INDIAN COUNCILS ACT 1892
Background
- Indian National Congress (INC) had put 4 demands :
- Simultaneous civil services exam in England & India
- Reforms of Legislative council & adoption of principle of election in place of nomination
- Opposition towards annexation of Upper Burma
- Reduction in Military expenditure
- Indian leaders wanted
- more elected members in councils
- creation of similar councils like NWP & Oudh & Punjab
- right of discussion on budget
- The demands were taken seriously by Viceroy Lord Dufferin
- Howwver Secretary of State for India did not agree to introduction of Principle of election
Why Important
- It was the first step in beginning of parliamentary system in India where members could ask questions, they could criticise Financial Policy of the Government
- Limited & Indirect provision was made for – use of election to fill non official seats in legislative councils
- Introduced the principle of representation
- Act authorized the universities, District Boards, Municipalities, Zamindars and Chambers of Commerce to send members to Provincial councils
- Increased no of additional members in case of council of governor general to maximum of 16
- Word “election” – was not used , in reality it was nomination on recommendation of certain bodies
Imp Points
- Passed in 1892 in response to nationalist movements
- Provisions on additional members:
- Central Legislative Council
- Additional Members elected to Central Legislative Council -were increased from 10 to 16 , of whom, as per the Act of 1861, not less than half were to be non-officials, i.e. persons not in the Civil or military service of the Crown
- 9 ex-officio members
- Governor-General
- 6 members of the Executive Council
- Commander-in-Chief
- head of province in which Council met along with
- 6 official Additional Members
- 10 non-official members of the Legislative Councils of Bengal, Bombay, Madras and the North Western province
- Provincial Legislative Councils
- Similar changes were introduced
- In all provinces – official majority was maintained
- No of additional members
- Bombay – 8
- Madras – 20
- Bengal – 20
- NWP & Oudh – 15
- Universities, district board, municipalities, zamindars and chambers of commerce were empowered to recommend members to provincial councils
- Thus, whilst failing to answer demands for direct elections, the principle of representation was introduced
- Central Legislative Council
- Governor-General
- was empowered to invite different bodies in India to elect, select or delegate their representatives and to make regulations for their nomination
- Increased non-official members , but official majority retained
- in both Central & Provincial Councils
- but majority was retained with official members in both
- Increased Functions of Legislative Council by giving
- Power to Discuss
- budget
- matters of public interest
- Power to Address Questions
- to executive
- ask questions within certain limits to government on matter of public interest – after 60 days notice
- but supplementary questions were not allowed
- Council of 1892
- 24 members
- only 5 -> Indian members
- Power to Discuss
- Nomination of Non-official members (i.e. Indirect Election)
- Central Legislative Council
- By Viceroy
- On recommendation of
- Provincial Leg Council
- Bengal Chamber of Commerce
- Provincial Legislative Council
- By Governors
- On recommendation of
- Distt Boards
- Municipalities
- Universities
- Trade Associations
- Chambers
- Zamindars
- Central Legislative Council
Analysis
- It was the first step towards a representative form of government
- The number of Indians in councils were increased
- The act indirectly led to rise of many revolutionary movements in India
- Extremists demanded more aggressive stance
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