Features
|
Drawbacks
|
|
Morley-
Minto Reforms -1909
|
1.No. of elected members in Imperial & Provincial Legislative
Councils increased- elected non-officials still in minority
2.Seperate electorates introduced for Muslims
3. Legislatures could pass resolutions; ask questions
n supplementaries, vote separate items of the budget.
4. One Indian to be on viceroy’s executive council.
5. Elected non-officials to be elected indirectly –
thus elections introduced for the first time.
|
1. aimed at dividing the nationalist ranks and at
rallying the Moderates n the Muslims
to the Govt’s side
2.No responsibility entrusted to legislatures – this
resulted in thoughtless criticism sometimes
3. System of election was too indirect.
|
Montagu- Chelmsford
Reforms
|
1.Dyarchy in provinces
2. Two lists – reserved and transferred – for administration .reserved
subjects to be administrated by ministers from legislative council.
3.extensive powers to governor , governor –general n secretary of the
state for interference
4.franchise expanded , powers also extended
5.Governor –general to administer with an executive council of 8-
three to be Indians
6.Two lists for administration – central n provincial
7. Bicameral central legislature – central legislative Assemble as
the lower house and council of states as the upper house
|
1.Dyarchy arrangement too
complex n irrational to be functional
2. Central executive not responsible to legislation
3. Limited franchise
|
Simon Commission
1928
|
Came in 1928 to explore possibility of further constitutional
advance
|
Boycotted by Indians because no Indian represented in
the commission
|
Nehru Report
1928
|
1.First Indian effort to draft constitutional scheme
2.dominion status
3.not separate electorates, but joint electorates with reserved seats
for minorities
4.linguistic provinces
5.19 Fundamental rights
6.responsible government at centre and in provinces
|
|
Government of
India Act 1935
|
Proposed – 1.an All India Federation; bicameral
legislature at the centre; provincial autonomy; three lists for legislation- federal, provincial and
concurrent
2.At centre , subjects to be administered divided
into reserved and transferred categories
3.Provincial legislators to be directly to be
elected
|
|
Linlithgow’s
Statement
(17 Oct
1939)
|
1.Britains war aim is to resist aggression
2. All interest groups are to be consulted to modify 1935 act for
Future
3.immediately a “consultative committee” is to be formed for advising
functions
|
Congress Response
1.No Indian support to the war
2. Congress ministries in province to resign
3. But no immediate mass struggle to be launched
|
August Offer
(1940)
|
1.dominion Status to be the long –term objective
2.After the war, constituent assembly to be formed
comprising mainly Indians
3. Minorities
consent to be essential for any future settlement
|
Congress rejected the offer
|
Cripps Mission
( March 1942) |
1.An Indian Union with dominion status, with right to withdraw from
Commonwealth
2.after war, a constituent assembly elected by provincial assemblies
to frame the constitution
3.Freedom to any province unwilling to join the Union to have a
separate agreement with Britain
|
Congress objected to
1.dominion status
2.right to provinces to secede
3.no immediate transfer of power
4.retention of governor-general’s supremacy
Muslim League objected to
1.Pakistan not being explicitly offered
2.the machinery for creation of constituent Assembly
|
C. Rajagopalachari Formula
(March 1944) |
1.league should immediately support independence for
India n cooperate in Interim Govt
2.After War, Muslim majority areas to exercise right
to self-determination
3. In case of partition, common centre for defense ,
commerce, communication etc
|
Jinnah rejected the offer as he wanted Congress to
accept the two- nation theory
|
Desai –Liaqat
Pact
|
1.Congress and league nominees to have equal representation in
Central executive
2.20% of seats reserved for minorities
|
|
Wavell Plan
( Shimla conference – June 1945) |
1.An all Indian executive council except the
governor-general and commander-in chief
2.equal representation for caste Hindus n Muslims
|
1.Muslim League wanted all Muslims to be its
nominees and claimed a communal veto in the executive council
2.congress objected to it being painted purely as a
caste hindu party
|
Cabinet Mission
|
Proposals
1.rejected of Pakistan
2.grouping of existing assemblies into three sections A, B, C
3.three-tier executive and legislature at province, princely sates
and union level
4.provincial assemblies to elect a constituent assembly
5. common centre for defense , communication, external Affairs
6.Provinces to have autonomy and residual power
7.Princely states free to have an arrangement with the successor
government or the British Govt
8.in future, a province free to come out of the section or the union
|
Congress claimed that the grouping was optional while the league
thought that the grouping was compulsory. mission decided the mateer in the
League’s favor
|
Attlee’s
Statement
( Feb 20,
19470
|
1.June 30, 1948 as deadline for transfer of power
2. power may be transferred to one centre or in some
areas to existing provincial governments
|
|
Mountbatten
Plan June 3, 1947
|
1.Punjab and Bengal Assemblies to take decision on partition
2.Sindh to take its own decision
3.Referendum to be held in NWEP and Sylhet District
4.Two dominions to be created if partition is to take place, with two
Constituent Assemblies
5.Freedom to be granted on Aug 15, 1947
|
