UPSC Mains 2015 GS1 Q5 — Constitutional History
It would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years but for the experience gained with the Government of India Act, 1935. Discuss. (Answer in not more than 200 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Discuss
- Scope keywords
- Constituent Assemblyhistoric task of drafting the Constitutionjust three yearsexperience gainedGovernment of India Act, 1935
- Implicit sub-parts
- The institutional and administrative continuity provided by the 1935 Act as a ready-made template.
- Specific structural borrowings (Federalism, Emergency, Judiciary) that saved drafting time.
- The role of the 1935 Act in familiarizing Indian leadership with parliamentary processes and governance before 1946.
- A brief counter-perspective on the original contributions and departures made by the Assembly beyond the 1935 Act.
- Common pitfalls
- Listing features of the 1935 Act without linking them to the 'time-saving' or 'speed' aspect of the Assembly's work.
- Calling the Constitution a 'carbon copy' of the 1935 Act, failing to mention the radical departures like Adult Suffrage and Fundamental Rights.
- Ignoring the 'experience gained' aspect, which refers to the 1937-39 provincial governance experience, not just the text of the Act.
- Spending too much space on the history of the 1935 Act rather than its utility for the Constituent Assembly.
- Dimensions required
- Constitutional-StructuralAdministrative-BureaucraticHistorical-ExperientialPolitical-Pragmatic
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 40-50 words to explain the 1935 Act as a structural blueprint (Federal Scheme, Office of Governor). Use 80-90 words to discuss how the 'experience' of operating the Act reduced debate time on administrative details. Reserve the final 40-50 words to highlight that while the 1935 Act provided the skeleton, the Assembly added the 'soul' through Rights and Preamble, justifying the three-year timeline.
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