UPSC Prelims 2024 GS Paper I · Q71 of 96 Polity & Governance easy

Who was the Provisional President of the Constituent Assembly before Dr. Rajendra Prasad took over ?

  1. (a) C. Rajagopalachari
  2. (b) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
  3. (c) T.T. Krishnamachari
  4. (d) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• When the Constituent Assembly first met on 9 December 1946, Dr Sachchidananda Sinha, its oldest member, was elected temporary (provisional) President, following the French practice.

• Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President two days later, on 11 December 1946, and H.C. Mukherjee Vice-President.

• Rajagopalachari was a member and later Governor-General; Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee; T.T. Krishnamachari was a member of the Drafting Committee.

• B.N. Rau served as Constitutional Adviser.

• Hence option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) C. Rajagopalachari
Rajagopalachari was never President of the Assembly.
(b) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee, not the Assembly.
(c) T.T. Krishnamachari
T.T. Krishnamachari was a Drafting Committee member.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024, held on 16 June 2024. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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