After its independence in August 1947, India faced huge challenges. Some of the major challenges are as follows: After partition, 8 million refugees had come from Pakistan. Rehabilitation of these refugees was a big challenge. There were about 500 hundred princely states; which needed to be assimilated into the country. The huge population of India was divided along caste and communal lines. The country had always been a diverse one with numerous cultures. The economy was totally dependent on agriculture; which was dependent on the monsoon. A large number of factory workers were poor and were living in slums. The nation was in abject poverty. The Constituent Assembly was formed by elected representatives. It held its deliberations between December 1946 and November 1949 to draw a constitution for the new nation. The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950. Voting Rights: Universal adult franchise was adopted by the Constitution and it was one of the remarkable features of the Constitution. In other countries, it had taken years of struggle to ensure universal adult franchise. Thus, the Constitution makers gave political equality to all citizens of India. Equality: Another feature of the Constitution was the guarantee of equality before the law; regardless of caste or religious affiliations. While some leaders proposed to build the nation on Hindu ideals, Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build a secular state. Reservations for Underprivileged: Special privileges were given for the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians. The dalits and the tribals had faced oppression since ages. They were given reservation in government jobs and educational institutions so that they could improve their socioeconomic status. Reservation for these classes was also given in the Parliament and state legislatures.
After its independence in August 1947, India faced huge challenges. Some of the major challenges are as follows: After partition, 8 million refugees had come from Pakistan. Rehabilitation of these refugees was a big challenge. There were about 500 hundred princely states; which needed to be assimilated into the country. The huge population of India was divided along caste and communal lines. The country had always been a diverse one with numerous cultures. The economy was totally dependent on agriculture; which was dependent on the monsoon. A large number of factory workers were poor and were living in slums. The nation was in abject poverty. The Constituent Assembly was formed by elected representatives. It held its deliberations between December 1946 and November 1949 to draw a constitution for the new nation. The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 January 1950. Voting Rights: Universal adult franchise was adopted by the Constitution and it was one of the remarkable features of the Constitution. In other countries, it had taken years of struggle to ensure universal adult franchise. Thus, the Constitution makers gave political equality to all citizens of India. Equality: Another feature of the Constitution was the guarantee of equality before the law; regardless of caste or religious affiliations. While some leaders proposed to build the nation on Hindu ideals, Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build a secular state. Reservations for Underprivileged: Special privileges were given for the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians. The dalits and the tribals had faced oppression since ages. They were given reservation in government jobs and educational institutions so that they could improve their socioeconomic status. Reservation for these classes was also given in the Parliament and state legislatures.
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