PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 377
substance behind them—I think all hon. Members will agree that the Law Department is the smallest Department in the Government of India.
Babu Ramnarayan Singh: Why ?
Shri T. Husain (Bihar) : There is the Department of Parliamentary Affairs.
Dr. Ambedkar: The Department of Parliamentary Affairs has nothing to do with the Law Ministry ; it is quite separate from it.
I should like to say that in the Law Ministry there are only three draftsmen. I have pressed on the Finance Ministry the necessity of increasing the number of draftsmen ; but I have failed.
Shri Kamath: A Deputy Minister ?
Dr. Ambedkar: A Deputy Minister cannot do anything in this matter, because no Minister can do drafting.
The House also will remember the amount of legislation that is being put forth before it ever since the Constitution came into existence. I believe, I am speaking from memory, that in each session there are something like 30 or 40 Bills which are presented. Some of them are (carried) through and some of them are left over. Out of those that are left over, some are converted into Ordinances and the House again sits to convert the Ordinances into laws. Now, it might well be imagined whether it is possible for three draftsmen to draft
40 or 50 Bills for each session, and yet have spare time for doing something else. That is a point which I think the House should consider in judging the work.
Shri P. Y. Deshpande (Madhya Pradesh) : Who is responsible for there being only three ?
Shrimati Durgabai: May I ask a question ? Is it only a question of drafting or changing the substance of the laws ?
Dr. Ambedkar: I am coming to that; please do not be in a hurry.
Therefore, the normal work of the Law Ministry is so heavy and it is very difficult to cope with it. The adaptation work