ReadThe Constitution of India
Back
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
464 Articles organised into 25 Parts and 12 Schedules make up the current Constitution.

PARTS
Collection of Articles on specific themes e.g. Fundamental Rights under Part III.

SCHEDULES
Contains additional information that has not been included in any Articles.

Original Manuscript

Regional Translations

Browse digitised, edited and paragraph-numbered versions of critical primary materials related to the Indian Constitution and its origins.
HISTORICAL CONSTITUTIONS
Pre-1946 documents drafted either as British-authored legislation to govern India, or aspirational political documents written by Indians, that greatly influenced the Constitution of India 1950.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Documents prepared by smaller groups of Constituent Assembly members which conducted preliminary research and advanced recommendations on specific constitutional topics.

Browse digitised, edited and paragraph-numbered versions of critical primary materials related to the Indian Constitution and its origins.

PETITIONS
Feedback and suggestions from groups, organizations, and individuals to the Constituent Assembly on India’s new Constitution.

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES
Transcripts of 167 days of plenary debates that took place in the Constituent Assembly from 9 December 1946 to 24 January 1950.
ExploreConstitution-Making
Back
Explore the individuals, institutions, and processes involved in drafting the Constitution of India 1950, including biographies of constitution framers, the work of institutions involved, and the various stages of the Constitution-making process. Trace the connections between these aspects of constitution-making and explore further using our curated list of primary materials and additional reading resources.

THE CONSTITUTION FRAMERS
Learn about the early lives of the Constituent Assembly members, the role they played in India’s freedom movement and their contributions to constitution-making.

STAGES OF CONSTITUTION-MAKING
A stage-by-stage overview of how the Indian Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution of India, along with links to primary and secondary resources to help you delve deeper. Be sure to check out our popular video on constitution-making!
INSTITUTIONS
The Constitution of India 1950 was drafted by the collective work of the following institutions:

COMMITTEES
Smaller groups of members appointed by the Constituent Assembly to conduct preliminary research and deliberate on specific aspects of the Constitution.

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
A 389-member body responsible for drafting India’s Constitution who came from diverse social, economic and political backgrounds.

CONGRESS ASSEMBLY PARTY
An unofficial forum consisting of Assembly members belonging to the Indian National Congress that met on the side-lines of the Assembly.
LearnDigital Classroom
EngageWritings & Media
Back

Engage

Discover a wide range of writings and original multimedia content, in the form of blogs, podcasts and videos, that offer valuable insights into the history of India's Constitution, highlighting its relevance to current events both in India and worldwide. We rely on our extensive database of primary materials to produce this content.

Museum
Explore India’s rich constitutional and political history through a diverse collection of archival images, audio and video.

1946 Assembly Debates
Audio

Blog
Articles that engage with important political, social and legal developments in India and the world through constitutional and political history.

Podcasts
Our writings and research brought to life through voice. Also features interviews with scholars and educators.

Videos
Workshops, talks, and educational videos exclusively produced by us on India’s constitutional origins.

Back

Part III

Article 17

Abolition of Untouchability

“Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

Version 1

Article 11, Draft Constitution of India 1948

“Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

Version 2

Article 17, Constitution of India 1950

“Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

Summary

Draft Article 11 (Article 17) was debated on the 29 November 1948. It abolished the practice of untouchability.

One member proposed an amendment to clarify the definition of the term ‘untouchable’ to make it explicitly applicable to caste- and religious-based untouchability. He argued that if the term was undefined, the provision was likely to be misinterpreted. Another member agreed with this, contending that the Draft Article as it stood could be construed as prohibiting the government from regulating the quarantine of individuals with communicable diseases. The amendment was rejected by the Assembly.

The Draft Article was adopted on 29th November 1948.