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Viceroy's Executive Council

  • The Viceroy's Executive Council served as the cabinet for the British Indian government, led by the Viceroy of India.
  • It transitioned from an advisory role to a cabinet system under the Indian Councils Act of 1861.

Government of India Act 1858:

  • This act transferred authority from the East India Company to the British Crown, which had the power to appoint a Viceroy and Governor-General to oversee Indian governance.
  • The Governor-General's advisory council, based in Calcutta, comprised four members—three appointed by the Secretary of State for India and one by the Sovereign.

Indian Councils Act 1861:

  • This act restructured the Viceroy's executive council into a portfolio-based cabinet.
  • Three members were appointed by the Secretary of State for India, and two by the Sovereign.
  • The five ordinary members managed separate departments: home, revenue, military, law, and finance.
  • The military Commander-in-Chief participated as an extraordinary member.
  • The Viceroy had the authority to override council decisions if necessary.
  • In 1869, the Crown gained the power to appoint all five members, and in 1874, an additional member for public works was introduced.

Indian Councils Act 1909:

  • This act allowed the Governor-General to nominate one Indian member to the Executive Council.
  • Satyendra Prasanno Sinha became the first Indian member.

Government of India Act 1919:

  • This act increased the number of Indian members in the council to three.

Notable Indian Members (1909-1946)

1. Law Members:

  • Satyendra Prasanno Sinha (1909–1914)
  • P. S. Sivaswami Iyer (1912–1917)
  • Syed Ali Imam, Muhammad Shafi (1924–1928)
  • Tej Bahadur Sapru (1920–1923)
  • Bepin Behary Ghose (1933)

2. Education:

  • C. Sankaran Nair (1915–1919)
  • Muhammad Shafi (1919–1924)

3. Revenue and Agriculture:

  • B. N. Sarma (1920–1925)

4. Health, Education, and Lands:

  • Muhammad Habibullah (1925–1930)
  • Girija Shankar Bajpai (1940)

5. C. P. Ramaswami Iyer: Held various positions including Law (1931–1932), Commerce (1932), and Information (1942)

6. Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (1935–1941): Managed Commerce (until 1939), Law (from 1939), Railway, Industries and Labour, and War Supply

7. Expansion:

  • On 8 August 1940, the Viceroy Lord Linlithgow made a proposal called the August Offer which expanded the Executive Council to include more Indians.

8. Interim Government:

  • As per the Cabinet Mission Plan, the Executive Council was expanded to consist of only Indian members except the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief. This formed the Interim Government of India.

The Imperial Legislative Council

  • The Imperial Legislative Council was a legislature for British India from 1861 to 1947. It succeeded the Council of the Governor-General of India, and was succeeded by the Constituent Assembly of India and Pakistan.
  • Predecessor:
  • The Regulating Act of 1773 limited the influence of the Governor-General of India and established the Council of Four, elected by the East India Company’s Court of Directors.
  • Pitt’s India Act of 1784 reduced the membership to three, and also established the India Board.
  • During the rule of the East India Company, the council of the Governor-General of India had both executive and legislative responsibilities.
  • The council had four members of the Council elected by the Court of Directors.
  • The first three members were permitted to participate on all occasions, but the fourth member was only allowed to sit and vote when legislation was being debated.
  • In 1858, the British Crown took over the administration from the East India Company.
  • The council was transformed into the Imperial Legislative Council, and the Court of Directors of the Company which had the power to elect members of the Governor-General’s Council ceased to have this power.
  • Instead, the one member who had a vote only on legislative questions came to be appointed by the Sovereign, and the other three members by the Secretary of State for India.

1861-1892:

  • The Indian Councils Act 1861 introduced changes to the composition of the Governor-General's Council.
  • The council was renamed as the Governor-General’s Legislative Council or the Imperial Legislative Council.
  • The Secretary of State for India was to appoint three members, and the Sovereign was to appoint two members.
  • In 1869, the power to appoint all five members was transferred to the Crown.
  • The Governor-General gained the authority to appoint an additional six to twelve members.
  • The five appointed members headed executive departments, while the Governor-General's appointees debated and voted on legislation.
  • From 1862 to 1892, 45 Indians were nominated as additional non-official members.
  • Among these, 25 were zamindars, and 7 were rulers of princely states. The rest included lawyers, magistrates, journalists, and merchants.
  • The participation of Indian members in council meetings was minimal.
  • The first three Indian members were:
  • Raja Sir Deo Narayan Singh of Benaras(Jan 1862-1866),
  • Narendra Singh, Maharaja of Patiala(Jan 1862-1864),
  • Dinkar Rao(Jan 1862-1864).

1892-1909:

  • The Indian Councils Act 1892 expanded the council's membership to a minimum of ten and a maximum of sixteen members.
  • The council comprised 6 officials, 5 nominated non-officials, 4 nominated by provincial legislative councils, and 1 nominated by the chamber of commerce in Calcutta.
  • Members could ask questions in the council but were not allowed to ask supplementary questions or discuss the answers.
  • They could discuss the annual financial statement under certain restrictions but could not vote on it.
  • Notable Indian members during this period included:
  • Pherozeshah Mehta, Bombay (1893-1901),
  • Aga Khan III, nominated (1903),
  • Syed Hussain Bilgrami(1902-1908),
  • Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bombay (1903-1909).

1909-1920:

  • The Indian Councils Act 1909 expanded the Legislative Council to 60 members, with 27 elected members.
  • This act marked the first instance of Indian elections to various legislative councils in India, where previously only appointed Indians were present.
  • The Council included six Muslim representatives, the first time a religious group received such representation.
  • The Council's composition was:
  • Ex-officio members from the Viceroy’s Executive Council (9)
  • Nominated officials(28)
  • Nominated non-officials(5): Indian commercial community (1), Punjab Muslims (1), Punjab Landholders (1), Others (2)
  • Elected from provincial legislatures(27)

1920-1947:

  • The Government of India Act 1919 transformed the Imperial Legislative Council into a bicameral legislature, featuring the Imperial Legislative Assembly(Central Legislative Assembly) as the lower house and the Council of State as the upper house.
  • The Governor-General maintained substantial control over legislation, with powers to:
  • Authorize expenditure without legislative consent for ecclesiastical, political, and defense purposes, as well as during emergencies.
  • Veto or halt debate on any bill.
  • Declare a bill passed if only one chamber cooperated, regardless of the other chamber's objections.
  • The legislature had no jurisdiction over foreign affairs and defense.
  • The President of the Council of State was appointed by the Governor-General, while the Central Legislative Assembly elected its own President, subject to the Governor-General's approval.
  • On 14 August 1947, the Imperial Legislative Council and its houses were dissolved under the Indian Independence Act 1947, replaced by the Constituent Assembly of India and the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
The document ViceRoy’s Executive Council & Imperial Legislative Council | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) is a part of the UPSC Course History Optional for UPSC (Notes).
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