The Government of India Act of 1919, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, established rules for the devolution of authority from the central government to the provinces. The act was passed by the British Parliament to increase Indian involvement in the government and gradually shift power from the British to the Indians.
Here are some of the features of the Government of India Act of 1919:
Dyarchy: The provinces were divided into transferred and reserved subjects, with the governor administering the transferred subjects with the help of ministers, and the governor and his executive council administering the reserved subjects. This dual scheme of governance was known as dyarchy, which means double rule.
Legislative powers: The act gave the provinces more legislative powers.
Bicameral legislature: The central legislature was made bicameral.
Public Service Commission: The act established a Public Service Commission for the first time in India to recruit civil servants.
Communal representation: The act extended communal representation to include Sikhs, Europeans, and Anglo-Indians.
Direct elections: The act introduced direct elections for the first time in the country.
Statutory commission: The act provided for the establishment of a statutory commission to inquire into the working system of the government after 10 years
