Born on 26th February 1887, Sir B.N. Rau had a brilliant academic career at Madras and Cambridge. Entering the Indian Civil Service in 1909, he  spent  14 years  in  undivided  Bengal and later as Legal Remembrance and Secretary to the Legislative Assembly in Assam. In 1935 the Government of India appointed  him to work out the details precedent to the introduction of Federation at the Centre under the Act of 1935. This entailed the monumental effort of revising all central and provincial statutes to  fit  into  the  new  constitution.

Marked out for his exceptional gifts and judicial balance, he was selected to settle disputes in the working conditions in the G.J.P. Railway and later distribution of the Indus waters in the dispute among some of the Northern States. B.N. Rau's "Indus Award" became a classic in riparian rights and "equitable apportionment of waters" among disputants. In 1941 Sir B.N. Rau was appointed Chairman of the Hindu Law Committee  and later briefly served as Prime Minister to the Maharaja of Kashmir.

Because of his immense scholarship in constitutional matters, Government requested his assistance in framing a new Constitution for India after the war. He accepted this, turning down a permanent Judgeship of the Calcutta High Court. He was appointed Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly in 1946 and helped draft India's permanent Constitution. The President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, writing of him as the Constitutional Advisor, said "Sir B.N. Rau was the person who visualised the plan and laid its foundations. His services to the Constituent Assembly were appreciated  even  outside  India."

He travelled widely in USA, Canada, Eire and UK, discussing with leading constitutional authorities about matters pertaining to the Constitution. He also assisted Prime Minister Aung San in framing Burma 's Constitution.

In 1948 Sir B.N. Rau was elected Member of the International Law Commission and in  1952 to the International Court of Justice. His role at the United  Nations  and  the  respect  he enjoyed as India 's Representative can  best  be  described in the words of Justice  Frankfurter:  "You  are one of the few people who had a  deep, instinctive sense of justice. I  begrudged  the years you gave, I am sure conscientiously, to diplomacy and rejoiced when you took your rightful   place  in  the  Court."

He died in 1953 when the Lok Sabha, with Jawaharlal Nehru, then its leader, paid homage to B.N. Rau, a rare tribute to a non-member, who had been closely associated with the Constitution of the country. He is remembered as legal counsellor, law reformer and above all constitutional architect.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India