CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
REGULATING ACT, 1773 :-
The first Constitutional Reform.
It provided for -
A Court of Directors for the East India Company (60 members). The Governor of Bengal was made Governor General of Fort William. Governors of Bombay and Madras were placed under Governor General of Fort William.
A Legislative body called Governor General - in - Council with 4 members was created.
A Supreme Court of Calcutta was provided with 3 Judges and a Chief Justice (Elize imphey - First Chief Justice)
The Company's servants were barred form accepting bribes, and presentations.
PITTS INDIA ACT, 1784 -
Was passed to rectify the drawbacks of Regulating Act. It was also the first attempt on the part of Parliament to control the company indirectly. The Act provided for -
Board of Control with 6 members called commissioners and a President to monitor the functioning of Court of Director the President answerable to Parliament.
The Governors of Bombay and Madras were clearly been insubordinated to the Governor General of fort William.
The membership of the Legislative Body was reduced to 3 form 4
The supreme Court of Calcutta was meant only for English Subjects.
The Act authorized Court of Directors to make all the recruitments in India.
CHARTER ACT, 1813 :-
- Started Free Trade Policy ending the monopoly on all items except Tea and Opium.
- The Act made training compulsory for all civil servants before joining the Service.
It provided for Rs 1 lac for promoting eduction in British India.
CHARTER ACT, 1833 :-
- Completely ended the monopoly on all items of trade including tea and opium, (Complete Free Trade policy)
- Centralisation of legislation started. The laws made by Governor General - in - Council in Kolkata were made applicable automatically for Bombay and Madras Presidencies.
- Governor General of Fort William was made Governor General of British India (William Bentinck - First Governor of British India.
- A law member was appointed for the first time in the Governor General - in -Council (T.B. Macaulay - the First Law Member)
- the Act for the first time recommended for the appointment of India to the Civil Services.
CHARTER ACT, 1853 :-
- Relieved the Governor General form the responsibility of the Governor of Bengal (Lord Dalhousie became the 1st Governor General without the additional responsibility of being the Governor of Bengal). A Lt. Governor was appointed for Bengal (Andrew Fraser)
- The recruitment and recalling rights were transferred from the Court of Directors to Board of Control (Written compelitive exams started form 1854).
INDIAN COUNCILS ACT, 1861 :-
- Provided for Legislative Councils in Bombay, Madras & Calcutta and for the nomination of Indian Members called non official members.
- Under the Act, Lord Canning introduced Portfolio System (allocation of departments for the first time).
INDIAN COUNCILS ACT, 1892 -
- Provided for the first time for indirect elections.
- Indian members were permitted to ask questions but were not given the right to vote.
MINTO - MORLEY REFORMS 1909 / GOVT. OF INDIA ACT, 1909
- Separate communal electorates to the Muslims.
- For the first time, Indian were allowed to be appointed in the Viceroy's Executive Council (Lord S.P. Sinha became the 1st Indian appointed to the Executive Council and was given Law portfolio)
MONTAGUE - CHELMSFORD REFORMS / GOVT. OF INDIA ACT, 1919
- Dyarchy at the provincial level. Under dyarchy. the subjects of power were divided into reserved and transferred. Under reserved subjects, Finance, Internal Order, Jails, Revenue were administered by Governor and his Executive Council. The Transferred subject like Education, Public Health, Sanitation, Municipal administration; Irrigation and Industries were to be administered by Governor and his Council of Ministers.
- The Act provided for the First time, general (direct) elections. the elected govts. at the provincial level would administer the transferred subjects.
- Bicameral Legislature (Council of States - The Upper House and Central Legislative Assemble - The Lower House) were introduced at the Central level.
- Devolution of Power was made for the first time dividing the powers into Central and Provincial.
- The office of the Indian High Commissioner was created for the first time in London to promote cultural, trade & commercial contacts between England and India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIAN ACT, 1935 :-
The last Constitutional reform of the British, provided for -
- A federal Govt. with British India and princely states but federation never materialised as princely states never joined the federation.
- Dyarchy was abolished.
- Elected / Responsible govts. at the provinces were given all the subjects of power under Provincial List.
Division of Power took place for the first time dividing the powers into Central, Provincial and Concurrent (Residency)
- Bicameral Legislatures were introduced in 6 provinces (Madras, Bombay, Bihar, U.P., Assam and Bengal)
- Separate communal electorates were given to Sikhs. Anglo - Indians and Parsis.
- A Federal Court of Justice with 6 judges and One Chief Justice was provided which later became Supreme Court of India (The Federal court was founded in 1937)
- Federal reserve Bank and a Federal Service Commission were being provided.
the Governor General at the Centre and Governors in provinces were given Absolute Veto Powers.