This volume, the first part of the fourteenth volume of the Selected Works, covers the period from 15 November 1949, when Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India from his American visit, to 8 April 1950, when the Indo-Pakistan Agreement was signed

During the twelve weeks from 16 August to 14 November 1949 covered in this volume, Jawaharlal Nehru, while aware of the dark patches on both the Indian and the world scenes, was confident that it was the bright spots of light which counted

The eight weeks from 21 June to 15 August 1949 covered in this volume saw the Prime Minister preparing India to function as a Republic with the new Constitution soon coming into force

During the period from 1 May to 20 June 1949 covered by this volume Jawaharlal Nehru was preoccupied with the tasks of nation-building

During the ten weeks from 16 February to 30 April 1949, which have been covered in this volume, the Prime Minister was fully absorbed, after the settlement of the disorders immediately after independence, in the work of national reconstruction along with the heavy responsibility of the External Affairs Department

This volume covers a crucial period of eight weeks from 20 December 1948 to 15 February 1949, during which nation-building was Nehru's major concern

This volume covers nearly eleven weeks, from 6 October 1948 when Jawaharlal Nehru left India for London to attend the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, to 19 December when the annual session of the Indian National Congress at Jaipur concluded

During the twelve weeks from 1 July to 5 October 1948, covered by this volume, India celebrated the first anniversary of the achievement of independence and the first Gandhi Jayanti after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

The twelve weeks between 7 April and 30 June 1948, covered in this volume, were marked by a change in the office of the Governor-General, the continuing quest for communal harmony and the attempt to nourish a feeling of responsibility for constructive nationhood

In this weeks from 1 January to 6 April 1948, covered by this volume, communal tension reached un-precedented levels and resulted in the high tragedy of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi