1919 Indian Councils Act

or
Montague-Chelmsford Reforms
Failure of the 1909 Act
Demands from other communities for
representation in councils.
Revolutionary organizations
• Anushilan Samiti: Pramathanath Mitra
• Abhnavi Bharat Society: Ganesh Savarkar
• Gadhar Party: Shan Singh Bhanka and Haradayal
Swadeshi Movement
• Reunion of Bengal in 1911
• First World War 1914
majority of Indians supported the British
2
• Defence of India Act, (1915)
• Legislation gave the government of
British India special powers to deal with
revolutionary and German-inspired threats
during World War I.

3
• The Home Rule League
• Bring unity among moderates and extremists
• for intensive propaganda about Home rule
• Lucknow Pact of Congress- Muslim League 1916
• Indian National Congress demanded for self-
government.
• A memorandum of 19 Indian members of the
Central Legislative Council
• Greater opportunities for Indians in the
armed forces of India.
• Rowlatt Acts, (February 1919)
4
• In 1918, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of
State, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy,
produced their scheme of constitutional
reforms, which led to the enactment of
the Government of India Act of 1919.
• Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms which came
into force in 1921.

5
• The Secretary of State for India officially
announced that,
• The establishment of self government
within the Indian Empire was the ultimate
goal of British Rule in India.
• The right to self government was not to be
given immediately but was to be given in
stages.
• The successive stages were to be
determined by the progress made by the
Indians.

6
• The British Parliament and the Government
of India alone were to judge the time and
measure each advance.

7
Central Administration

8
• A High Commissioner post was created in
U.K, who had to work directly under the
Governor General-in-Council.
• The High Commissioner was to act as the
agent of the Governor General.
• Some of the functions of the Secretary of
State for India were taken away from him
and given to the High Commissioner for
India.
• The control of the Secretary of State for
Indian affairs was reduced to only
provincial affairs.
• Matters related to foreign relations,
military affairs, customs, currency, and
public debts were to take prior approval
from the Secretary of State.
Governor General Executive Council
• The chief executive authority was the
Governor-General.
• Out of the 7 members of the Viceroy’s
executive council, 3 were to be Indian
members.
• The governor-general could issue ordinances.
• He could also certify bills that were
rejected by the central legislature.

11
• The Act set up a bicameral Legislature at
the Centre in place of the Central
legislature Council consisted of one house.
Council of State
Central Legislative Assembly
The Chamber of Princes

Government decided to conduct direct

elections for both the Houses.

12
The Chamber of Princes
•The Chamber of Princes (Narendra Mandal) was
an institution established in 1920.
•to provide a forum in which the rulers of
the princely states of India could voice their needs
and aspirations.
•The policy of isolating the Indian rulers from each
other and also from the rest of the world.
•The Chamber first met on 8 February 1921 and
initially consisted of 120 members.
•The Chamber of Princes usually met only once a
year.
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 Council of State
5 years
60 members
34 Elected + 26 Nominated
official Non-official
20 6
General constituencies 19
Muslims 11
Sikhs 1
Europeans 3
14
Council of State voters
qualification

15
•Those who had an annual income of Rs.3000 or

•Paying land revenue worth Rs.1300 or

•Paying income tax of at least Rs.2000 could
vote for the Council of State.
•Members of the University senate, or holding
of a certain title, etc.
•The women could neither contest elections nor
vote in the elections of the council.
•The total number of voters for the Council of
State was about 17,343.

16
Those who had previous experience in public
work or who were recognized as men of
high scholarship were allowed to contest
from general constituencies for the Council
of State.

The President of the Council was to be

nominated by the Governor General among
its members.

17
 Central Legislative Assembly
3 years
145 Members
103 Elected + 42 Nominated
Out of 103 elected and communal constituencies
30 for Muslims
2 for Sikhs
7 for landholders
9 for Europeans
4 for Indian Chamber of Commerce
52 General constituencies
42 Nominated (26 officials +16 Non-officials)18
Voters for Central Legislative
Assembly

19
• Payment of Municipal taxes amounting to not
less than Rs. 15-20 per annum.
Or
• Those who had an annual income of not less
than Rs. 3000 to 5000.
Or
• Assessment of land revenue for Rs. 50 to 150
per annum.

