Indian Polity MCQs – 1 ( Historical Background of Constitution )

Ans - B (The Regulating Act 1773)

The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first step taken by the British Parliament to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India.

The important provisions of the Act were:

• The political and administrative functions of the company were recognized for the first time.
• It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such Governor General was Lord Warren Hastings.
• It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).
• It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade.

Ans - (b) -  Charter Act of 1833 

• It designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India.  Under this provision Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India.

Other provisions of the Act were:

• The English East India Company ceased to be a commercial agency in India. In other words, it would function hereafter as the political agent for the Crown.
• It deprived the Governor of Bombay and Madras of their legislative powers. The Governor-General of India was given exclusive legislative powers for the entire British India.

Ans - D (All of the above)

The Indian Councils Act 1909 is also known as Morley-Minto Reforms ( Named after the Secretary of State for India John Morley and the Viceroy of India, Lord Minto).

Important provisions of the Act were:

1. The act enlarged the size of the legislative council both at Central and Provincial level. The number of members in the Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60. The number in the Provincial legislative councils was not uniform.
2. It increased the functions of the legislative councils at both the levels. It empowered the members to discuss the budget and move resolutions before it was approved finally. Members were also given rights to ask supplementary questions and move resolutions.
3. This act for the first time allowed the association of Indians with the executive council of the Viceroy. Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s executive council as the Law Member.
4. It introduced a system of ‘separate electorate’ for Muslim community. Under this, the Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters.  

Thus, the Act led to the legalization of communalism and Lord Minto came to be known as the Father of Communal Electorate.

Ans - D (All of the above)

Government of India Act 1919 was passed by British Parliament to further expand the participation of Indians in the Government of India. It was also called Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms or Mont-Ford Reforms(  Edwin Montague -Secretary of State for India and Lord Chelmsford - Viceroy )

Important provisions of the Act were:

1. British Government declared, for the first time, that its objective was the gradual introduction of responsible government in India.
2. By providing separate electorates for Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans, This act extended and consolidated the communal representation. 
3. It relaxed the central control over the provinces by separating the central and provincial subjects.
4. It further divided the provincial subjects into two parts– transferred and reserved. The transferred subjects were to be administered by the Governor with the aid of Ministers responsible to the legislative council. The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered by the Governor . This dual scheme of governance was known as ‘dyarchy’(double rule). 
5. It also separated provincial budgets from the Central budget and authorized the provincial legislatures to enact their own budgets.
6. It introduced, for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the country.
7. The act provided for the establishment of a Public Service Commission in India for the first time.

Ans - B ( Charter Act of 1853 )

•  It separated for the first time, the legislative and executive functions of the governor-general Council.
• It provided for the addition of six members called legislative councilors to the council.
• In other words, it established a separate Governor’s General legislative council which came to be known as Indian legislative Council.

Ans - C (Only 1, 2 and 3 )

The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first step taken by the British Parliament to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India.

The important provisions of the Act were:

• The political and administrative functions of the company were recognized for the first time.
• It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such Governor General was Lord Warren Hastings.
• It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).
• It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade.
• It made the governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the Governor General of Bengal.

Pitts India Act (introduced by British PM William Pitt) was passed in 1784.

The important provisions of the Act were:

1. It distinguished between the commercial and political functions of the Company.
2. It allowed the Court of Directors to manage the commercial affairs.
3. It created a new body,‘Board of Control’ to manage the political affairs.
4. Company’s territories in India were for the first time called the ‘British possessions in India'.

And - D(1,2, and 3)

The Government of India Act 1935 was a big step towards establishment of responsible government in India.

The important provisions of the Act were :

1. It introduced ‘provincial autonomy’ and removed dyarchy in the provinces.
2. It provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of provinces and princely states as units.
3. The Act divided the powers between the Centre and provinces by three lists—Federal List, Provincial List  and Concurrent List .
4. It provided for dyarchy at the Centre (  Federal subjects were divided into reserved subjects and transferred subjects. But, this provision never into operation) .
5. Residuary powers were given to the Viceroy.