This act was based on what are popularly known as the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.
In August 1917, the British government for the first time declared that its objective was to gradually introduce responsible government in India, but as an integral part of the British Empire.
The Act of 1919, clarified that there would be only a gradual development of self-governing institutions in India and that the British Parliament—and not self-determination of the people of India—would determine the time and manner of each step along the path of constitutional progress.
Must read: Indian legislature under the Act of 1919 was powerless
Main features of the act:
● Under the 1919 Act, the Indian Legislative Council at the Centre was replaced by a bicameral system consisting of a Council of State (Upper House) and a Legislative Assembly (Lower House). Each house was to have a majority of members who were directly elected. So, direct election was introduced, though the franchise was much restricted being based on qualifications of property, tax, or education.
● The principle of communal representation was extended with separate electorates for Sikhs, Christians, Europeans and Anglo-Indians, besides Muslims.
● The act introduced dyarchy in the provinces, which indeed was a substantial step towards transfer of power to the Indian people. It divided the provincial subjects into two parts– transferred and reserved. The transferred subjects were to be administered by the Governor with the aid of Ministers responsible to the legislative council. The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered by the Governor and his executive council without being responsible to the legislative council. This dual scheme of governance was known as ‘dyarchy’–a term derived from the Greek word diarche which means double rule. However, this experiment was largely unsuccessful.
● Under the system of dyarchy in the provinces some subjects, such as land revenue administration, famine relief, irrigation, administration of justice, law and order, newspapers, borrowing, forests etc., were called ‘reserved’ subjects and remained under the direct control of the Governor; others such as education, public health & sanitation, public works, agriculture, fisheries, religious endowments, local self governments, medical services etc, were called ‘transferred’ subjects and were to be controlled by ministers responsible to the legislatures. In other words, the subjects which were considered of key importance for the welfare of the masses and for maintaining peace and order in the state were classified as reserved, while subjects in which there was more local interest were treated as transferred.
● The provincial legislature was to consist of one house only (legislative council).
● It relaxed the central control over the provinces by demarcating and separating the central and provincial subjects. The central and provincial legislatures were authorised to make laws on their respective list of subjects. However, the structure of government continued to be centralised and unitary.
● The act separated for the first time the provincial and central budgets, with provincial legislatures being authorised to make their budgets.
● It required that the three of the six members of the Viceroy’s executive Council (other than the Commander-in-Chief) were to be Indian.
● A High Commissioner for India was appointed, who was to hold his office in London for six years and whose duty was to look after Indian trade in Europe. Some of the functions hitherto performed by the Secretary of State for India were transferred to the high commissioner.
● The Secretary of State for India who used to get his pay from the Indian revenue was now to be paid by the British Exchequer, thus undoing an injustice in the Charter Act of 1793.
● It provided for the establishment of a public service commission. Hence, a Central Public Service Commission was set up in 1926 for recruiting civil servants.
● It provided for the appointment of a statutory commission to inquire into and report on its working after ten years of its coming into force.
● Though Indian leaders for the first time got some administrative experience in a constitutional set-up under this act, there was no fulfilment of the demand for responsible government. Though a measure of power devolved on the provinces with demarcation of subjects between centre and provinces, the structure continued to be unitary and centralised. Dyarchy in the provincial sector failed.
For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India_Act_1919#:~:text=The%20Government%20of%20India%20Act%20of%201919%2C%20made%20a%20provision,the%20income%20tax%20was%20made.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of Provincial Government were divided into “Reserved and Transferred” subjects. Which of the following were treated as “Reserved” subjects? UPSC PRELIMS 2022
1 . Administration of Justice
2 . Local Self Government
3 . Land Revenue
4 . Police
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2 and 4
Answer: (c)
QUES . Consider the following statements: UPSC PRELIMS 2021
1 . The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all women above the age of 21.
2 . The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in the legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
QUES . The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to- UPSC PRELIMS 2016
(a) social reforms
(b) educational reforms
(c) reforms in police administration
(d) constitutional reforms
Answer: (d)
QUES . The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined UPSC PRELIMS 2015
(a) the separation of power between the judiciary and the legislature
(b) the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments
(c) the powers of the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b)
