Granville Austin, in his seminal work "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation," highlights the working methods and spirit of the Constituent Assembly. He particularly emphasizes the Assembly's ability to function by consensus and accommodation among its diverse members, representing various viewpoints and interests. This process of deliberation, negotiation, and compromise to build broad agreement, despite deep divisions, is what Austin considers a significant contribution to constitution-making. While aspects of federalism (perhaps asymmetrical), social revolution, political freedom, majority rule, and minority rights are indeed addressed by the Indian Constitution, Austin focuses on the process by which these were debated and adopted, emphasizing the spirit of consensus and accommodation as key to the Assembly's success and a notable aspect of India's approach to drafting its fundamental law.
According to Granville Austin, which of the following was / were the most significant contributions of India to constitution-making?
Asked in UPSC CAPF 2015 · Topic: Constituent Assembly and Making of the Constitution (Key Debates and Decisions during constitution making)
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Answer: B. Consensus and Accommodation
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