instruction
stringlengths 1
84
| input
stringlengths 1
85
| output
stringlengths 1
83
|
|---|---|---|
Houses were chosen by direct election.
|
4. It required that the three of the six members of the Viceroy’s
|
executive Council (other than the Commander-in-Chief)
|
were to be Indian.
|
5. It extended the principle of communal representation by
|
providing separate electorates for Sikhs, Indian Christians,
|
Anglo-Indians and Europeans.
|
6. It granted franchise to a limited number of people on the
|
basis of property, tax or education.
|
7. It created a new office of the High Commissioner for India in
|
London and transferred to him some of the functions hitherto
|
performed by the Secretary of State for India.
|
8. It provided for the establishment of a public service
|
commission. Hence, a Central Public Service Commission
|
was set up in 1926 for recruiting civil servants8 .
|
9. It separated, for the first time, provincial budgets from the
|
Central budget and authorised the provincial legislatures to
|
enact their budgets.
|
10. It provided for the appointment of a statutory commission to
|
inquire into and report on its working after ten years of its
|
coming into force.
|
Simon Commission
|
In November 1927 itself (i.e., 2 years before the schedule), the
|
British Government announced the appointment a seven-member
|
to report on the condition of India under its new Constitution. All
|
the members of the commission were British and hence, all the
|
parties boycotted the commission. The commission submitted its
|
report in 1930 and recommended the abolition of dyarchy,
|
extension of responsible Government in the provinces,
|
establishment of a federation of British India and princely states,
|
continuation of communal electorate and so on. To consider the
|
proposals of the commission, the British Government convened
|
three round table conferences of the representatives of the British
|
Government, British India and Indian princely states. On the basis
|
of these discussions, a ‘White Paper on Consitutional Reforms’
|
was prepared and submitted for the consideration of the Joint
|
Select Committee of the British Parliament. The recommendations
|
of this committee were incorporated (with certain changes) in the
|
next Government of India Act of 1935.
|
Communal Award
|
In August 1932, Ramsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister,
|
announced a scheme of representation of the minorities, which
|
came to be known as the Communal Award. The award not only
|
continued separate electorates for the Muslims, Sikhs, Indian
|
Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans but also extended it to
|
the depressed classes (Scheduled Castes). Gandhiji was
|
distressed over this extension of the principle of communal
|
representation to the depressed classes and undertook fast unto
|
death in Yerawada Jail (Poona) to get the award modified. At last,
|
there was an agreement between the leaders of the Congress and
|
the depressed classes. The agreement, known as Poona Pact,
|
retained the Hindu joint electorate and gave reserved seats to the
|
depressed classes.
|
Government of India Act of 1935
|
The Act marked a second milestone towards a completely
|
responsible government in India. It was a lengthy and detailed
|
document having 321 Sections and 10 Schedules.
|
1. It provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation
|
consisting of provinces and princely states as units. The Act
|
divided the powers between the Centre and units in terms of
|
three lists–Federal List (for Centre, with 59 items), Provincial
|
List (for provinces, with 54 items) and the Concurrent List
|
(for both, with 36 items). Residuary powers were given to the
|
Viceroy. However, the federation never came into being as
|
the princely states did not join it.
|
2. It abolished dyarchy in the provinces and introduced
|
‘provincial autonomy’ in its place. The provinces were
|
allowed to act as autonomous units of administration in their
|
defined spheres. Moreover, the Act introduced responsible
|
Governments in provinces, that is, the Governor was
|
required to act with the advice of ministers responsible to the
|
provincial legislature. This came into effect in 1937 and was
|
discontinued in 1939.
|
3. It provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the Centre.
|
Consequently, the federal subjects were divided into
|
reserved subjects and transferred subjects. However, this
|
provision of the Act did not come into operation at all.
|
4. It introduced bicameralism in six out of eleven provinces.
|
Thus, the legislatures of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar,
|
Assam and the United Provinces were made bicameral
|
consisting of a legislative council (upper house) and a
|
legislative assembly (lower house). However, many
|
restrictions were placed on them.
|
5. It further extended the principle of communal representation
|
by providing separate electorates for depressed classes
|
(Scheduled Castes), women and labour (workers).
|
6. It abolished the Council of India, established by the
|
Government of India Act of 1858. The secretary of state for
|
India was provided with a team of advisors.
|
7. It extended franchise. About 10 per cent of the total
|
population got the voting right.
|
8. It provided for the establishment of a Reserve Bank of India
|
to control the currency and credit of the country.
|
Commission and Joint Public Service Commission for two or
|
more provinces.
|
10. It provided for the establishment of a Federal Court, which
|
was set up in 1937.
