Outline the features of the government of India act, 1909.

<2/”>a >System of dyarchy was introduced. The dyarchy means a system of double government in which The principle of dyarchy was a division of the executive branch of each provincial government into authoritarian and popularly responsible sections. The first was composed of executive councillors, appointed, as before, by the crown. The second was composed of ministers who were chosen by the governor from the elected members of the provincial legislature. These latter ministers were Indians.

 

Subjects were divided into two lists: “reserved” which included subjects such as law andorder, finance, land revenue, Irrigation, etc., and “transferred” subjects such aseducation, Health, Local Government, Industry, agriculture, excise, etc.

 

Expansion of provincial legislative council- 70% of the members were to be elected. The system of communal representation and class electorate were further consolidated. Women were given right of vote. The legislative council could initiate legislation but governor assent was required. The governor can veto bill and ordinances.The Legislative Councils could reject the budget but the governor could restore it, ifnecessary.The legislators could ask questions and supplementaries, pass Adjournment motions and

vote a part of the budget, but 75% of the budget was still not votable.,

The Government of India Act, 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, was a major constitutional reform in British India. It introduced a system of dyarchy, in which some subjects were transferred to the control of Indian ministers, while others remained under the control of British officials. The act also created a council of state and a legislative assembly, both of which had Indian members.

The main features of the Government of India Act, 1909, were as follows:

  • Dyarchy: The act introduced a system of dyarchy, in which some subjects were transferred to the control of Indian ministers, while others remained under the control of British officials. The transferred subjects included Education, local self-government, public health, and agriculture. The reserved subjects included defense, foreign affairs, and finance.
  • Council of State and Legislative Assembly: The act created a council of state and a legislative assembly, both of which had Indian members. The council of state was a nominated body, while the legislative assembly was elected by a limited franchise.
  • Separate electorates: The act introduced separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus. This meant that Muslims and Hindus voted for their own representatives, rather than voting for the same candidates.
  • Indianization of the civil service: The act increased the number of Indians in the civil service. However, the top positions in the civil service were still reserved for British officials.

The Government of India Act, 1909, was a significant step forward in the development of self-government in India. However, it did not satisfy the demands of Indian nationalists, who wanted full independence from British rule.

The act was passed by the British Parliament in 1909, after a series of riots and protests in India. The riots were caused by a number of factors, including the growing resentment of British rule, the economic hardships faced by many Indians, and the religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

The Morley-Minto Reforms were named after John Morley, the British Secretary of State for India, and Lord Minto, the Viceroy of India. The reforms were designed to appease Indian nationalists and to prevent further unrest.

The act created a system of dyarchy, in which some subjects were transferred to the control of Indian ministers, while others remained under the control of British officials. The transferred subjects included education, local self-government, public health, and agriculture. The reserved subjects included defense, foreign affairs, and finance.

The act also created a council of state and a legislative assembly, both of which had Indian members. The council of state was a nominated body, while the legislative assembly was elected by a limited franchise.

The act also introduced separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus. This meant that Muslims and Hindus voted for their own representatives, rather than voting for the same candidates.

The act also increased the number of Indians in the civil service. However, the top positions in the civil service were still reserved for British officials.

The Government of India Act, 1909, was a significant step forward in the development of self-government in India. However, it did not satisfy the demands of Indian nationalists, who wanted full independence from British rule. The act was seen as a half-hearted measure that did not go far enough in granting Indians self-rule.

The act was also criticized for introducing separate electorates, which were seen as a way of dividing Indians along religious lines. The act was also criticized for not doing enough to increase the number of Indians in the civil service.

Despite its shortcomings, the Government of India Act, 1909, was a significant step forward in the development of self-government in India. It paved the way for further reforms in the years to come.

The Government of India Act 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, was a major constitutional reform in British India. It was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and came into effect on 23 December 1909. The Act introduced a number of important changes to the Indian government, including the creation of a new legislative council, the expansion of the Indian Civil Service to include Indians, and the introduction of separate electorates for Muslims.

The Act was named after John Morley, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Minto, the Viceroy of India. It was passed in response to growing Indian nationalism and the need to reform the Indian government to make it more representative of the Indian people.

