Q. Write a short note on: The Indian Council Act, 1909. [71st BPSC, 2026]

Q. Write a short note on: The Indian Council Act, 1909. [71st BPSC, 2026]

Ans:

The Indian Councils Act, 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms was an Act of the British Parliament passed to expand Indian association with the governance of British India. Enacted in the aftermath of the Swadeshi Movement (1905) and growing demand for constitutional reforms by Moderate and Extremist nationalist leaders, the Act marked a significant step in the evolution of legislative bodies in India while simultaneously introducing institutional divisions.

Main Features and Key Provisions

• Expansion of Legislative Councils:
  • The size of both Central and Provincial Legislative Councils was considerably enlarged. The number of additional members in the Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60.
  • Official majority was retained in the Central Legislative Council, but non-official majority was permitted in the Provincial Legislative Councils.
• Enhancement of Deliberative Functions:
  • The Act enlarged the deliberative powers of legislative members at both Central and Provincial levels.
  • For the first time, members were permitted to ask supplementary questions and move resolutions on the budget before its final adoption.
• Association of Indians in Executive Councils
  • The Act provided for the first time for the association of Indians with the Executive Councils of the Viceroy and Governors.
    • Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council, appointed as the Law Member.
• Introduction of Separate Electorates (Communal Representation)
  • The Act introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims by accepting the concept of a ‘separate electorate’. Under this mechanism, Muslim representatives were to be elected exclusively by Muslim voters.
  • By legalizing communalism in Indian politics, Lord Minto came to be regarded as the “Father of Communal Electorate”
  • It also created separate representation for presidency corporations, chambers of commerce, universities, and zamindars.

Critical Assessment & Limitations:

• Though non-official majorities were allowed in provinces, elected members remained a minority because the non-official group included nominated non-officials.
• The councils remained merely advisory bodies without real executive control or accountability to the legislature.
• The introduction of separate electorates sowed the seeds of communal discord, institutionalizing religious division in Indian electoral politics.

To conclude, the Indian Councils Act, 1909 was a double-edged constitutional measure. While it broadened parliamentary experimentation by expanding legislative functions and associating Indians with executive administration, it failed to satisfy the nationalist demand for self-government (Swaraj). Most critically, by establishing communal electorates, the Act institutionalized religious lines in electoral politics, creating long-term political friction that ultimately influenced the trajectory of the national movement.