|
Indian Independence Act of 1947
|
On February 20, 1947, the British Prime Minister Clement Atlee
|
declared that the British rule in India would end by June 30,1948;
|
after which the power would be transferred to responsible Indian
|
hands. This announcement was followed by the agitation by the
|
Muslim League demanding partition of the country. Again on June
|
3, 1947, the British Government made it clear that any
|
Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly of India (formed
|
in 1946) cannot apply to those parts of the country which were
|
unwilling to accept it. On the same day (June 3, 1947), Lord
|
Mountbatten, the Viceroy of India, put forth the partition plan,
|
known as the Mountbatten Plan. The plan was accepted by the
|
Congress and the Muslim League. Immediate effect was given to
|
the plan by enacting the Indian Independence Act9 (1947).
|
The features of this Act were as follows:
|
1. It ended the British rule in India and declared India as an
|
independent and sovereign state from August 15, 1947.
|
2. It provided for the partition of India and creation of two
|
independent dominions of India and Pakistan with the right
|
to secede from the British Commonwealth.
|
3. It abolished the office of Viceroy and provided, for each
|
dominion, a governorgeneral, who was to be appointed by
|
the British King on the advice of the dominion cabinet. His
|
Majesty’s Government in Britain was to have no
|
responsibility with respect to the Government of India or
|
Pakistan.
|
4. It empowered the Constituent Assemblies of the two
|
dominions to frame and adopt any constitution for their
|
respective nations and to repeal any act of the British
|
Parliament, including the Independence act itself.
|
5. It empowered the Constituent Assemblies of both the
|
dominions to legislate for their respective territories till the
|
new constitutions were drafted and enforced. No Act of the
|
British Parliament passed after August 15, 1947 was to
|
extend to either of the new dominions unless it was
|
extended thereto by a law of the legislature of the dominion.
|
6. It abolished the office of the Secretary of State for India and
|
transferred his functions to the Secretary of State for
|
Commonwealth Affairs.
|
7. It proclaimed the lapse of British paramountcy over the
|
Indian princely states and treaty relations with tribal areas
|
from August 15, 1947.
|
8. It granted freedom to the Indian princely states either to join
|
the Dominion of India or Dominion of Pakistan or to remain
|
independent.
|
9. It provided for the governance of each of the dominions and
|
the provinces by the Government of India Act of 1935, till the
|
new Constitutions were framed. The dominions were
|
however authorised to make modifications in the Act.
|
10. It deprived the British Monarch of his right to veto bills or ask
|
for reservation of certain bills for his approval. But, this right
|
was reserved for the GovernorGeneral. The Governor-
|
General would have full power to assent to any bill in the
|
name of His Majesty.
|
11. It designated the Governor-General of India and the
|
provincial governors as constitutional (nominal) heads of the
|
states. They were made to act on the advice of the
|
respective council of ministers in all matters.
|
12. It dropped the title of Emperor of India from the royal titles of
|
the King of England.
|
13. It discontinued the appointment to civil services and
|
reservation of posts by the secretary of state for India. The
|
members of the civil services appointed before August 15,
|
1947 would continue to enjoy all benefits that they were
|
entitled to till that time.
|
At the stroke of midnight of 14-15 August, 1947, the British rule
|
came to an end and power was transferred to the two new
|
independent Dominions of India and Pakistan10. Lord Mountbatten
|
independent India. The Constituent Assembly of India formed in
|
1946 became the Parliament of the Indian Dominion.
|
Table 1.1 Interim Government (1946)
|
Sl. Members Portfolios Held
|
No.
|
1. Jawaharlal Nehru Vice-President of the Council;
|
External Affairs & Commonwealth
|
Relations
|
2. Sardar Vallabhbhai Home, Information & Broadcasting
|
Patel
|
3. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Food & Agriculture
|
4. Dr. John Mathai Industries & Supplies
|
5. Jagjivan Ram Labour
|
6. Sardar Baldev Singh Defence
|
7. C.H. Bhabha Works, Mines & Power
|
8. Liaquat Ali Khan Finance
|
9. Abdur Rab Nishtar Posts & Air
|
10. Asaf Ali Railways & Transport
|
11. C. Rajagopalachari Education & Arts
|
12. I.I. Chundrigar Commerce
|
13. Ghaznafar Ali Khan Health
|
14. Joginder Nath Law
|
Mandal
|
Note: The members of the interim Government were members of
|
the Viceroy’s Executive Council. The Viceroy continued to be the
|
head of the Council. But, Jawaharlal Nehru was designated as the
|
Vice-President of the Council.
|
No.
