Question

The idea of the Constitution of India was first of all given by __________.
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(C) Jawaharlal Nehru
(D) M.N. Roy

Answer 1

Hint: An official demand for a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of India was made for the first time by Indian National Congress in 1935. Finally, in 1940, this demand was accepted by the British Government in the ‘August Offer’.

Complete answer:
The idea of a Constituent Assembly for India for the first time was put forward by M.N. Roy was a pioneer of the communist movement in India in 1934. On behalf of the Indian National Congress, Jawaharlal Nehru declared that the Constitution of free India must be framed by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of the adult franchise without outside interference.
At the point when this interest was acknowledged by the 'August Offer' Sir Stafford Cripps, an individual from the bureau, came to India in 1942 with a draft proposition of the British Government on the outlining of an autonomous Constitution to be received after World War II. As the Muslim League wanted India to be divided into two autonomous states with two separate Constituent Assemblies, thus they rejected the Cripps Proposals. A Cabinet Mission was finally sent to India. It put forth a scheme for the Constituent Assembly which more or less satisfied the Muslim League while it rejected the idea of two Constituent Assemblies.
Under this scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan, in November 1946, the Constituent Assembly was constituted. The Constituent Assembly was to be a partly nominated and partly elected body. Moreover, the members of the provincial assemblies, who themselves were elected on a limited franchise, were to elect the members of the Constituent Assembly.

Thus, option (D) is correct.

Note: The elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July-August 1946. 208 seats were won by the Indian National Congress, 73 seats by the Muslim League, and 15 by the small groups and independents. However, the princely states were allotted 93 seats but these were not filled as they decided to stay away from the Constituent Assembly.