Correct Option
The correct option is (c) 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
The Constituent Assembly of India was constituted in November 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan. It was a body tasked with drafting the Constitution for independent India.
Statement 1 is Incorrect:
The Constituent Assembly did not consist of approximately 50 members. The total strength of the Assembly was originally fixed at 389. However, after the partition of India and the enactment of the Indian Independence Act of 1947, the strength was reduced to 299 members.
Statement 2 is Correct:
The Constituent Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946, and the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949. The entire process took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days. Therefore, the statement that members met periodically for a duration of three years is factually accurate.
Statement 3 is Correct:
The Constituent Assembly was a partly elected and partly nominated body. The members were elected indirectly by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies using the method of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. Representatives of princely states were nominated by the heads of those states.
Key Takeaway:
The Constituent Assembly was formed under the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946), comprised roughly 300 members (post-partition), and its members were indirectly elected by Provincial Assemblies, not directly by the people.