The 1857 revolt had exposed the Company’s limitations in administering under a complex situation. Till then, there had not been much accountability. The 1858 Act sought to rectify this anomaly.
The act known as the Act for the Good Government of India, abolished the East India Company, and transferred the powers of Government, territories and revenues to the British Crown.
Must read: Regulating Act of 1773 – the foundation of central administration in India
Features of Government of India Act of 1858
■ It provided that India, henceforth, was to be governed by, and in the name of, Her Majesty.
■ It changed the designation of the Governor-General of India to that of Viceroy (his prestige,
if not authority, increased) of India.
■ Viceroy was the direct representative of the British Crown in India.
■ Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India.
■ It ended the system of double Government by abolishing the Board of Control and Court of Directors.
■ It created a new office, Secretary of State for India, vested with complete authority and control over Indian administration. The secretary of state was a member of the British Cabinet and was responsible ultimately to the British Parliament.
Must read: Pitt’s India Act of 1784
■ It established a 15-member council of India to assist the Secretary of State for India. The council was an advisory body. The secretary of state was made the Chairman of the council.
■ It constituted the Secretary of State-in Council as a body corporate, capable of suing and being sued in India and in England.
Must read: Charter Act of 1833 – the final step towards centralisation
■ The Act of 1858 was, however, largely confined to the improvement of the administrative machinery by which the Indian Government was to be supervised and controlled in England. It did not alter in any substantial way the system of Government that prevailed in India.
■ The assumption of power by the Crown was one of formality rather than substance. It gave a decent burial to an already dead horse—the Company’s administration.
External link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India_Act_1858
