Government of India Act 1919 – NCERT Notes

Montagu Chelmsford Reforms is also known as the Government of India Act 1919. Government of India Act 1919 was a British Parliament act that increased Indian participation in national governance. This act was prepared in 1919 on the outline of Montagu Chelmsford Reports (1918). This Reforms was named Montagu Chelmsford Reforms, because during that time, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State of British India from 1917 to 1922, and viceroy of India Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921).

Government of India Act 1919 indicated the start of India’s accountable government and the end of the dictatorship, in which the ruling class enriched themselves. In this article, we will discuss the Government of India Act 1919, along with its background, features, provisions, advantages, and limitations.

What is the Government of India Act, 1919?

It was the British parliament that passed the Government of India Act 1919. Ensuring increased representation of Indians in the government was the main objective of the Act. For the first time, the British administration stated in 1917 that the goal of this Act was to progressively establish an accountable government in India.

The Government of India Act 1919’s provisions were mostly based on a report by Secretary of State for India Edwin Montagu and Viceroy of India Lord Chelmsford. Despite being introduced in 1919, the Act wasn’t put into effect until 1921.

Background of Government of India Act, 1919

The act was based on an investigation prepared at the time by Secretary of State Edwin Montagu and Lord Chelmsford, who served as Viceroy of India from 1916 to 1921. The Montagu-Chelmsford reforms, sometimes known as the Montford reforms, are constitutional amendments that were implemented by this legislation in 1921. The goal of the Indian Representation legislation was reportedly to ensure that Indian citizens could participate in and be involved in the country’s governance. Many administrative reforms were implemented under the Act, both at the federal and provincial levels.

Features of the Government of India Act, 1919

The following are the important features of the Government of India Act, of 1919:

• In a separate Preamble to this Act, the British Government said that the goal was to gradually introduce responsible governance to India.
• Provincial Governments imposed diarchy. Two governments, one of which is responsible and the other not, define a state of diarchy. Subjects of the provincial government were divided into two groups. A group was put aside, while the other was moved. The Indian ministers of the province received the transferred subjects, while the British governor of the province exercised jurisdiction over the reserved subjects.
• The Legislative Assembly, which served as the basis for the Lok Sabha today, had 145 members in its lower chamber, the Legislative Assembly, and 60 members in its upper house, the Council of States, which served five-year terms (the model for today’s Rajya Sabha).
• India was able to create a Public Service Commission for the first time because of the Act.
• Only those individuals who paid the government a minimum amount of “Tax” were awarded the franchise (the right to vote).
• The seats were allotted to the provinces based on factors other than population density, such as the provinces’ significance to the government and their communities, with property serving as a primary criterion for franchisee selection.
• The Government of India Act allowed for a diarchic structure that would partially transfer authority to the people.
• By designating the provinces as units of general and budgetary administration, it also laid the foundation for Indian federalism.
• Also, the act provided that a statutory commission would be established to investigate the government’s operational system ten years after it was approved. This act led to the creation of the Simon Commission in 1927.

Provisions of Government of India Act, 1919

Administration was divided into two lists:

• Provisional Government
• Central Government

A. Provincial Government

Executive

The introduction of dyarchy resulted in the creation of two types of administrators: executive council members and ministers. The executive head of the province was the governor. Subjects were listed on two lists: reserved and transferred. The reserved list was the responsibility of the governor and the members of his executive council. This list covered topics including finance, land revenue, irrigation, and law and order. Subjects within the transferred list fell under the ministers’ authority. Education, local government, health, excise, industry, public works, religious endowments, etc. were among the topics covered.

The governing body answerable to the voters was the legislature, which chose the ministers. The legislative council’s elected members submitted nominations for these ministers. Members of the executive council were not accountable to the legislature, in contrast to ministers. The Governor-General and the Secretary of State had limited authority to make decisions in things under the reserved list; their authority was limited to matters under the transferred list.

Legislature

The legislative assembly at the provincial level was made larger. As of right now, over 70% of the members have been chosen. Both class and communal electorates existed. Voting was also available to some women. For a bill to be passed, the governor has to sign it. In addition, he may enact ordinances and exercise his veto power.

B. Central Government

Executive

The main executive authority was the Governor-General. The central list was handled by the center, and the provincial list was under the provinces. Three Indians were to be among the eight members of the Viceroy’s executive council. The governor general can issue ordinances. Also, he was able to certify laws that the central legislature had rejected.

Legislature

The Legislative Assembly, which was the model for the Lok Sabha, and the Council of State, which was the model for the Rajya Sabha, were established as the two houses of a bicameral legislature. The governor general selected the nominees, who were Anglo-Indians and Indian Christians. Every member had a three-year tenure in office. The lawmakers had the opportunity to vote on a portion of the budget and ask questions. There was just a 25% vote on the budget. The remaining items were not up for a vote.

A bill could not become a law until it was approved by both houses. There were three options available to break any agreement between the two houses: joint conferences, joint sittings, and joint committees. Even when a bill has been approved by both chambers, it still needs the governor general’s approval to become law. Also, he might pass legislation without the legislature’s approval. If he believes a bill would be harmful to the nation’s peace, he has the authority to stop it from becoming law. Any question, motion for an adjournment, or debate in the house might be blocked by him.

