What was the Government of India Act 1935?
The Government of India Act 1935 was the beginning of the second milestone taken by the country towards the creation of a more responsible and developing government in India. This date of the establishment of the Act marked the ending of Diarchy and the All-India Federation was formed due to that. Not to mention that this Act also played a very important role in the experimentation with provincial autonomy. Thus, it can be said without a single speck of doubt that the Government of India Act 1935 actually made a very huge mark on the constitutional development of the country.
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Students can go through the government of India Act 1935 notes in order to understand the topic better.
Introduction to The Government of India Act
In the month of August 1935, the Government of India Act was passed as the longest Act to exist at that time under the British Act of Parliament. The Government of India Act 1935 was based on the fact that India needed to have some reforms made into the legislation. This particular Act of 1935 also included the Government Of Burma Act of 1935. The government of India Act 1935 provided for the federation of India and states that India would be considered as a federation if about 50% of the states would make the decision to join it. Then there would be a large number of representatives in the central legislature houses. However, the main provisions of the Act were not really implemented. There were no references made to the dominion status of the country in the Act.
One of the main things to keep in mind about the Government of India Act 1935 was that this was basically an improvement when compared to the existing version. The introduction of provincial autonomy in India further proved the fact that this Act was an important one. The legislative powers provided to the members were increased due to the Act. However, the government still had control over certain departments such as the Police forces. There was also a limited amount of increase in the right to vote. About 14 percent of the entire population of India had the right to vote according to the Act. These were some of the defects of the Government of India Act 1935. It didn’t really manage to fulfill the objective for which the nationalist movement was created.
Background and Importance of Government of India Act 1935
According to the government of India Act 1935 notes, there are some important details about this particular Act that students need to know about. First of all, there was a huge demand for adding some constitutional reforms for the country. Most of these demands were made by the leaders of the different associations in India. After getting the support of India in World War I where India extended their services to the Britishers, they actually acknowledged the importance of having more Indians included in the administration. Hence, the creation of this Act occurred. The government of India Act 1935 was based on some of the important recommendations that were made in the Round Table Conferences, the Simon Commission Report, the reports submitted by the Joint Select Committees, as well as the White Paper which was then published by the government of Great Britain in the year 1933.
Features of Government of India Act 1935
Here are some of the salient features of the Government of India Act 1935.
The Act stated the importance of having an All-India Federation that would consist of the princely states as well as the provinces who would act as units. This Act also divided all the powers between the units and the Centre into the Provincial List, the Federal List, and the Concurrent List. The Viceroy had the residuary power. However, this federation never happened since the princely states didn’t join the Act.
The abolishment of diarchy occurred due to this Act and it paved the way for the introduction of provincial autonomy. The different provinces were given permission to act as autonomous administrative units in their definitive spheres. The government of India Act 1935 provided for the adoption of diarchy at the Centre.
The principles related to communal representation were also introduced in the Act. Hence the legislatures of Bombay, Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Madras, as well as the United Provinces would be made bicameral and would have their own legislative council.
These are just a few of the important salient features of Government of India Act 1935. There are many more about which the students can learn from the government of India Act 1935 notes. The government of India Act of 1935 did prove to be quite beneficial even though it didn’t establish a federation in the country. This Act proved to be the beginning of provincial autonomy in India and hence helped in the constitutional development of the country.
FAQs on The Government of India Act 1935
1. What was the Government of India Act 1935?
The Government of India Act 1935 was a significant piece of legislation passed by the British Parliament. It was the longest Act enacted by the British Parliament at that time. Its primary objective was to grant a larger measure of self-government to British India, outlining a constitutional framework that proposed an All-India Federation and introduced provincial autonomy. This Act served as a foundational document for many provisions of the eventual Constitution of India.
2. What were the main sources that influenced the Government of India Act 1935?
The Government of India Act 1935 was not created in a vacuum but was the culmination of several years of discussions and reports. Its primary sources included:
- The report of the Simon Commission.
- Recommendations from the Round Table Conferences.
- The British Government's White Paper of 1933.
- The report of the Joint Select Committee.
These documents collectively provided the basis for the Act's detailed provisions on the administrative and legislative structure for India.
3. What were the key features introduced by the Government of India Act 1935?
The Act introduced several major structural changes to the governance of India. The most important features were:
- Provincial Autonomy: It abolished the system of dyarchy in the provinces and introduced responsible governments, where ministers were accountable to the provincial legislatures.
- All-India Federation: It proposed a federation comprising British Indian Provinces and the Princely States. However, this feature never came into effect as the princely states did not join.
- Dyarchy at the Centre: While abolished at the provincial level, this system was introduced at the central level, dividing federal subjects into 'reserved' and 'transferred' categories.
- Bicameral Legislature: It established a bicameral legislature at the centre, consisting of a Federal Assembly and a Council of States.
- Establishment of Key Institutions: The Act provided for the establishment of a Federal Court and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to manage the country's currency and credit.
4. Why is the Government of India Act 1935 often called a 'blueprint' for the Indian Constitution?
The Government of India Act 1935 is considered a blueprint for the Constitution of India because a significant portion of our current constitution is derived directly from it. The framers of the Indian Constitution adopted many administrative details and procedural elements from the 1935 Act, including the concepts of a federal structure, provincial autonomy, the office of the governor, emergency provisions, and the structure of the public service commissions. This existing framework provided a solid foundation, allowing the Constituent Assembly to focus on incorporating democratic ideals and fundamental rights.
5. How did the Government of India Act 1935 differ from the Government of India Act 1919?
The 1935 Act was a major advancement over the 1919 Act. The key differences are:
- Dyarchy: The 1919 Act introduced dyarchy at the provincial level, which was considered unsuccessful. The 1935 Act abolished provincial dyarchy and instead introduced it at the central level.
- Autonomy: The 1935 Act introduced provincial autonomy, giving provinces more self-governing power, a feature absent in the 1919 Act.
- Franchise: The 1935 Act extended the right to vote to a larger section of the population (approximately 10%) compared to the very limited franchise under the 1919 Act.
- Structure: The 1935 Act proposed an All-India Federation, a comprehensive federal model that was not envisioned in the 1919 Act.
6. What was the proposed 'All-India Federation' under the 1935 Act, and why did it never materialise?
The 'All-India Federation' was a core proposal of the Government of India Act 1935. It aimed to unite the British Indian Provinces and the numerous Princely States into a single federal entity. However, this federation never came into existence because the accession of the princely states was voluntary. A specified number of states needed to sign the 'Instrument of Accession' for the federation to be formed. The rulers of the princely states were hesitant to surrender their sovereignty and autonomy, and consequently, the required number of states never agreed to join, causing this ambitious plan to fail.
7. Despite its progressive features, why did the Indian National Congress reject the Government of India Act 1935?
The Indian National Congress rejected the Act for several critical reasons. Firstly, it did not grant full Dominion Status, which was a primary demand of the nationalist movement. Secondly, the Governor-General and provincial Governors were given extensive discretionary and 'special responsibilities', which allowed them to override the decisions of elected ministers, making provincial autonomy weak. Lastly, the Act continued and expanded the system of communal electorates, which the Congress believed was a tool to divide the Indian populace and weaken the nationalist movement.
