DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL JODHPUR
SESSION – 2025 – 26
BABA SAHEB BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (born April 14, 1891, Mhow, India—died December 6, 1956, New Delhi)
was an Indian political leader who played a pivotal role in drafting the Constitution of India. As a
social reformer, he championed the rights of the Dalits (Scheduled Castes; formerly
called untouchables) and was instrumental in the constitutional abolition of the discriminatory
practice of “untouchability.” For his role in drafting India’s supreme legal document, Ambedkar is
popularly referred to as the “Father of the Indian Constitution.” He served as the First Law Minister
of the Government of India (1947–51). In his later life he embraced Buddhism.
Early life
Born of a Dalit Mahar family of western India, Ambedkar was the son of an army officer. As a boy, he
was humiliated by his high-caste schoolfellows. The discrimination and humiliation haunted
Ambedkar even at the Army school, run by British government. Discrimination followed wherever
he went. In 1908, Ambedkar went to study at the Elphinstone College, Mumbai. Dr. Ambedkar
obtained a scholarship of twenty-five rupees a month from the Gayakwad ruler of Baroda, Sayaji Rao
III. Awarded a scholarship by the Gaekwar (ruler) of Baroda (now Vadodara), he studied at
universities in the United States, Great Britain, and Germany. During this period, he qualified as a
lawyer. He entered the Baroda Public Service at the Gaekwar’s request, but again ill-treated by his
high-caste colleagues, he turned to legal practice and to teaching.
THE LEADER OF THE SILENT
In the year 1907, young Bhimrao passed the Matriculation examination from Bombay University with
flying colours. Later in 1913 he graduated in Political Science and Economics from Bombay University.
Around the same time his father passed away. Although he was going through a bad time, Bhimrao
decided to accept the opportunity to go to USA for further studies at Columbia University for which
he was awarded a scholarship by the Maharaja of Baroda. Bhimrao remained abroad from 1913 to
1917 and again from 1920 to 1923. During this period, he had established himself as an eminent
intellectual. Columbia University had awarded him the Ph.D. for his thesis, which was later published
in a book form under the title "The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India". However, his first
published article was "Castes in India - Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development". During his stay
in London from 1920 to 1923, he also completed his thesis titled "The Problem of the Rupee" for
which he was awarded the degree of [Link].
He set up the 'Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association), in 1923 for spreading
education and culture amongst the downtrodden, improving their economic status and raising
matters concerning their problems in the proper forums to focus attention, so that solutions could
be found for the same. The problems of the downtrodden were centuries old and difficult to
overcome. Their entry into temples was forbidden, they could not draw water from public wells and
ponds, their admission in schools was prohibited. In 1927, he led the Mahad March at the Chowdar
Tank. This marked the beginning of the anti-caste and ant-priest movement. The Temple entry
movement' launched by Dr. Ambedkar in 1930 at Kalaram temple, Nasik is another landmark in the
struggle for human rights and social justice. When India became independent, in 1947 he became
the first Law Minister of Independent India. The Constituent Assembly entrusted the job of drafting
the Constitution to a committee and Dr. Ambedkar was elected as Chairman of the Drafting
Committee.
While he was busy with drafting the Constitution, India faced several crises, in the beginning of 1948,
Dr. Ambedkar completed the draft of the Constitution and presented it in the Constituent Assembly.
In November 1949, this draft was adopted with very few amendments. Many provisions have been
made in the Constitution to ensure Social Justice for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and
Backward Classes. Dr. Ambedkar was of the opinion that traditional religious values should be given
up and new ideas adopted. He laid special emphasis on dignity, unity, freedom and rights for all
citizens as evidently reflected in the Constitution. Dr. Ambedkar advocated democracy in every field:
Social, Economic and Political. For him Social Justice meant maximum happiness for maximum
number of people. However, Dr. Ambedkar had differences of opinion with the Government over the
Hindu Code Bill, which led to his resignation as Law Minister.
On October 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. The same year he
completed his last writing 'Buddha and His Dharma'. Dr. Ambedkar's patriotism started with the
upliftment of the downtrodden and the poor. He fought for their equality and rights. His ideas about
patriotism were not only confined to the abolition of colonialism, but he also wanted freedom for
every individual. For him freedom without equality, democracy and equality without freedom could
lead to absolute dictatorship. On 6th December, 1956, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar attained
'Mahaparinirvan' at 26, Alipur Road, Delhi.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is known as the architect of Constitution of India. His hard work in the drafting of
the constitution and making it a powerful tool for social and economic empowerment of the
downtrodden are praiseworthy. He ensured that there are appropriate checks and balances in the
democratic system of the Govt. and ensured that the three wings Executive, Legislature and Judiciary
function independently with accountability to one another. In the course of his most eventful life, Dr.
Ambedkar made outstanding contribution as an Economist, a Sociologist, an Anthropologist, an
Educationist, a journalist, an authority on comparative religion, as a policy-maker, an administrator,
and as a parliamentarian, above all he was a renowned Jurist.
