Draft Constitution
ARTICLE 67-A
*Mr. President: ...We shall now proceed to the consideration of the Draft Constitution. The House dealt with articles up to 67. We shall now proceed further. The Steering Committee was of the opinion that we might adopt the articles dealing with election matters first. That is, I think, the wish of this House also. But I understand that it will not be possible to proceed with those articles today and we can take them up from tomorrow. Today we begin with article 68 and such articles only dealing with election matters as fall within today’s discussion, and those that come later will be taken up tomorrow.
There is one article of which notice has been given by way of amendment, i.e., 67-A. It will be taken up first.
NEW ARTICLE 67-A
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Bombay : General) : Mr. President, Sir, I move :
“ That after article 67, the following new article be inserted :—
67-A. (1) The President may nominate persons not exceeding three in number to assist and advise the Houses of Parliament in connection with any particular Bill introduced or to be introduced in either House of Parliament.
(2) Every person so nominated in connection with any particular Bill shall, in relation to the said Bill, have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of either House and any joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament and any Committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not, by virtue of such nomination, be entitled to vote nor shall he be entitled to speak in or otherwise to take part in the proceedings of either House or any joint sitting of the Houses or any Committee of Parliament in relation to any other matter.’ ”
Sir, the necessity for this article being inserted in the Constitution is this : The House will remember that the composition of the Upper Chamber was originally set out in paragraph 14 of the report of the Union Constitution Committee. In that paragraph it was stated that the Drafting Committee should adopt as its model the Irish system nominating fifteen members of the Upper Chamber out of a panel
- CAD, Official Report, Vol. VIII, 18th May 1949. pp. 82-83.