Consider the following statements: 1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Consider the following statements:

1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21.
2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option2″]

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UPSC IAS – 2021

Only statement 2 is correct.

1. **Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919:** These reforms extended the franchise but did not grant voting rights to *all* women above 21. Franchise was limited based on property, income, and education. The Act *allowed* provincial legislatures to enfranchise women on these limited criteria, and Madras was the first province to do so in 1921. Universal adult suffrage, let alone for all women above 21, was not a feature of these reforms. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect.
2. **Government of India Act of 1935:** This Act further expanded the electorate and made provisions for women voters. It not only increased the number of women voters but also provided for *reserved seats* for women in some provincial legislatures and the federal legislature. Thus, statement 2 is correct.

The grant of voting rights to women in British India was a gradual process, starting with limited franchise in some municipalities and then provincially under the 1919 Act, extended significantly under the 1935 Act, but still based on qualifications, not universal adult suffrage, which was introduced with the Constitution of independent India. The system of reserved seats for women under the 1935 Act was distinct from general seats and was intended to ensure their representation.

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