The Act created a new legislative council, the Imperial Legislative Council, which was to be composed of both British and Indian members. The Indian members were to be elected by a limited number of Indian voters. The Act also expanded the Indian Civil Service to include Indians, and introduced separate electorates for Muslims. This meant that Muslims would elect their own representatives to the legislative council.

The Government of India Act 1909 was a significant step forward in the development of Indian Democracy. It introduced a number of important reforms that made the Indian government more representative of the Indian people. However, the Act also had some limitations. For example, the Indian members of the legislative council were still a minority, and the Indian Civil Service was still dominated by British officials. Nevertheless, the Act was a major step forward in the development of Indian democracy.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Government of India Act 1909:

  • What was the Government of India Act 1909?
    The Government of India Act 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, was a major constitutional reform in British India. It was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and came into effect on 23 December 1909. The Act introduced a number of important changes to the Indian government, including the creation of a new legislative council, the expansion of the Indian Civil Service to include Indians, and the introduction of separate electorates for Muslims.

  • Who were John Morley and Lord Minto?
    John Morley was the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Minto was the Viceroy of India. The Act was named after them because they were the two main figures responsible for its passage.

  • Why was the Government of India Act 1909 passed?
    The Act was passed in response to growing Indian nationalism and the need to reform the Indian government to make it more representative of the Indian people.

  • What were the main features of the Government of India Act 1909?
    The main features of the Act were the creation of a new legislative council, the expansion of the Indian Civil Service to include Indians, and the introduction of separate electorates for Muslims.

  • What was the impact of the Government of India Act 1909?
    The Act was a significant step forward in the development of Indian democracy. It introduced a number of important reforms that made the Indian government more representative of the Indian people. However, the Act also had some limitations. For example, the Indian members of the legislative council were still a minority, and the Indian Civil Service was still dominated by British officials. Nevertheless, the Act was a major step forward in the development of Indian democracy.

The Government of India Act of 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, was a major constitutional reform in British India. It was the first major change to the Indian government since the Indian Councils Act of 1892. The act introduced a number of important changes, including the expansion of the Indian Legislative Councils, the creation of a separate Muslim electorate, and the introduction of dyarchy at the provincial level.

The act was passed in response to growing Indian nationalism and the need to reform the Indian government in order to maintain British rule. The act was named after the British Secretary of State for India, John Morley, and the Viceroy of India, Lord Minto.

The act expanded the Indian Legislative Councils by adding more elected members. The number of elected members in the Central Legislative Council increased from 16 to 60, and the number of elected members in the provincial legislative councils increased from 100 to 250. The act also created a separate Muslim electorate, which meant that Muslims would elect their own representatives to the legislative councils. This was done in an attempt to appease the growing Muslim Population in India.

The act also introduced dyarchy at the provincial level. Dyarchy meant that certain subjects, such as education, public health, and local self-government, were transferred from the control of the British government to the control of the Indian government. This was a significant step towards Indian self-government.

The Government of India Act of 1909 was a major step forward in the development of Indian democracy. It introduced a number of important reforms that helped to expand Indian participation in government. However, the act did not go far enough to satisfy Indian nationalists, who continued to demand greater self-government.

Here are some MCQs on the Government of India Act of 1909:

  1. The Government of India Act of 1909 was passed in response to:
    (a) Growing Indian nationalism
    (b) The need to reform the Indian government in order to maintain British rule
    (c) Both (a) and (b)

  2. The act expanded the Indian Legislative Councils by adding more elected members. The number of elected members in the Central Legislative Council increased from:
    (a) 16 to 60
    (b) 60 to 100
    (c) 100 to 250

  3. The act also created a separate Muslim electorate, which meant that Muslims would elect their own representatives to the legislative councils. This was done in an attempt to:
    (a) Appease the growing Muslim population in India
    (b) Divide and rule the Indian population
    (c) Both (a) and (b)

  4. The act also introduced dyarchy at the provincial level. Dyarchy meant that certain subjects, such as education, public health, and local self-government, were transferred from the control of the British government to the control of the Indian government. This was a significant step towards:
    (a) Indian self-government
    (b) British rule
    (c) Both (a) and (b)

  5. The Government of India Act of 1909 was a major step forward in the development of Indian democracy. It introduced a number of important reforms that helped to expand Indian participation in government. However, the act did not go far enough to satisfy Indian nationalists, who continued to demand:
    (a) Greater self-government
    (b) British rule
    (c) Both (a) and (b)