1919 act

Indian Council Act of 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms was majorly aimed at
appeasing the moderates of the country. It introduced numerous improvements in the
legislative councils and increased the role of Indians in the governance of their country,
along with the Britishers.

Background
The Indian Council Act of 1892 failed to fulfill the necessary intentions of the Indian National
Congress. Queen Victoria too didn’t stand up to the expectations of the people of India, as her
promise of providing an equal chance to the Indians didn’t go well. Indeed, Indians got an
opportunity but it was only of a limited extent in nature.

It was also noted by the Indian National Congress that various difficulties were faced by the
Indians to enter various governmental posts. So, in the context of this, the Indian National
Congress asked and urged an increase in the number of Indians in the legislative council and
should have a role on how things should work in their country.

Side by Side, the expansion of the extremists presented dangers for the moderates. So, reforms
were required to placate the moderates. After all, that was going on in the country, Gopal
Krishna Gokhale, on the behalf of INC, visited Lord Morley and made a plea for the prelude of
self-government in the country. Muslims too visited the then Viceroy of India, Lord Minto, to
discuss separate electorates for the Muslims of India. So, Morley and Minto decided to bring in
some reforms in the country with the help of Morley-Minto Reforms.
main provisions

 The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.

 Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members

 Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United Provinces – 50 members

each

 Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members each

 The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members
as follows:

 Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.

 Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the

Governor-General.

 Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not

government officials.

 Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.

 The elected members were elected indirectly. The local bodies elected an electoral college that
would elect members of the provincial legislative councils. These members would, in turn, elect
the members of the Central legislative council.
 The elected members were from the local bodies, the chambers of commerce, landlords,
universities, traders’ communities and Muslims.
 In the provincial councils, non-official members were in the majority. However, since some of
the non-official members were nominated, in total, a non-elected majority was there.
 Indians were given membership to the Imperial Legislative Council for the first time.
 It introduced separate electorates for the Muslims. Some constituencies were earmarked for
Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.
 The members could discuss the budget and move resolutions. They could also discuss matters of
public interest.
 They could also ask supplementary questions.
 No discussions on foreign policy or on relations with the princely states were permitted.
 Lord Minto appointed (on much persuasion by Morley) Satyendra P Sinha as the first Indian
member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
 Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian affairs.

Evaluation of the Reforms

 The reforms of 1909 afforded no answer and could afford no answer to the
Indian political problem. Lord Morley made it clear that colonial self-
government (as demanded by the Congress) was not suitable for India , and
he was against introduction of parliamentary or responsible government in
India.
 The ‘constitutional’ reforms were, in fact, aimed at dividing the nationalist
ranks by confusing the Moderates and at checking the growth of unity among
Indians through the obnoxious instrument of separate electorates.
 The Government aimed at rallying the Moderates and the Muslims against
the rising tide of nationalism.
 The officials and the Muslim leaders often talked of the entire community
when they talked of the separate electorates, but in reality it meant the
appeasement of a small section of the Muslim elite only.
 Congress considered separate electorate to be undemocratic and hindering
the development of a shared Hindu-Muslim Indian national feeling.
 Besides, system of election was too indirect and it gave the impression of
infiltration of legislators through a number of sieves.
 And, while parliamentary forms were introduced, no responsibility was
conceded, which sometimes led to thoughtless and irresponsible criticism of
the Government.
 Only some members like Gokhale put to constructive use the opportunity to
debate in the councils by demanding universal primary education, attacking
repressive policies and drawing attention to the plight of indentured labour and
Indian workers in South Africa.
 The position of the Governor- General remained unchanged and his veto power
remained undiluted and the Act was successfully maintained relentless
constitutional autocracy.
 The reforms of 1909 gave to the people of the country a shadow rather than
substance.
The Government of India
Act, 1919
Background
 The act was based on a report by Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India at the
time, and Lord Chelmsford, India’s Viceroy between 1916 and 1921

 Montagu-Chelmsford reforms, or Montford reforms, are the constitutional reforms

enacted by this act in 1921

 Representation act of India was said to have a primary purpose or focus to guarantee
that People of India can be able to engage and involve in the governance of India

 Both at the provincial (state-by-state) and federal stages or levels of administration, the
Act brought in some changes of administration

The primary goal of the Government of India Act 1919, also known as the Councils Act 1919,
was to increase Indian people’s participation in government. The Act also established a Dual
System of Government, which split all government-controlled activity into two categories.

