guaranteed and secured to all the people of India justice, social economic and political : equality of status, of opportunity, and before the law; freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action, subject to law and public morality; and

6.WHEREIN adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other backward classes; and

7.WHEREBY shall be maintained the integrity of the territory of the Republic and its soverign rights on land, sea, and air according to justice and the law of civilized nations; and

8.this ancient land attains its righful and honoured placed in the world and make its full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind.

This Resolution was unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 January 1947.
Late in the evening of 14 August, 1947 the Assembly met in the Constitution Hall and at the stroke of midnight, took over as the Legislative Assembly of an Independent India.

On 29 August, 1947, the Constituent Assembly set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution for India. While deliberating upon the draft Constitution, the Assembly moved, discussed and disposed of as many as 2,473 amendments out of a total of 7,635 tabled.

The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November, 1949 and the hon'ble members appended their signatures to it on 24 January, 1950. In all, 284 members actually signed the Constitution. On that day when the Constitution was being signed, it was drizzling outside and it was interpreted as a sign of a good omen.

The Constitution of India came into force on 2 6 January, 1950. On that day, the Assembly ceased to exist, transforming itself into the Provisional Parliament of India until a new Parliament was constituted in1952

Sessions of the Constituent Assembly

First Session:	9-23 December, 1946
Second Session:	20-25 January, 1947
Third Session:	28 April - 2 May, 1947
Fourth Session:	14-31 July, 1947
Fifth Session:	14-30 August, 1947
Sixth Session:	27 January, 1948
Seventh Session:	4 November,1948 - 8 January, 1949
Eighth Session:	16 May - 16 June, 1949
Ninth Session:	30 July - 18 September, 1949
Tenth Session:	6-17 October, 1949
Eleventh Session:	14-26 November, 1949

[The Assembly met once again on 24 January, 1950, when the members appended their signatures to the Constitution of India]

IMPORTANT COMMITTEES OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY AND THEIR CHAIRMEN

Name of the Committee	Chairman
Committee on the Rules of Procedure	Rajendra Prasad
Steering Committee	Rajendra Prasad
Finance and Staff Committee	Rajendra Prasad
Credential Committee	Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar
House Committee	B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Order of Business Committee	K.M. Munsi
Ad hoc Committee on the National Flag	Rajendra Prasad
Committee on the Functions of the Constituent Assembly	G.V. Mavalankar
States Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas	Vallabhbhai Patel
Minorities Sub-Committee	H.C. Mookherjee
Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee	J.B. Kripalani
North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Exluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee	Gopinath Bardoloi
Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee	A.V. Thakkar
Union Powers Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
Union Constitution Committee	Jawaharlal Nehru
Drafting Committee	B.R. Ambedkar

STATEWISE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA AS ON 31 DECEMBER, 1947

PROVINCES-229

S.No	State	No. of Members
1.	Madras	49
2.	Bombay	21
3.	West Bengal	19
4.	United Provinces	55
5.	East Punjab	12
6.	Bihar	36
7.	C.P. and Berar	17
8.	Assam	8
9.	Orissa	9
10.	Delhi	1
11.	Ajmer-Merwara	1
12.	Coorg	1

INDIAN STATES-70

1.	Alwar	1
2.	Baroda	3
3.	Bhopal	1
4.	Bikaner	1
5.	Cochin	1
6.	Gwalior	4
7.	Indore	1
8.	Jaipur	3
9.	Jodhpur	2
10.	Kolhapur	1
11.	Kotah	1
12.	Mayurbhanj	1
13.	Mysore	7
14.	Patiala	2
15.	Rewa	2
16.	Travancore	6
17.	Udaipur	2
18.	Sikkim and Cooch Behar Group	1
19.	Tripura, Manipur and Khasi States Group	1
20.	U.P. States Group	1
21.	Eastern Rajputana States Group	3
22.	Central India States Group (including Bundelkhand and Malwa)	3
23.	Western India States Group	4
24.	Gujarat States Group	2
25.	Deccan and Madras States Group	2
26.	Punjab States Group I	3
27.	Eastern States Group I	4
28.	Eastern States Group II	3
29	Residuary States Group	4
	Total	299