• For Central Assembly total voters about

9,09,874 in 1920
The first speaker of the Central Assembly was
nominated by the Governor General, and
subsequent speakers were elected by the
members of the central Assembly.
Powers of two Houses
• They could make laws for the whole of British
India for the subjects of His Majesty and
service of the Crown in any part of India.
• The Central Legislature had no power to
amend or abolish any British parliamentary
statutes relating to British India.
Powers of the members
• The members of both Houses could ask
questions and supplementary questions,
moving resolutions according to legislative
rules.
• The members were given the right to ask any
questions in the two houses.
• The responsibilities of administration were
divided between the Centre and the
provinces.
Authority of the Governor General on
legislation
• The power to summon, prorogue and dissolve two
Houses.
• The right to address the members of the two
Houses.
• G. G was given the power to pass laws which he
considered essential for the safety and
interests of British India, if either House
refused or failed to pass them.
• Governor General had veto power, which was
exercised many times.
• The Crown had the power to disallow any
Act made by the Indian legislation or the
Governor General.

25
• Subjects or the responsibilities of the state
divided between center and provincial-level
administrations.

26
Separation of powers

27
 Central List Provincial list
• Defense • Local-self Government
• Postal and Telegraphs • Public Health & Sanitation
• Patents and copy right • Equation
• Currency and coinage • Public works
• Commerce and shipping • Water supply and irrigation
• Civil and Criminal law and • Land revenue amdin.
procedure • Famine relief
• Agriculture
• Law and order
• Cooperative societies

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 Provincial
Administrative changes

29
• The Act provided a dual form of government
(a "diarchy") for provinces.
• The provincial subjects were bifurcated
into transferred and reserved subjects.
• The reserved subjects were to be
administered by the governor with the help
of the executive council.
• The transferred subjects were to be
administered by the Governor with the
help of Indian ministers.
• Members of the Executive Council were to
be nominated by the Governor.
• The ministers were to be chosen by the
governor from the members of the
legislature.

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Reserved Subjects Transferred Subjects
Administration of Justice Local self Government
Police
Irrigation and canals Public works , roads, bridges ,
municipal roads.
Drainage Public heath
Water storage and agricultural Sanitation and medical
loans administration
Famine relief
Control of new papers
Books and printing press
Prisons
Forests
Factory inspection
Settlements of labor disputes
Industrial insurance and housing Development of Industries including
Industrial Research
Finance
The system of diarchy was followed in the
provinces from 1921 to 1937.
Defects of the diarchy system
• The Diarchy system did not work satisfactorily,
and many factors were responsible for its
failure.
• The division of the department or subjects
was not properly distributed.
• There was no cooperation between the two
authorities of the provincial administration.
• Sometimes the Indian ministers and
Executive Councils condemn each other in
public.
• There was no coordination between Indian
Ministers and the members of Executive
Council.
• The Governor always backed the members of
the Executive Council.
• Indian Ministers were responsible to the
Legislative for the administration of their
departments. 34
• Indian ministers could be removed by the
legislature by with a vote of no
confidence.

35
Problems with ICS officers
•ICS officers were also appointed to the
transferred departments.
•The appointment, salary, suspension,
dismissal, and transfer of the member of the
All India Service were under the control of
the Secretary of State for India.
•Ministers had no power to choose their own
subordinates.
•The ministers were not in a position to
implement their views and plans in the
department.
According to the rules of executive business,
in cases where the minister differed from the
opinion of the permanent secretary or the
Head of the department, it had to be
submitted Governor for final orders.
Both the secretary and the head of the
department had a weekly interview with the
Governor, and they could discuss everything
about their department.
•Sometimes the Governor knew more about
the department than the concerned Indian
minister.
•The department of finance was in the hands
of the members of the Executive Council.
•All the nation-building departments were
given to the Indian ministers, but they
were given no money for the same.

38
•The finance secretary had no sympathy
with the aspirations of the Indians as
represented by ministers.
•In certain cases, the finance department
refused even to examine any scheme
proposed by ministers.
Provincial Legislative Councils

40
• Provincial 70% of the members of the
Provincial Legislatures were elected, 30 % of
the were nominated by the Governor.
• The tenure of the Council was three years
but it could be dissolved earlier or extend
its life by the Governor.
• Members were given the right of asking
questions and supplementary questions.
• They could reject the Budget but the
Governor was authorized to restore.