The government of India act (1919) was made to end dictatorship and start Indian administration

Principle Features of Government of India Act 1919

Provincial Government

 Executive:
  Dyarchy was introduced, i.e., there were two classes of administrators – Executive
councillors and ministers.

 The Governor was the executive head of the province.

 The subjects were divided into two lists – reserved and transferred.

 The governor was in charge of the reserved list along with his executive councillors. The
subjects under this list were law and order, irrigation, finance, land revenue, etc.

 The ministers were in charge of subjects under the transferred list. The subjects included
were education, local government, health, excise, industry, public works, religious
endowments, etc.

 The ministers were responsible to the people who elected them through the legislature.

 These ministers were nominated from among the elected members of the legislative
council.

 The executive councillors were not responsible to the legislature, unlike the ministers.

 The Secretary of State and the Governor-General could interfere in matters under the
reserved list but this interference was restricted to the transferred list.

 Legislature:

 The size of the provincial legislative assemblies was increased. Now about 70% of the
members were elected.

 There were communal and class electorates.

 Some women could also vote.

 The governor’s assent was required to pass any bill. He also had veto power and could
issue ordinances also.

To learn more about the legislation passed in British India, click on the linked article.

Central government

 Executive:

 The chief executive authority was the Governor-General.

 There were two lists for administration – central and provincial.

 The provincial list was under the provinces while the centre took care of the central list.

 Out of the 6 members of the Viceroy’s executive council, 3 were to be Indian members.
  The governor-general could issue ordinances.

 He could also certify bills that were rejected by the central legislature.

 Legislature:

 A bicameral legislature was set up with two houses – the Legislative Assembly
(forerunner of the Lok Sabha) and the Council of State (forerunner of the Rajya Sabha).

 Legislative Assembly (Lower House)



 The nominated members were nominated by the governor-general from Anglo-Indians

and Indian Christians.

 The members had a tenure of 3 years.

 Council of State (Upper House)

 Only male members with a tenure of 5 years.

 Members of the Council of State:

 27 nominated

 33 elected

 The legislators could ask questions and also vote on a part of the budget.
 Only 25% of the budget was subject to vote.
 Rest was non-votable.
 A bill had to be passed in both houses before it became law.
 There were three measures to resolve any deadlock between both houses – joint committees, joint
conferences and joint sittings.
 Governor-General

 The governor-general’s assent was required for any bill to become law even if both
houses had passed it.

 He could also enact a bill without the legislature’s consent.

 He could prevent a bill from becoming law if he deems it detrimental to the peace of the
country.

 He could disallow any question, adjournment motion or debate in the house.

Merits of the Government of India Act 1919
 Dyarchy introduced the concept of responsible government.
 It introduced the concept of federal structure with a unitary bias.
 There was an increased participation of Indians in the administration. They held some portfolios
like labour, health, etc.
 For the first time, elections were known to the people and it created political consciousness
among the people.
 Some Indian women also had the right to vote for the first time.

Limitations of the Government of India Act 1919

 This act extended consolidated and communal representation.
 The franchise was very limited. It did not extend to the common man.
 The governor-general and the governors had a lot of power to undermine the legislatures at the
centre and the provinces respectively.
 Allocation of the seats for the central legislature was not based on population but on the
‘importance’ of the province in the eyes of the British.
 The Rowlatt Acts were passed in 1919 which severely restricted press and movement. Despite the
unanimous opposition of Indian members of the legislative council, those bills were passed.
Several Indian members resigned in protest.