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Difficulty: HardConstitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India

With reference to the administrative and constitutional provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms), consider the following statements:

1. It introduced dyarchy at the executive level of the Central Government while granting full provincial autonomy.
2. It separated, for the first time, provincial budgets from the Central budget and authorized provincial legislatures to enact their budgets.
3. It extended the system of separate communal electorates to include Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A
    1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 onlyAnswer
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2 and 3

Answer

The option containing statements 2 and 3 only is correct.
The option selecting statements 2 and 3 only is correct. The Government of India Act 1919 introduced provincial budgetary independence by separating provincial budgets from the central budget and extended communal electorates to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans. Statement 1 misattributes provincial dyarchy as central dyarchy, which is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Statement 1 regarding executive dyarchy and provincial autonomy.
Statement 1 is incorrect.
The Government of India Act 1919 established dyarchy specifically in the provinces by dividing provincial subjects into 'Reserved' and 'Transferred'. Provincial Autonomy and Dyarchy at the Centre were provisions introduced later under the Government of India Act 1935.
2
Evaluate Statement 2 regarding financial decentralization and budget separation.
Statement 2 is correct.
The 1919 Act devolved financial authority by separating provincial budgets from the central budget, enabling provincial councils to formulate and vote on their own independent budgets.
3
Evaluate Statement 3 regarding the expansion of communal electorates.
Statement 3 is correct.
While the Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) introduced separate electorates for Muslims, the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) extended this communal representation principle to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans.

Key Concept

Key provisions of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms / Government of India Act 1919
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Topics

Constitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India