Post-independence life and career
“I Will Not Die as a Hindu”
Ambedkar was fiercely critical of Hinduism and Brahminical supremacy in the caste hierarchy. In
1935, while addressing a rally in Yeola, Maharashtra, he declared: “I was born in Hinduism but I will
not die as a Hindu.” Two decades later, in October 1956, he converted to Buddhism. He died in
December that same year.
In 1947 Ambedkar became the Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s
First Prime Minister. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly, a body that was formed to create
the country’s Constitution, and Chaired its Drafting Committee. He took a leading part in the framing
of the Constitution, outlawing discrimination against untouchables, and skillfully helped to steer it
through the assembly. The Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950, which is today
celebrated as Republic Day, a national holiday in India. Ambedkar’s ideas on economic
policy significantly influenced the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India.
Ambedkar was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1990. His birthday, April
14, is celebrated as a holiday in several Indian states. His death anniversary on December 6 is marked
across the country as Mahaparinirvan Diwas (“mahaparinirvana” referring to the
Buddhist concept of nirvana; “diwas” meaning day).
STAGES OF CONSTITUTION-MAKING
1. First Session of the Constituent Assembly
On 13 December 1946, the Constituent Assembly formally commenced its task of framing
the Constitution of India. Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution, which aimed to
declare India as an Independent Sovereign Republic and create a Constitution to govern its future.
The Resolution established general principles to guide the work of the Constituent Assembly.
On January 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Resolution.
2. Committee Stages and Second Session of Constituent Assembly Debates
After the first session of the Constituent Assembly, several committees were established to examine
and report on various aspects of the Constitution. These included the Advisory Committee on
Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas (comprising the Sub-Committee on
Fundamental Rights and the Sub-Committee on Minority Rights), Union Powers Committee, Union
Constitution Committee, and Provincial Constitution Committee. These committees submitted
their reports to the Constituent Assembly between April and August 1947. Meanwhile, as the
committees submitted their reports, the Constituent Assembly discussed the general principles
outlined in the recommendations. These deliberations concluded on 30 August 1947.
3. Draft Constitution by the Constitutional Adviser
Based on the reports of various committees and discussions in the Constituent Assembly mentioned
in the previous stages, B.N. Rau, the Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly, prepared a
Draft Constitution. The Draft Constitution was completed by October 1947 and submitted to the
Drafting Committee.
4. First Draft Constitution
On 27 October 1947, the Drafting Committee began scrutinising the Draft Constitution prepared by
the Constitutional Advisor, along with other notes, reports, and memoranda. After making changes,
the committee submitted its final Draft Constitution to the President of the Constituent Assembly on
21 February 1948.
5. Public Circulation of Draft Constitution of India
After the Draft Constitution was submitted to the President of the Constituent Assembly, it was
published and circulated among the public. Many comments, critiques, and suggestions were
received, which were then scrutinized by a Special Committee comprising members of the Union
Constitution Committee, Provincial Constitution Committee, Union Powers Committee, and the
Drafting Committee itself. The Drafting Committee took these inputs into account and held
discussions on 23, 24, 27 March and 18 October 1948. On 26 October 1948, the Committee reprinted
and resubmitted the version of the Draft Constitution that had been submitted on February 21st,
1948, along with a set of amendments appended to clauses it intended to amend.
6. Draft Constitution Presented to the Constituent Assembly
The Draft Constitution was presented to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1948, by B.R.
Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. This version of the Draft Constitution was
submitted to the President of the Constituent Assembly in February 1948, along with a list of
suggested amendments that emerged from the scrutiny of comments received from stakeholders
and the general public. The Draft Constitution was now opened up for discussion in the Assembly.
7. First Reading of the Draft Constitution
In the First Reading of the Draft Constitution, the Constituent Assembly engaged in a clause-by-
clause discussion of every Article in the Draft Constitution. Most significant and extensive debates of
the Constituent Assembly occurred during this period, which lasted until 17 October 1949. During
this stage, Assembly members frequently proposed amendments to the Draft Constitution, seeking
to modify or eliminate specific articles or clauses. But the majority of amendments were ultimately
rejected.
8. Revision and Second Reading of the Draft Constitution
After the debates surrounding the Draft Constitution concluded, the Drafting Committee proceeded
to revise it in accordance with decisions made in the Constituent Assembly. This involved tasks such
as renumbering articles, making minor changes to the language, and adding or removing clauses.
The revised Draft Constitution was then submitted to the President of the Constituent Assembly on
3 November 1949. It was subsequently introduced in the Assembly on 14 November 1949.
9. Third Reading of Drafting Constitution
During the third reading of the Draft Constitution there were only a few significant debates, and most
of the speeches consisted of general comments on the Constitution as a whole. While some
members expressed satisfaction with the final version of the Constitution, others raised concerns.
10. Enactment and Adoption of the Constitution of India
On 26 November 1949, the third reading of the Constitution came to an end with the Constituent
Assembly voting in favour of the motion proposed by Ambedkar in the previous stage. The final
version of the Constitution was signed by members of the Assembly on 24 January 1950, and it came
into effect on 26 January 1950.