Which of the following statements about the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Which of the following statements about the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms is/are correct ?

  • It was approved by King George V.
  • It made the Central Legislature bicameral.
  • The Act explicitly mentioned the appointment of three Indian members to the Council.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1, 2 and 3
1 and 2 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2010
Statement 1 is correct: The Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) was passed by the British Parliament and received Royal Assent, meaning it was approved by the King George V.
Statement 2 is correct: The Act made the Central Legislature bicameral, consisting of the Council of State (Upper House) and the Indian Legislative Assembly (Lower House).
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Act did increase Indian representation in the Viceroy’s Executive Council and other bodies, but it did not explicitly mandate the appointment of a fixed number like ‘three’ Indian members to *the* Council (referring to a specific council). While Indians were appointed, the Act’s main structural changes were related to diarchy in provinces and the composition of the central legislature, not a specific number of Indians in a particular council.
Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms introduced Diarchy in the provinces, dividing subjects into ‘transferred’ and ‘reserved’. At the centre, it introduced a bicameral legislature but retained significant powers with the Viceroy and his Executive Council, who were not responsible to the legislature.
The Act was based on the recommendations of Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy. It was seen as a step towards responsible government, but its provisions were criticized by Indian nationalists as inadequate.