First Cabinet of Free India (1947)
1. JawaharlalNehru - Prime Minister; External Affairs & Commonwealth
Relations; Scientific Research
2. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - Home, Information & Broadcasting; States
3. Dr. Rajendra Prasad - Food & Agriculture
4. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad - Education
5. Dr. John Mathai - Railways & Transport
6. R.K. Shanmugham Chetty - Finance
7. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar - Law
8. Jagjivan Ram - Labour
9. Sardar Baldev Singh - Defence
10. Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur - Health
11. C.H. Bhabha - Commerce
12. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai - Communication
12. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai - Communication
13 . Dr. Shyam Prasad Mukherji - Industries & Supplies
14 . V.N. Gadgil - Works, Mines & Power
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. The Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam, granted ‘Diwani’ to the Company after
its victory in the Battle of Buxar (1764).
2. It was introduced in the British Parliament by the then Prime Minister,
William Pitt.
3. At that time, the Civil Services of the company were classified into
covenanted civil services (higher civil services) and uncovenanted civil
services (lower civil services). The former was created by a law of the
Company, while the later was created otherwise.
4. Subhash C. Kashyap, Our Constitution, National Book Trust, Third
Edition, 2001, P. 14.
5. The system of Budget was introduced in British India in 1860.
6. V. N. Shukla, The Constitution of India, Eastern Book Company, Tenth
Edition, 2001, P. A-10.
7. The declaration thus stated: ‘The policy of His Majesty’s Government is
that of the increasing association of Indians in every branch of the
administration, and the gradual development of self-government
institutions, with a view to the progressive realisation of responsible
government in India as an integral part of the British Empire’.
8. This was done on the recommendation of the Lee Commission on
Superior Civil Services in India (1923–24).
9. The Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British Parliament on
July 4, 1947 and received the Royal Assent on July 18, 1947. The act
came into force on August 15, 1947.
10. The boundaries between the two Dominions were determined by a
Boundary Commission headed by Radcliff. Pakistan included the
provinces of West Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, East Bengal, North-Western
Frontier Province and the district of Sylhet in Assam. The referendum in
the North-Western Frontier Province and Sylhet was in favour of Pakistan.
