ABSTRACT
The Government of India Act of 1919 afforded evidence not only of Britain’s desire to foster representative and responsible parliamentary institutions in India, but also of her intention to transfer power by stages to Indian hands. It was in the nature of a ‘control experiment’. A beginning in responsible government was made in the provinces. Provincial government was divided into two compartments. Some subjects, finance and law and order in particular, were reserved to the control of the Governor and his official executive. Other subjects, such as education, agriculture, public health, local government, were transferred to the control of Indian Ministers responsible to the elected legislature. Responsible government was to be progressively realized by the transfer of further subjects to Ministers as and when it seemed justified in the light of experience. At the end of ten years a Commission was to examine the working of the system and to advise as to whether the time had come for complete responsible government in any province, or whether some subjects now reserved should be transferred, or if matters had gone badly, the reverse. The devolution of powers from the centre to the provinces was extended and legalized. The provincial legislatures were enlarged. In all of them the majority of the members were to be elected. The franchise was considerably widened. At the centre no comparable advance was made, but measures were taken to further Indian unity and to pave the way for the introduction of responsible government by the creation of a central legislature consisting of an Assembly and of a Council of State, the majority of whose members were elected. If they could not determine policy they could debate it.
