Which of the following Act provided for communal representation in British India ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, the Minto–Morley Reforms of 1909 (enacted as the Indian Councils Act, 1909). It introduced the system of separate (communal) electorates, under which Muslims voted as a distinct electorate to elect their own representatives. This was the first statutory recognition of communal representation in British India and is why the Act is closely associated with the phrase 'separate electorates'.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) It enlarged the legislative councils and allowed a limited, indirect system of nomination/recommendation, but it did NOT create communal or separate electorates.  (c) The 1919 reforms (the paper spells it 'Montague'; the standard spelling is Montagu–Chelmsford) introduced dyarchy in the provinces and extended separate electorates to more groups — but they extended, not originated, communal representation, which already existed from 1909.  (d) The 1935 Act provided provincial autonomy and widened separate electorates further (e.g., to depressed classes, women, labour), but again it built on the 1909 principle rather than first providing communal representation.

Concept: Communal (separate) electorates meant that members of a specified community voted only for candidates of their own community, in seats reserved for that community. Introduced by the Indian Councils Act 1909 (Minto–Morley) for Muslims, the device was later widened by the Acts of 1919 and 1935. It is criticised for institutionalising communal division in Indian politics.

State PCS 2019 Q92 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2019 Q92 — History PYQ with Answer