<P> The assembly met in sessions open to the public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution, the 308 members of the assembly signed two copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950 . The original Constitution of India is hand - written with beautiful calligraphy, each page beautified and decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose . The illustrations on the cover and pages represent styles from the different civilisations of the subcontinent, ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro civilisation, in the Indus Valley, to the present . The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda . It was published in Dehra Dun, and photolithographed at the offices of Survey of India . The entire exercise to produce the original took nearly five years . Two days later, on 26 January 1950, the Constitution of India became the law of all the States and territories of India . Rs. 1, 00, 00,000 was official estimate of expenditure on constituent assembly . It has undergone many amendments since its enactment . </P> <P> The original 1950 Constitution of India is preserved in helium cases in the Parliament house, New Delhi . There are two original versions of this--one in Hindi and the other in English . The original constitution can be viewed here . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> British Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Parliamentary form of government </Li> <Li> The idea of single citizenship </Li> <Li> The idea of the Rule of law </Li> <Li> Institution of Speaker and his role </Li> <Li> Lawmaking procedure </Li> <Li> Procedure established by Law </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> United States Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Charter of Fundamental Rights </Li> <Li> Federal structure of government </Li> <Li> Electoral College </Li> <Li> Independence of the judiciary and separation of powers among the three branches of the government </Li> <Li> Judicial review </Li> <Li> President as supreme commander of armed forces </Li> <Li> Equal Protection under law </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Irish Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Directive principles of state policy </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> Australian Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Freedom of trade and commerce within the country and between the states </Li> <Li> Power of the national legislature to make laws for implementing treaties, even on matters outside normal Federal jurisdiction </Li> <Li> Concurrent List </Li> <Li> Terminology for the Preamble </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> French Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Canadian Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> A quasi-federal form of government--a federal system with a strong central government </Li> <Li> Distribution of powers between the central government and state governments </Li> <Li> Residual powers retained by the central government </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Constitution of the Soviet Union </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Fundamental Duties u / a 51 - A </Li> <Li> A Constitutionally mandated Planning Commission to oversee the development of the economy </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> Other Constitutions </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Emergency Provision u / a 356, Weimar Constitution (Germany) </Li> <Li> Amendment of Constitution, South Africa </Li> <Li> Due Procedure of Law, Japan </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> British Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Parliamentary form of government </Li> <Li> The idea of single citizenship </Li> <Li> The idea of the Rule of law </Li> <Li> Institution of Speaker and his role </Li> <Li> Lawmaking procedure </Li> <Li> Procedure established by Law </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> United States Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Charter of Fundamental Rights </Li> <Li> Federal structure of government </Li> <Li> Electoral College </Li> <Li> Independence of the judiciary and separation of powers among the three branches of the government </Li> <Li> Judicial review </Li> <Li> President as supreme commander of armed forces </Li> <Li> Equal Protection under law </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Irish Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Directive principles of state policy </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> Australian Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Freedom of trade and commerce within the country and between the states </Li> <Li> Power of the national legislature to make laws for implementing treaties, even on matters outside normal Federal jurisdiction </Li> <Li> Concurrent List </Li> <Li> Terminology for the Preamble </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> French Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Canadian Constitution </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> A quasi-federal form of government--a federal system with a strong central government </Li> <Li> Distribution of powers between the central government and state governments </Li> <Li> Residual powers retained by the central government </Li> </Ul> <Dl> <Dt> Constitution of the Soviet Union </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Fundamental Duties u / a 51 - A </Li> <Li> A Constitutionally mandated Planning Commission to oversee the development of the economy </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Dl> <Dt> Other Constitutions </Dt> </Dl> <Ul> <Li> Emergency Provision u / a 356, Weimar Constitution (Germany) </Li> <Li> Amendment of Constitution, South Africa </Li> <Li> Due Procedure of Law, Japan </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr>

Who declared on first page of indian constitution