B. N. Rau, Constitutional Adviser
Constitutional Adviser

B. N. Rau

Born 26 February 1887 · Karnataka — Died 30 November 1953

Drafted the original Constitution of India as the constitutional adviser to the Constituent Assembly.

Sir Benegal Narsing Rau was an Indian civil servant, jurist, diplomat and statesman known for his role as the constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly of India. He was also India's representative to the United Nations Security Council from 1950 to 1952.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Rau's 1947 draft constitution consisted of 240 articles and 13 schedules, forming the blueprint that the Indian Constituent Assembly refined into the final document.

The Story

1
In 1947, B. N. Rau was appointed Constitutional Adviser to the Indian Constituent Assembly and delivered a complete 240-article draft constitution within eight weeks, laying the foundational structure India adopted.
2
🏛 Between 1935 and 1937, Rau undertook the colossal task of revising the entire Indian statutory code, a legal overhaul that earned him knighthood in 1938.
3In 1950, as India's representative and then president of the United Nations Security Council, Rau played a decisive role in recommending armed assistance to South Korea during the outbreak of the Korean War.
4⚖️ Rau served as a judge of the Bengal High Court starting in 1939, before briefly becoming Prime Minister of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir during 1944–45, navigating complex regional politics amid wartime.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Despite his immense influence on the Indian Constitution, Rau was never a member of the Constituent Assembly and did not participate in its debates, serving solely as an external constitutional expert.

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Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives
B. N. Rau with the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution in 1947
B. N. Rau with the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution in 1947
1947

🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Born in Mangalore, British India
Benegal Narsing Rau was born into a Konkani Saraswat Brahmin family in Mangalore, Karnataka, marking the start of a life bridging Indian tradition and British education.
1887
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Career
Passed Indian Civil Service Exam
Rau cleared the highly competitive ICS exam and returned to British India to serve in Bengal, beginning his administrative and judicial career.
1909
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Award
Knighted for Revising Indian Statutes
After revising India’s statutory code between 1935 and 1937, Rau was knighted by the British Crown, recognizing his legal expertise.
1938
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Career
Appointed Judge, Bengal High Court
Rau became a judge at the Calcutta High Court, serving there until 1944 and contributing to important legal rulings.
1939
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Career
Became Constitutional Adviser to Constituent Assembly
Rau was officially appointed to draft India’s first constitution framework, submitting a comprehensive draft in just eight weeks.
1947
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Career
President of UN Security Council
While presiding, the Council recommended military aid to South Korea, a key Cold War moment with Rau guiding India's voice.
1950
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Career
Appointed Judge, International Court of Justice
Rau began serving at The Hague as a judge on the world’s highest court until his death in 1953.
1952
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Death
Died in Zürich, Switzerland
Sir B. N. Rau passed away while serving as a judge at the International Court of Justice, ending a career that spanned law, diplomacy, and constitutional design.
1953
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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 05
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Rau was president of the UN Security Council in June 1950 when it passed the historic resolution recommending military aid to South Korea, marking a rare moment of Indian leadership on the world stage.

02 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

He topped the entire Madras Presidency in school before earning triple firsts in English, Physics, and Sanskrit in 1905, followed by a first in Mathematics in 1906 at the University of Madras.

03 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Between 1935 and 1937, Rau revised the entire statutory code of British India, a complex legal task that few bureaucrats had attempted before him.

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🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Person who wrote THE ORIGINAL Indian Constitution! | Story of B N Rau | Barely Opinionated Shorts
More from this archive
Person who wrote THE ORIGINAL Indian Constitution! | Story of B N Rau | Barely Opinionated Shorts
01
Person who wrote THE ORIGINAL Indian Constitution! | Story of B N Rau | Barely Opinionated Shorts
B N Rau | The Man Who Drafted the Indian Constitution | संविधान का मसौदा तैयार करने वाले व्यक्ति |
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B N Rau | The Man Who Drafted the Indian Constitution | संविधान का मसौदा तैयार करने वाले व्यक्ति |

🌱 What changed because of them

B. N. Rau's preliminary draft crystallized the constitutional framework for independent India, influencing the final shape of the Republic’s governance structure. His legal revisions of the Indian statutory code and international roles expanded India’s judicial and diplomatic stature, while his work on Burma's constitution impacted neighboring post-colonial state-building. Rau's contributions underpin key Indian institutions like the Constituent Assembly and India's early UN engagements.

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