The Republic of India

Bharat Samvidhan
B. N. Rau
Framer
All framers
Portrait of Sir B. N. Rau

Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly

Sir B. N. Rau

26 February 1887 – 30 November 1953 · Mangalore, Madras Presidency (now Karnataka)

As Constitutional Advisor, Rau prepared the initial draft of the Constitution in October 1947, drawing on comparative constitutional research from the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. His draft formed the working base for the Drafting Committee.

Portrait: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Contributions to the Constitution

  • Prepared the first draft of the Constitution (October 1947) that the Drafting Committee refined.
  • Travelled abroad to consult jurists including Justice Felix Frankfurter and Éamon de Valera.
  • Recommended the Directive Principles model adapted from the Irish Constitution.
  • Advised on judicial review, due process, and parliamentary procedure.

Articles shaped

Legacy

Rau's comparative, research-driven draft gave the Assembly a coherent starting text and imported enduring ideas — notably Directive Principles — that shaped India's constitutional character.