Government of India Act of 1919

Government of India Act of 1919 also known as Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms/Montford

Historical Background:

• Aggressive policy of Indian Leaders like Lokamanya Tilak’s Swaraj Movement
• Immense pressure from Indian masses for the Indian autonomy.
• Lucknow Pact: Agreement between INC and Muslim League in December 1916
• Demand by INC and ML to increase the number of elected seats on the councils.
• Demand of Separation of the executive from the judiciary
• On August 20, 1917, the British Government declared, for the first time, that its objective was the gradual introduction of responsible government in India.
• The sole purpose of this Act was to ensure Indians of their representation in the Government.

Provisions of Government of India Act of 1919

• Demarcating and separating the central and provincial subjects, it relaxed the central control over the provinces
• ‘Division of Subjects’: Further divided the provincial subjects into two parts—transferred and reserved subjects 

• “Diarchy“: The Act introduced diarchy (rule of two individuals/parties) for the executive at the level of the provincial government.
• The diarchy was implemented in eight provinces:
  • Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Central Provinces, United Provinces, Bombay, Madras and Punjab.

• Bicameral Legislature: For the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the country
• CLC  divided into two—-    Upper House (Council of State) and Lower House (Legislative Assembly 145)
• The majority of members of both the Houses were chosen by direct election
• It granted franchise to a limited number of people on the basis of property, tax or education(17364)

• Women were also given the right of vote  (not entitled to become its members)
• Three members of the Viceroy’s executive Council (other than the commander-in-chief) were to be Indian.

• Providing separate electorates for Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans
• Created a new office of the High Commissioner for India in London

• The establishment of a public service commission
• Central Public Service Commission was set up in 1926 for recruiting civil servants

• The  formation of Public Account Committee (1921)

• The appointment of a statutory commission to inquire into and report on its working after ten years of its coming into force

Simon Commission

• November 8, 1927; Indian Statutory Commission
• To review the  working of the Act of 1919
• Head: Sir John Simon
• Seven Members
• All the parties boycotted the commission

Recommendation:

• Submitted its report in 1930
• Recommended the abolition of dyarchy
• Extension of responsible government in the provinces
• Establishment of a federation of British India and princely states
• Continuation of communal electorate and so on

Further Events:

• Three round table conferences
• ‘White Paper on Constitutional Reforms’
• Joint Select Committee of the British Parliament
• Government of India Act of 1935
• Communal Award: In August 1932, Ramsay MacDonald extended it to the depressed classes (scheduled castes)
• Poona Pact

Source: M. Laxmikant