The Constitution of India is the world’s largest and most comprehensive democratic document. It would be an injustice to history to attribute it to a single individual. The journey of Constitution-making, which began in 1919 and stretched until 1949, involved numerous minds, perspectives, and ideological differences. The roles of Benegal Narsing Rau, who drafted the Constitution as Constitutional Advisor, and Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who presented it to the Constituent Assembly as Chairman of the Drafting Committee, are two pillars of Indian democracy. This article presents an objective assessment of their contributions.
One of the most significant events in India’s history was November 26, 1949, when the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India. This document is not merely a legal framework, but a living philosophy—a symbol of liberty, equality, and justice. But over time, questions have arisen as to who was the true architect of this Constitution? Was it solely the work of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, or did a silent but decisive figure like B.N. Rao play a greater role in it?
The story of Constitution-making doesn’t begin with 1947. Its roots go much deeper—from the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 to the Government of India Act of 1935. These reforms first gave birth to the concept of the federal government in India. It was during this period that a name emerged—Sir Benegal Narsing Rao, later known as B.N. Rao. Serving in high judicial and constitutional positions in the British administration, he developed a profound understanding of the Indian administrative structure.
By the time the Second Round Table Conference was held in the 1930s, the direction of self-government in India had become clear. After 1932, B.N. Rau was formally involved in the preliminary preparations for the Constitution. The Constitution Drafting Office was established under his leadership in Delhi. In 1944, he was appointed “Constitutional Adviser” and in 1946, “Principal Constitutional Adviser.” His task was to compile all the constitutional drafts, British laws, reports of provincial legislatures, and suggestions from Indian leaders and prepare a basic draft.
By the time the Constituent Assembly was formally announced on July 14, 1946, Rao had already collected numerous drafts and legal suggestions for the Constitution in his office. Consequently, he prepared the “First Draft” of the Constitution and submitted it to the Constituent Assembly on October 30, 1947. This draft later became the basis of the Indian Constitution.
Meanwhile, political events were rapidly changing. In 1946, elections were held for the Constituent Assembly. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, by then known as a renowned jurist and champion of Dalit rights, lost the election from Maharashtra. However, at the urging of Lord Wavell and later Mountbatten, Nehru and the Congress leadership recognized the need for a scholar like Ambedkar to be in the Constituent Assembly. Consequently, the Muslim League of Bengal allocated him a seat from its quota, enabling him to enter the Constituent Assembly in July 1947.
On August 29, 1947, the Constituent Assembly formed a “Drafting Committee,” with Ambedkar as its chairman. This committee’s task was to review and finalize the draft prepared by B.N. Rao. Rao remained associated with the committee as an official advisor. This is where Ambedkar’s role becomes crucial.
Dr. Ambedkar’s greatest contribution was that he did not allow Rao’s draft to remain a mere legal document—he imbued it with the spirit of social justice and human rights. The fundamental rights of the Constitution, from Articles 12 to 35, are a result of that vision. Provisions such as equality, liberty, the right against exploitation, religious freedom, and constitutional remedies are rooted in Ambedkar’s social vision.
Although many fundamental ideas and institutional structures, such as the Supreme Court, High Courts, the federal structure, and the Directive Principles of State Policy, had already been discussed in the Constituent Assembly, Ambedkar adapted them to the practical and Indian social structure. This is why the Constitution is called a “living document.”
The roles of B.N. Rao and Ambedkar were complementary. Rao’s approach was legal and structural, while Ambedkar’s was social and reformist. Rao laid the foundation for the Constitution, while Ambedkar gave it its soul. This balance is what makes the Indian Constitution unique.
It is also true that the Objectives Resolution of the Constitution (later known as the Preamble) had already been passed by the Constituent Assembly in January 1947. It already contained the spirit of declaring India a “sovereign, democratic republic.” Similarly, discussions on fundamental rights had begun in June 1947. But the credit for giving practical shape to these principles goes to the Drafting Committee, headed by Ambedkar.
When the Constitution came into effect after independence, the world saw how a diverse, multilingual, and multi-religious nation could remain united within a constitutional framework. This achievement wasn’t the work of a single individual—it was the work of all 299 members who deliberated in the Constituent Assembly for 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days. But it’s also true that without B.N. Rao, that basic structure would not have existed, and without Ambedkar, that structure would have been soulless.
It often happens in history that political symbols overshadow intellectual contributions. Ambedkar was a people’s leader, so naturally his name became more famous. Rao’s contribution was silent, but deeply decisive. It’s like an architect planning a building and someone else bringing it to life and decorating it. If either one is removed, the work remains incomplete.
The time has come for Indian society to view the story of the creation of its Constitution not merely through the lens of personality cult, but as an institutional and intellectual process. The Constitution is not the product of any one individual, but of India’s collective consciousness—the consciousness that, after slavery, dreamed of democracy and transformed it into reality.
If we are citizens of independent India today, enjoying the rights of equality and freedom, we must pay tribute to all those who made this journey possible. B.N. Rao’s profound legal knowledge, Dr. Ambedkar’s social vision, Jawaharlal Nehru’s political foresight, Sardar Patel’s organizational ability—these are the roots of the mighty tree we call the Indian Constitution.
Therefore, the debate about “who is the real architect” is a narrow perspective. The correct question should be, “Who contributed what to our constitutional process?” History does justice when it looks at the whole truth, not just famous figures. Both B.N. Rao and Dr. Ambedkar are indispensable chapters in that history—one drafted the Constitution, the other gave it soul.
