Government of India Act of 1935

 After the third Round Table Conference, a White Paper on the new constitution of India was prepared. The White Paper prepared by the British Government contained three major proposals, namely Federation, Provincial Autonomy and safeguards which vested special powers in the central and provincial executives. As it fell far short of complete independence, the White Paper was criticised and rejected by all the political parties of India. Published in March, 1933, the White Paper was submitted for consideration to the Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the Houses, which submitted its report on 22 November, 1934. A bill based on this report was passed on 2 August 1935 and after receiving the Royal assent it became the Government of India Act of 1935. Its most significant points were as follows:

● The introduction of provincial autonomy. For the first time the Act recognized provinces as having separate legal entity. This was so designed as to give full freedom to provinces from the control of the Central Government except in certain specific areas.

● Dyarchy in Provinces introduced by the Act of 1919 was to be abolished.

● Separating Burma from India, the Act suggested the creation of two new provinces of Sind and Orissa. Orders to this effect were issued on 3 March, 1936.

● The Act provided for introducing responsible government in all the eleven provinces including Sind and Orissa. Among them Bombay, Bengal, Madras, the United Provinces, Bihar and Assam were to have bicameral legislatures.

● The franchise was based on property qualifications. The number of voters, however, increased from 5 million in 1919 to 30 million in 1935.

● There was no change in the principle of allocation of seats. Separate electorates and the system of weightage were retained.

● The governors in provinces were invested with special executive powers. They could exercise discretion in matters like law and order, interests of minorities and the people of backward areas, the protection of the British commercial interests and those of the rulers of states.

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