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Pak Studies History IGCSEPDF 77
181 pagesrevision 46928
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Despite the failure of the Round Table conferences, in March 1933 the British
government announced its proposals for how India should be governed. After
discussionsbyBritishpoliticians,andconsultationwith'safe'Indiandelegates,
nominatedbythegovernmenttotakepartinthetalks,aBillwasintroducedbefore
BritishparliamentinDecember1934.
August1935theGovernmentofIndiaActbecamelaw.Thiswasthelastmajor
legislationthattheBritishgovernmentpassedbeforeindependencewasgranted.
the
In
Details
IndiawastobeafederationincludingboththeprovincesofBritishIndiaandany Princely States
which
join.
Thereweretobetwohousesofparliamentatcentralgovernmentlevel.Theupper
house(CouncilofState)wastohave156membersfromBritishIndiaand104from
thePrincelyStates.ThemembersfromBritishIndiaweretobeelectedandthose
fromthePrincelyStatesweretobenominated.Thelowerhouse(Assembly)was
to
have250membersfromBritishIndia(electedbytheprovinciallegislatures)and 125 members
from
Princely
(nominated).
Diarchywasdroppedatprovinciallevel,butintroducedatcentralgovernmentlevel.
Certain'reserved'subjects(defence,foreignaffairs,ecclesiasticalaffairsandthe
administration of the tribal areas) were to be administered exclusively by the Governor-
GeneralassistedbyuptothreeappointedCouncillors.Atprovinciallevel
diarchywasreplacedwithasysteminwhichprovincesweregivenalargedegree of autonomy.
Theministersofprovinceswere,ineffect,headsofprovincialadministrationand
ProvincialGovernorswereinstructedtoactontheiradviceexceptinareaswhere they had
special responsibilities (the peace of the province and the rights of minorities).
ThenumberofprovinceswasincreasedtoelevenbygivingtheNWFPthestatus of a fully-
fledged province and creating two new provinces, Orrisa and Sindh.
Thecompositionoftheprovinciallegislaturesvaried,thoughmosthadabi-cameral
system
similar
of
the
TheGovernor-
GeneralwasheadoftheFederationandcouldexertspecialpowers
thereserved
subjects.•ProvincialGovernorsalsohadspecialpowersinthetwo
reservedareas.Theyhadtheauthoritytodismissministersandeventherightto
wholeadministrationandrulebyproclamationduringaperiodof emergency.
chose
to
the
States
to
that
central
government.
in
dismissthe
Effects
The property qualification for voting meant that only 25% of India's population was
allowed to vote in the provincial elections; Negative effect.
Opposed on all sides in India.
The princes resented the loss of power it would entail,
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