Significance of the Government of India Act 1919

Government of India Act, 1919 is important because of the following reasons:

• People learned the value of elections and voting, and several women registered their first ballots.
• The administration’s intention to gradually impose responsible government in India for the first time was indicated by the Government of India (GOI) Act of 1919.
• The idea of self-government for provinces was presented.
• More administrative authority was given to the people, and the administrative burden on the government decreased considerably.
• As self-governance is now a government policy, the demands of the nationalist League and Home rule may no longer be regarded as seditious.
• Indians were becoming increasingly motivated to fulfill the goal of Swaraj as a result of their increased awareness of the administrative process.

Advantages of the Government of India Act, 1919

The following are the advantages of Government of India Act, 1919:

• The dyarchy put forth the idea of responsible governance.
• It was the first to introduce the idea of a unitary federal government.
• The public was first made aware of elections, which increased political consciousness.
• The proportion of Indian employees in the administration increased.
• They managed a number of portfolios, including labor, health, and other areas.
• Certain Indian women were given the opportunity to vote for the first time.

Limitations of the Government of India Act

Some of the limitations of Government of India Act, 1919 are mentioned below:

• The extent of community and centralized representation was expanded by this act.
• The power to weaken the national, provincial, or state-by-state legislatures belonged to the governor-general and the governors, accordingly.
• The British did not consider population when allocating the members to the central assembly; rather, they took into account the province’s importance.
• The Rowlatt Acts, which greatly limited press freedom and movement, were passed in 1919.
• The unified opposition of the Indian members of the legislative council prevented such laws from being passed.
• Several Indian members resigned in protest.

MCQs on Government of India Act for UPSC Exam

1. What was the Primary Objective of the Government of India Act 1919?

a) Complete independence for India

b) Limited self-government and Indian participation

c) Continuation of direct British rule

d) Abolition of the Indian legislative councils

Answer: b) Limited self-government and Indian participation

2. Which Report served as the Foundation for the Government of India Act 1919?

a) Simon Commission Report

b) Nehru Report

c) Montagu-Chelmsford Report

d) Hunter Commission Report

Answer: c) Montagu-Chelmsford Report

3. What system was introduced in the provincial legislative councils by the 1919 Act?

a) Federalism

b) Dyarchy

c) Autocracy

d) Monarchy

Answer: b) Dyarchy

4. Which Act Allowed the Government to Imprison individuals without Trial, causing widespread Protests Alongside the 1919 Reforms?

a) Indian Councils Act 1909

b) Pitt’s India Act 1784

c) Morley-Minto Reforms

d) Rowlatt Act

Answer: d) Rowlatt Act

5. What did the 1919 Act Impact the representation of communities in legislatures?

a) Introduced universal suffrage

b) Abolished separate electorates

c) Introduced separate electorates

d) Limited representation to British citizens only

Answer: c) Introduced separate electorates

6. What were the two categories created for provinces under the 1919 Act?

a) Primary and Secondary provinces

b) Federal and Provincial provinces

c) Transferred and Reserved subjects

d) Autonomous and Non-autonomous provinces

Answer: c) Transferred and Reserved subjects

7. Who was the British Secretary of State for India during the enactment of the 1919 Act?

a) Winston Churchill

b) Clement Attlee

c) Edwin Montagu

d) Lord Curzon

Answer: c) Edwin Montagu

8. Which event in 1919 significantly influenced the political climate in India alongside the 1919 reforms?

a) Salt March

b) Jallianwala Bagh massacre

c) Quit India Movement

d) Swarajya Declaration

Answer: b) Jallianwala Bagh massacre

9. What did the 1919 Act do to the Indian legislature?

a) Reduced the number of Indian representatives

b) Expanded the legislative councils

c) Abolished the Indian legislative councils

d) Gave absolute power to the Viceroy

Answer: b) Expanded the legislative councils

10. Who played a Crucial Role in the Formulation of the 1919 Act?

a) Jawaharlal Nehru

b) Sardar Patel

c) Mahatma Gandhi

d) Edwin Montagu

Answer: d) Edwin Montagu

FAQs on Government of India Act, 1919

1. What are the main points of Government of India Act 1919?

The Government of India Act of 1919 established a system for classifying subjects into central and provincial categories. The Income Tax was retained by the Act as a means of funding the Central Government. To address Bengal and Bombay’s concerns, a provision was added that allocated them a quarter of the income tax.

2. What was the most important features of the 1919 Act?

A responsible administration was to be introduced in India, and the act’s most significant component was the “end of benevolent despotism.” The ten-year law, which ran from 1919 to 1929, was in effect.

3. What is the Act 1919 also known as?

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, officially known as the Government of India Act, 1919, were implemented in 1921. In the British Indian political system, it was implemented to establish the Diarchy, or the rule of two, which consists of popular ministers and executive councilors.

4. What were the 3 shortcomings of Indian Act of 1919?

Consolidated and communal representation were expanded by this act. There were extremely few franchises. It was not available to the average person. The central and provincial legislatures might be seriously undermined by the governor-general and the governors, respectively.

5. Why did the Government of India Act 1919 fail?

Any decision taken by the provincial ministers could be readily overruled by the governor if they were not in agreement. Consequently, it is simple to draw the conclusion that although Indians were appointed ministers, their original administrative authority was retained.