In the Constituent Assembly of India, who served as the Chairman of the Union Powers Committee?

Introduction / Context:
The Constituent Assembly of India created several important committees to handle different aspects of constitution making. One of these was the Union Powers Committee, which examined how powers should be distributed between the Union and the provinces in the federal system. This question checks whether the learner knows who chaired that particular committee, an often asked fact in examinations on Indian constitutional history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question refers specifically to the Union Powers Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
Four prominent leaders and jurists are listed as possible chairpersons.
It is assumed that the learner recognises these names and has some awareness of their roles in constitution making.
No dates or numerical calculations are required; this is a fact based recall question.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to remember the distribution of leadership roles within the Constituent Assembly committees. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel chaired the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar headed the Drafting Committee. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru chaired the Union Powers Committee as well as the Union Constitution Committee. Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar was a respected jurist and member, but not the chair of this specific committee. Knowing these assignments allows the candidate to match each body with its chairperson accurately.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the committee in question is the Union Powers Committee, not the Drafting Committee or Advisory Committee. Step 2: Recall that Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was Chairman of the Drafting Committee, so option with his name likely relates to drafting, not union powers. Step 3: Remember that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel chaired the Advisory Committee dealing with Fundamental Rights and Minorities, which is different from the Union Powers Committee. Step 4: Note that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru chaired both the Union Powers Committee and the Union Constitution Committee, focusing on the federal structure and division of powers. Step 5: Recognise that Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar played a vital role as a legal expert but did not serve as chairman of the Union Powers Committee. Step 6: Based on this mapping, conclude that the correct answer is Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by consulting any standard history of the Constituent Assembly. Tables listing major committees usually pair the Union Powers Committee with Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru as chairperson. The same books list Ambedkar with the Drafting Committee and Patel with the Advisory Committee. When several independent sources confirm this pairing of Nehru and the Union Powers Committee, the likelihood of error becomes very low. This cross checking habit is helpful for exam preparation where many similar names appear in different roles.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Chaired the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, not the Union Powers Committee.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Headed the Drafting Committee responsible for converting decisions into legal language, rather than leading the Union Powers Committee.
Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar: An influential member and legal mind, but he did not hold the chair of this particular committee.

Common Pitfalls:
The major pitfall is confusion among different committees due to overlapping subject areas and the prominence of the leaders involved. Because the same few names appear repeatedly, learners sometimes assign them incorrectly. A practical strategy is to make a small table linking each major committee to its chair and to revise it frequently. For example, remember Ambedkar as Drafting Committee chair, Patel as Advisory Committee chair and Nehru as chair for Union Powers and Union Constitution Committees. This association prevents mistakes in questions like this.

Final Answer:
The Union Powers Committee of the Constituent Assembly of India was chaired by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.