UPSC Prelims 2012·GS1·polity-and-governance·governance

Which of the following is/are the principal feature(s) of the Government of India Act, 1919? 1. Introduction of dyarchy in the executive government of the provinces 2. Introduction of separate communal electorates for Muslims 3. Devolution of legislative authority by the centre to the provinces Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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  1. A1 only
  2. B2 and 3 only
  3. C1 and 3 onlyCorrect
  4. D1, 2 and 3

Explanation

The correct answer is C because of the following reasons: Statement 1 is correct. The Government of India Act of 1919, also known as the Montagu Chelmsford Reforms, introduced Dyarchy in the provinces. This divided provincial subjects into two parts: Transferred and Reserved. Statement 2 is incorrect. Separate communal electorates for Muslims were actually introduced earlier by the Morley Minto Reforms or the Government of India Act of 1909. The 1919 Act merely extended this system to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo Indians, and Europeans. Statement 3 is correct. The Act relaxed central control over the provinces by demarcating and separating the central and provincial subjects. This allowed provinces to make laws on subjects in their own list, effectively devolving legislative authority. Therefore, only statements 1 and 3 are principal features of the 1919 Act.
polity-and-governance: Which of the following is/are the principal feature(s) of the Government of India Act, 1919? 1. Introduction of dyarchy

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