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Q62 (IAS/2024) Polity & Governance › Constitutional Basics & Evolution › Government of India Acts Official Key

With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements : 1. It provided for the establishment of an All India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States. 2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A (1 only).

**Statement 1 is correct:** The Government of India Act was passed by the British Parliament in August 1935, [1]and it provided for an All India Federation comprising all British Indian provinces, all chief commissioner's provinces and the Indian states (princely states).[1] While under all the previous Government of India Acts the Government of India was unitary, the Act of 1935 prescribed a federation, taking the Provinces and the Indian States as units, though it was optional for the Indian States to join the Federation.[2]

**Statement 2 is incorrect:** The statement claims that Defence and Foreign Affairs were under the control of the federal legislature, but this is not accurate. Dyarchy was provided for in the Federal Executive[3], and at centre, subjects to be administered were divided into reserved and transferred categories.[4] Defence and Foreign Affairs were among the "reserved" subjects, meaning they remained under the control of the Governor-General and British authorities, not the federal legislature. This was a key limitation of the Act that maintained British control over crucial areas of governance.

Sources
  1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 20: Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement > Main Features > p. 404
  2. [2] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 1: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND > CHAP. 1] > p. 8
  3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 26: Constitutional, Administrative and Judicial Developments > Government of India Act, 1935 > p. 511
  4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 20: Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement > Government of India Act, 1935 > p. 410
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements : 1. It provided for the establishment of an All I…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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A classic static question sourced directly from standard history (Spectrum) and polity (Laxmikanth/Basu) texts. It tests the nuance of 'Dyarchy at the Centre'—specifically, that key strategic subjects were withheld from Indian legislative control.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did the Government of India Act, 1935 provide for the establishment of an All‑India Federation composed of British Indian provinces and princely states?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 20: Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement > Main Features > p. 404
Presence: 5/5
“The Government of India Act was passed by the British Parliament in August 1935. Its main provisions were as follows. 1. An All India Federation It was to comprise all British Indian provinces, all chief commissioner's provinces and the Indian states (princely states). The federation's formation was conditional on the fulfilment of: (i) states with allotment of 52 seats in the proposed Council of States should agree to join the federation; and (ii) aggregate population of states in the above category should be 50 per cent of the total population of all Indian states. Since these conditions were not fulfilled, the proposed federation never came up.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the Act envisaged an All‑India Federation comprising British Indian provinces, chief commissioner's provinces and Indian princely territories.
  • Explains formation was conditional on princely territories' agreement and population/seat thresholds, and that the federation never materialised.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 26: Constitutional, Administrative and Judicial Developments > Government of India Act, 1935 > p. 511
Presence: 5/5
“● The Act, with 451 clauses and 15 schedules, contemplated the establishment of an All-India Federation in which Governors' Provinces and the Chief Commissioners' Provinces and those Indian states which might accede to be united were to be included. (The ruler of each Princely State willing to join was to sign an 'instrument of accession' mentioning the extent to which authority was to be surrendered to the federal government.) ● Dyarchy, rejected by the Simon Commission, was provided for in the Federal Executive. ● The Federal Legislature was to have two chambers (bicameral)—the Council of States and the Federal Legislative”
Why this source?
  • Specifies the Act 'contemplated the establishment' of an All‑India Federation including Governors' provinces, Chief Commissioners' provinces and those princely territories that might accede.
  • Describes the instrument of accession mechanism for each princely ruler to join the federation.
Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 1: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND > CHAP. 1] > p. 8
Presence: 5/5
“insurmountable to overcome even after the Muslims had partitioned for a separate State. The main features of the governmental system prescribed by the Act of 1935 were as follows- Main features of the system introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935. (a) Federation and Provincial Autonomy. While under all the previous Government of India Acts, the Government of India was unitary, the Act of 1935 prescribed a federation, taking the Provinces and the Indian States as units. But it was optional for the Indian States to join the Federation; and since the rulers of the Indian States never gave their consent, the Federation envisaged by the Act of 1935 never came into being.”
Why this source?
  • States the Act prescribed a federation taking Provinces and Indian princely territories as units.
  • Notes accession by princely territories was optional and their refusal prevented the envisaged federation from coming into being.
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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CDS-I · 2005 · Q30 Relevance score: 7.82

Consider the following statements: The Government of India Act, 1935 provided for the 1. Establishment of an All-India Federation to be based on the Union of British Indian Provinces and Princely States. 2. Franchise for all the people above 21 years of age. 3. Power to Governors to veto legislative and administrative measures in their provinces. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2009 · Q90 Relevance score: 7.76

Consider the following statements : 1. The discussions in the Third Round Table Conference eventually led to the passing of the Government of India Act of 1935. 2. The Government of India Act of 1935 provided for the establishment of an All India Federation to be based on a Union of the provinces of British India and the Princely States. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2005 · Q87 Relevance score: 6.69

Consider the following statements: The Government of India Act, 1935 provided for 1. The provincial autonomy. 2. The establishment of Federal Court. 3. All India Federation at the centre. Which of the statements is/are correct?

CDS-I · 2002 · Q24 Relevance score: 6.59

Consider the following with reference to the provisions of'Government of India Act, 1935': 1. Establishment ofan All-India Federation 2. Provincial Autonomy, with a Government responsible to an elected Legislature 3. Redistribution of provinces and the creation of two new provinces Which of these were embodied in the Government of India Act, 1935?

NDA-II · 2011 · Q93 Relevance score: 5.51

Which of the following statements relating to the Government of India Act of 1935 are correct ? 1. It introduced provincial autonomy. 2. It proposed a federation of India. 3. It proposed for the establishment of a Federal Court. Select the correct answer using the code given below :