The Government of India Act 1919 introduced some political reforms at both the central and provincial levels of government in India. It established a central bicameral legislature and introduced a system of diarchy in the provinces, dividing responsibilities between elected ministers and appointed governors. However, the act had several limitations, including an extremely limited franchise, the governor's power to overrule ministers, and defects in the diarchy system. While it had some merits like introducing elections and communal representation, it ultimately failed to satisfy demands for self-government and encouraged further struggle for independence in India.
3. Introduction
In 1918, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of
State, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy,
produced their scheme of constitutional
reforms, known as the Montagu-Chelmsford
(or Mont-Ford) Reforms, which led to the
enactment of the Government of India Act
of 1919. Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
which came into force in 1921. The sole
purpose of this Act was to ensure Indians of
their representation in the Government. The
Act introduced reforms at the Central as
well as Provincial levels of Government
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Government of India Act 1919
4. Main provision of the Act of 1919
Government of India Act 1919
• The powers of the Secretary of State for India was reduced .
• The office of the High Commissioner for India was created.
• There will be eight members in the Viceroy's Executive Council and
among them three should be Indians.
• The Viceroy had complete control over the finance of India.
• Only with his consent Money bill were introduced.
• He was empowered to suspend any bill.
• He was to protect and look after the welfare of the Indians.
• He enjoyed emergency powers.
• He appointed the Chairman of the Legislatures.
• He framed rules for the smooth and successful functioning of
• Indian administration.
• He controlled the foreign affairs.
5. Central Legislature
Government of India Act 1919
• A bicameral Legislature was set up at the Centre i.e.
the Council of States and the Legislative Assembly.
• The Council of State had 60 members including
33elected and the rest nominated.
• The Legislative Assembly had 145 members out of
which, 104 were elected the rest nominated.
6. Legislative Assembly-145 members
41nominated.
26 officials
15 non-officials
104 Elected
52 General
30 Muslims
9 Europeans
7 Landlords
4 Representative of India Community
2 Sikhs
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Government of India Act 1919
7. Government of India Act 1919
• The Act provided for the establishment of a Public Service
Commission in India for the first time.
• The Communal representation was extended and Sikhs, Europeans
and Anglo-Indians were included .
• The Franchise (Right to voting) was granted to the limited number of
only those who paid a certain minimum "Tax" to the Government
(Those people who had property, taxable income and paid land
revenue of Rs.3000 were entitled to vote.
8. The Act introduced Diarchy in the
province
Government of India Act 1919
• Diarchy means dual set of governments, one is
accountable, the other is not accountable. The
subjects of the provincial Government were divided in
to two groups. One group was reserved, and the other
group was transferred.
• The Reserved subject were controlled by the British
Governors of the province, the transferred subjects
were given to the Indian Ministers of the Province.
9. Government of India Act 1919
The Reserved Subjects: The reserved subjects were placed under the
control of the governors a) Law and Order (b) The administration of
Justice, Police, Land Revenue, irrigation and canals, famine relief,
controlling press, newspaper and books, borrowings, forests, prisons,
settlement of labour dispute etc.,come under reserved subjects.
Transferred Subjects included: Agriculture and Fisheries,
Cooperative Societies, Education, Excise, Local self Government,
Hospitals, public health, industries etc.,
Working of Dyarchy: The system of Diarchy worked in the provinces
for about 16 years i.e. from 1921 to 1937. However it did not work
satisfactorily.
10. Following were the major causes for the
failure of Diarchy
Government of India Act 1919
• Unscientific division of subjects
• Lack of cooperation between Executive Councilors and Ministers
• Weak position of the Ministers
• No joint responsibility
• Department of Finance under the Executive Councillers
• Not so cordial relations between the Ministers and the Senior
Government Officers
• Governor's support to bureaucracy
• Little freedom of vote in the Legislative Assembly
11. Merits of the Act of 1919
Government of India Act 1919
• It introduced for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the
country.
• For the first time, elections were known to the people and it created
political consciousness among the people
• Some Indian women also had the right to vote for the first time
• For the first time, Indians were appointed Ministers as the leaders of
elected majority. This was responsible Government although to a very
limited extent.
• It gave training in the art of government
12. Demerits of the Act of 1919
Government of India Act 1919
• The franchise was extremely limited. In 1920, out of total
population of about 25 crore in India, there were 9 lakhs voters for
the Lower House and 17,000 for the Upper House.
• Property qualification to be eligible to vote were pitched very high
• The Governor enjoyed unrestricted powers
• The Constituencies were grouped on communal basis.
13. • The governor could over rule the
decision of the Ministers.
• The Viceroy could over rule his
Council
• The Governor General and the
Governor- were not responsible to
the Legislature
• Defective system of Dyarchy. 13
Government of India Act 1919
14. Outcomes of the Act
• Public Reaction: The Congress met in a special
session in August 1918 at Bombayunder Hasan
Imam’s presidency and declared the reforms to
be “disappointing”and “unsatisfactory” and
demanded effective self-government instead.
• Encouraged the Struggle for Power: The Act
encouraged the struggle for power in both
Indians and the British.
Government of India Act 1919
15. • As a result a large number of communal riots
took place which continued to increase from
1922 to 1927.
• The Swaraj Party was founded in 1923 and
won a substantial number of seats in the
elections, except Madras.
• Whereas in Bombay and Central Provinces
were successful in blocking the majority of
other supplies with the salaries of ministers.
• Thus the governors of both the provinces were
forced to abolish the diarchy regime and took
the transferred subjects under their control.
Government of India Act 1919
