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The Act of 1909, known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, significantly expanded the legislative councils in India, increasing the Central Legislative Council's membership from 16 to 60 and allowing non-official majorities in provincial councils. It introduced Indian representation in the Executive Councils and established a system of communal representation for Muslims, thereby legalizing communalism. The Government of India Act of 1919, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, aimed to gradually introduce responsible government in India.

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The Act of 1909, known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, significantly expanded the legislative councils in India, increasing the Central Legislative Council's membership from 16 to 60 and allowing non-official majorities in provincial councils. It introduced Indian representation in the Executive Councils and established a system of communal representation for Muslims, thereby legalizing communalism. The Government of India Act of 1919, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, aimed to gradually introduce responsible government in India.

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suman7602034091
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Features of the Act of 1909

This Act is also known as Morley-Minto Reforms (Lord Morley was the then

Secretary of State for India and Lord Minto was the then Viceroy of India).

1. It considerably increased the size of the legislative councils, both


Central

And provincial. The number of members in the Central Legislative

Council was raised from 16 to 60. The number of members in the

Provincial legislative councils was not uniform.

2. It retained official majority in the Central Legislative Council but


allowed

The provincial legislative councils to have non-official majority.

3. It enlarged the deliberative functions of the legislative councils at both


the

Levels. For example, members were allowed to ask supplementary

Questions, move resolutions on the budget, and so on.

4. It provided (for the first time) for the association of Indians with the
Executive Councils of the Viceroy and Governors. Satyendra Prasad

Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

He was appointed as the law member.

5. It introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims by

Accepting the concept of ‘separate electorate’. Under this, the Muslim

Members were to be elected only by Muslim voters. Thus, the Act

‘legalised communalism’ and Lord Minto came to be known as the

Father of Communal Electorate.

6. It also provided for the separate representation of presidency


corporations,

Chambers of commerce, universities and zamindars.

Government of India Act of 1919

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 Government of India Act of 1919 was thus enacted, which came into

Force in 1921. This Act is also known as Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

(Montagu was the Secretary of State for India and Lord Chelmsford was the

Viceroy of India).

Features of the Act

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