Government of India Act 1909

Introduction

After the 1904 Partition of Bengal escalated the political tempo of the country and widened the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims in India, the British rulers believed that a dramatic step was required to reassure loyal elements of the Indian upper classes and the growing Westernized section of the population.

In 1906, Lord Morley, the Secretary of State for India, announced in the British parliament that his government wanted to introduce new reforms for India in which the locals were to be given more powers in legislative affairs. A committee was appointed by the Government of India to propose a scheme of reforms. The committee submitted its report, and after the approval of Lord Minto, the Viceroy for India, and Lord Morley, the Act of 1909 was passed by the British parliament, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms. Its key features were as follows:

1. The members of the Legislative Councils, both in the centre and in the provinces, were to be of four categories: ex officio members, nominated official members (government officials), nominated non-official members (civilians), and elected members.
2. The maximum number of nominated and elected members of the Legislative Council at the Center was increased from 16 to 60, excluding ex officio members.
3. The maximum number of nominated and elected members of the provincial legislative councils, under a governor or lieutenant governor, was also increased. Legislative councils were not created for provinces under a chief commissioner.
4. The right of a separate electorate was given to the Muslims.
5. Official members were to form the majority, but in provinces, nonofficial members would be in the majority.
6. The members of the Legislative Councils were permitted to discuss budgets, suggest amendments, and even vote on them, except for items that were included as non-vote items. They were also entitled to ask supplementary questions during the legislative proceedings.
7. The Secretary of State for India was empowered to increase the number of the Executive Councils of Madras and Bombay from two to four.
8. Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs.
9. The Governor-General was empowered to nominate one Indian member to his Executive Council.

Significance of the Government of India Act 1909

Although the Government of India Act 1909 did not go any significant distance toward meeting the Indian National Congress’s demand for ‘the system of government obtaining in self-governing British colonies, the Act was important for the following reasons:

1. It effectively legitimized the election of Indians to the various legislative councils in India for the first time. Earlier, only a limited number of Indians were appointed to legislative councils. The majority of the councils remained British government appointments. Moreover, the electorate was limited to specific classes of Indian nationals.

2. The introduction of the electoral principle laid the groundwork for a parliamentary system, even if this was contrary to the intent of Morley.

3. The British conceded the demand of Muslim leaders for separate electorates by stipulating that in councils and the imperial legislature, the number of reserved seats be over their relative population (25 percent of the Indian population) and that only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats (‘separate electorates’).