76 years ago, 264 Constituent Assembly members signed Indian Constitution: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader and general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday recalled that 76 years ago, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally signed the Constitution of India, describing it as a charter for profound socio-economic transformation.

In a post on X, Ramesh noted that the members affixed their signatures to the Constitution on January 24, 1950, after it had been adopted on November 26, 1949. He added that the occasion was marked by a group photograph of the members, calling it “one for the ages.”

“Seventy-six years ago today, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally affixed their signatures to the Constitution of India. They signed three copies - two of which were handwritten in English and Hindi and carried 22 illustrations by artists from Shantiniketan, led by Nandalal Bose,” Ramesh said.

He pointed out that the English calligraphy was done by Prem Behari Narayan Raizada, while the Hindi version was penned by Vasant K Vaidya. The first page of the handwritten Constitution featured the national emblem designed by Dinanath Bhargava.

“Bhargava spent months visiting the Kolkata Zoo at Nandalal Bose’s insistence to ensure that the lions in the emblem looked exactly like real lions,” Ramesh said.

Highlighting the artistic value of the document, Ramesh noted that the Lalit Kala Akademi, established in August 1954, has described the illustrated Constitution as “a seminal art treatise” that reflects India’s layered history and celebrates unity in diversity.

“That very day, the members sat together for a group photograph. It is one for the ages,” he added.