Question map
Which one of the following is not a change brought about by the Indian Independence Act of 1947?
Explanation
The Indian Independence Act of 1947 brought significant structural changes to the governance of India. It ended British rule and declared India an independent and sovereign state as of August 15, 1947 [4]. Consequently, India ceased to be a dependency or colony of the British Empire [2]. The Act provided that until new Constitutions were framed, the Government of India Act, 1935, would serve as the interim Constitution, with the Dominions authorized to make necessary amendments [4]. It also designated the Governor-General as the constitutional (nominal) head of the Indian Dominion, acting on the advice of the council of ministers [3]. Crucially, the Act abolished the office of the Secretary of State for India and ended the British Crown's responsibility for the government of India [4]. Therefore, the Crown was no longer the source of authority; instead, the Constituent Assemblies of the new Dominions were empowered to exercise legislative authority [1].
Sources
- [4] https://cbc.gov.in/cbcdev/crown/crown9.html
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > fli Socialist > p. 43
- [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 1: Historical Background > The features of this Act were as follows: > p. 9
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 25: Independence with Partition > Indian Independence Act > p. 495