|
1. Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister; External Affairs &
|
Commonwealth Relations; Scientific
|
Research
|
2. Sardar Vallabhbhai Home, Information & Broadcasting;
|
Patel States
|
3. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Food & Agriculture
|
4. Maulana Abul Kalam Education
|
Azad
|
5. Dr. John Mathai Railways & Transport
|
6. R.K. Shanmugham Finance
|
Chetty
|
7. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Law
|
8. Jagjivan Ram Labour
|
9. Sardar Baldev Singh Defence
|
10. Raj Kumari Amrit Health
|
Kaur
|
11. C.H. Bhabha Commerce
|
12. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Communication
|
13. Dr. Shayama Prasad Industries & Supplies
|
Mukherji
|
14. V.N. Gadgil Works, Mines & Power
|
NOTES AND REFERENCES
|
1. The Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam, granted ‘Diwani’ to
|
the Company after its victory in the Battle of Buxar
|
(1764).
|
2. It was introduced in the British Parliament by the then
|
Prime Minister, William Pitt.
|
3. At that time, the Civil Services of the company were
|
classified into covenanted civil services (higher civil
|
services). The former was created by a law of the
|
Company, while the later was created otherwise.
|
4. Subhash C. Kashyap, Our Constitution, National Book
|
Trust, Third Edition, 2001, P. 14.
|
5. The system of Budget was introduced in British India in
|
1860.
|
6. V. N. Shukla, The Constitution of India, Eastern Book
|
Company, Tenth Edition, 2001, P. A-10.
|
7. The declaration thus stated: ‘The policy of His Majesty’s
|
Government is that of the increasing association of
|
Indians in every branch of the administration, and the
|
gradual development of self-government institutions,
|
with a view to the progressive realisation of responsible
|
government in India as an integral part of the British
|
Empire’.
|
8. This was done on the recommendation of the Lee
|
Commission on Superior Civil Services in India (1923-
|
24).
|
9. The Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the
|
British Parliament on July 4, 1947 and received the
|
Royal Assent on July 18, 1947. The act came into force
|
on August 15, 1947.
|
10. The boundaries between the two Dominions were
|
determined by a Boundary Commission headed by
|
Radcliff. Pakistan included the provinces of West
|
Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, East Bengal, North-Western
|
Frontier Province and the district of sylhet in Assam.
|
2 Making of the Constitution
|
DEMAND FOR A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
|
It was in 1934 that the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India
|
was put forward for the first time by M.N. Roy, a pioneer of
|
communist movement in India. In 1935, the Indian National
|
Congress (INC), for the first time, officially demanded a
|
Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of India. In 1938,
|
Jawaharlal Nehru, on behalf the INC declared that ‘the
|
Constitution of free India must be framed, without outside
|
interference, by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of
|
adult franchise’.
|
The demand was finally accepted in principle by the British
|
Government in what is known as the ‘August Offer’ of 1940. In
|
1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a Member of the Cabinet, came to India
|
with a draft proposal of the British Government on the framing of
|
an independent Constitution to be adopted after the World War II.
|
The Cripps Proposals were rejected by the Muslim League, which
|
wanted India to be divided into two autonomous states with two
|
separate Constituent Assemblies. Finally, a Cabinet Mission1 was
|
sent to India. While it rejected the idea of two Constituent
|
Assemblies, it put forth a scheme for the Constituent Assembly
|
COMPOSITION OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
|
The Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946
|
under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan.
|
The features of the scheme were:
|
1. The total strength of the Constituent Assembly was to be
|
389. Of these, 296 seats were to be allotted to British India
|
and 93 seats to the princely states. Out of 296 seats allotted
|
to the British India, 292 members were to be drawn from the
|
eleven governors’ provinces2 and four from the four Chief
|
Commissioners’ provinces3 , one from each.
|
2. Each province and princely state (or group of states in case
|
of small states) were to be allotted seats in proportion to
|
their respective population. Roughly, one seat was to be
|
allotted for every million population.
|
3. Seats allocated to each British province were to be divided
|
among the three principal communities–Muslims, Sikhs and
|
General (all except Muslims and Sikhs), in proportion to their
|
population.
|
4. The representatives of each community were to be elected
|
by members of that community in the provincial legislative
|
assembly and voting was to be by the method of
|
proportional representation by means of single transferable
|
vote.
|
5. The representatives of the princely states were to be
|
nominated by the heads of the princely states.
|
It is, thus, clear that the Constituent Assembly was to be a
|
partly elected and partly nominated body. Moreover, the members
|
were to be indirectly elected by the members of the provincial
|
assemblies, who themselves were elected on a limited franchise4 .
|
The elections to the Constituent Assembly (for 296 seats
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.