In his Objectives Resolution, dt. December 13, 1946, to the Constituent Assembly, Nehru asserted that all power and authority in India are derived from the people, not from any divine source or monarchical lineage. (It is important to recall that Jawaharlal Nehru firmly rejected the notion of divine authority to govern the lands held by the Rajas and Nawabs. He unequivocally declared that no princely state formerly ruled by Rajas and Nawabs could maintain its existence within the boundaries of the Indian Union. Furthermore, he established Democratic principles, stipulating that any entity seeking to join the Indian Union was required to establish democratic institutions, including an elected legislative assembly representing the citizens of that state or region.)
The Constituent Assembly of India met on the 13th December 1946 at 11.00 AM in the Constitution Hall, New Delhi, under the Charmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
The Chairmn Babu Dr. Rajendra Prasad entrusted the work of moving the RESOLUTION: AIMS AND OBJECTS to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.
Objectives Resolution
Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution like this: “I hope the House will pass the Resolution which is of a special nature. It is an undertaking with ourselves and with the millions of our brothers and sisters who live in this great country. If it is passed, it will be a sort of pledge that we shall have to carry out. With this expectation and in this form, I place it before you. You have copies of it in Hindustani with you. I will therefore not take more of your time to read it one way, or, I will, however, read it in English and speak further on it in that language. I beg to move: “(1) This Constituent Assembly declares its firm and solemn resolve to proclaim India as an Independent Sovereign Republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution; (2) WHEREIN the territories that now comprise British India, the territories that now form the Indian States, and such other parts of India as are outside British India and the States as well as such other territories as are willing to be constituted into the Independent Sovereign India, shall be a Union of them all;
and (3) WHEREIN the said territories, whether with their present boundaries or with such others as may be determined by the Constituent Assembly and thereafter according to the Law of the Constitution, shall possess and retain the status of autonomous Units, together with residuary powers, and exercise all powers and functions of government and administration, save and except such powers and functions as are vested in or assigned to the Union, or as are inherent or implied in the Union or resulting therefrom; and (4) WHEREIN all power and authority of the Sovereign Independent India,its constituent parts and organs of government, are derived from the people; and (5) WHEREIN shall be guaranteed and secured to all the people of India justice, social, economic and political; equality of status, of opportunity, and before the law; freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith worship, vocation, association and action, subject to law and public morality; and (6) WHEREIN adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and depressed and other backward classes; and (7) WHEREBY shall be maintained the integrity of the territory of the Republic and its sovereign rights on land, sea, and air according to Justice and the law of civilised nations, and (8) This ancient land attains its rightful and honoured place in the world and make its full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind.”
This Objectives resolution was fundamentally grounded in the Karachi resolution, which was adopted by the All-India Congress Committee during its 1931 session in Karachi and was once again drafted by J. Nehru. The Karachi resolution itself was constructed upon the recommendations that Nehru had presented to the All-India Congress Committee at the Lahore session of 1929.