The Indian Constitution is remarkably one of the most comprehensive and the longest written national constitutions in the world. It was drafted by the elected members of the provincial assemblies.

There were a total of 389-members (reduced to 299 after the partition) including 70 from princely States in the Constituent Assembly headed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Of these, 15 were women, including Odisha’s veteran freedom fighter Malati Choudhury. It took almost three years for them to draft the constitution, holding eleven sessions over a 165- day period.

Nick named as ‘Tophani’ by Mahatma Gandhi, Malati Devi was a fervent freedom fighter, human rights activist and social reformer. She was deeply influenced by both Tagore’s and Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings, patriotism and idealism.

She played a most magnificent and heroic role in all stages of freedom struggle including Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience....