■ CHARTER ACT 1833
Historical Background
◇ Governor-General of Bengal now made the Governor- General of India and vested in him all civil and military power
◇ It deprived the Governor of Bombay and Madras of their legislative powers
◇ It ended the activities of the East India Company as a commercial body, which became a purely administrative bod
◇ Attempted to introduce a system of open competition for selection of civil servants and stated that the Indians should not be debarred from holding any place, office and employment under the Company.
■ CHARTER ACT OF 1853
Historicalbackground
◇ Seperated Legislative and Executive functions of Governor-General's council.
◇ It provided for Addition of Six new members to the Council.
◇ It introduced open Competition for Selection and recruitment of Civil servants.
◇ Extended Company's rule of Indian possession on behalf of British Govt. But did not specify any particular period.
◇ It introduced Local representation in Indian (central) Legislative Council.
◇ Of 6 new members 4 members appointed by Local Governments of Madras, Bombay, Bengal, and Agra.
■ GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT OF 1858
Historicalbackground
◇ India will now be governed by, and in the name of, Her Majesty.
◇ Designation of Governor-General of India will now be changed to that of Viceroy of India.
◇ It ended the system of Double government by abolishing the Board of Control and Court of Directors.
◇ Created a new office, Sectetary of State for India, vested with complete authority and control over Administration.
◇ It established a 15 - member council of india to assist the secretary of state of India.
◇ It constituted the secretary of state in council as a body corporate, capable of suing and being sued in India.
■ INDIAN COUNCIL ACT OF 1861
#Historicalbackground
◇ It made a beginning of Representative institutions by assosiating Indian with law - making Process.
◇ Viceroy Canning nominated three Indians to the legislative council - The Raja of Benaras, Maharaja of Patiala and Sir Dinkar rao.
◇ It initiated the process of Decentralisation by restoring the legislative Powers to the Bombay and Madras presidency.
◇ It also provided for the establishment of new legislative councils for Bengal, NWFP and Punjab.
◇ It also gave a recognition to the Portfolio system, introduced by Canning.
■ INDIAN COUNCIL ACT 1892
#Historicalbackground
◇ It increased the number of additional (non-official) members in the Central and provincial legislative councils, but maintained the official majority in them.
◇ It increased the functions of legislative councils and gave them the power of discussing the budget and addressing questions to the executive.
◇ It provided for the nomination of some non-official members of the :-
• Central Legislative Council by the viceroy on the recommendation of the provincial legislative councils and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, and
• that of the provincial legislative councils by the Governors on the recommendation of the district boards, municipalities, universities, trade associations, zamin-dars and chambers.
■ INDIAN COUNCIL ACT 1909 [PART 1]
#Historicalbackground
This Act is also known as Morley-Minto Reforms (Lord Morley was the then Secretary of State for India and Lord Minto was the then Viceroy of India).
□ The features of this Act were as follows :-
◇ It considerably increased the size of the legislative councils, both Central and provincial. The number of members in the Central legislative council was raised from 16 to 60. The number of members in the provincial legislative councils was not uniform.
◇ It retained official majority in the Central legislative council, but allowed the provincial legislative councils to have non official majority.
◇ It enlarged the deliberative functions of the legislative councils at both the levels. For example, members were allowed to ask supplementary questions, move resolutions on the budget and so on.
