What are features of Morley Minto Reforms of 1909?

a. Only 1

b. Only 2

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

 

1909 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). It was to appease the moderates.

1. It increased the size of Central and provincial legislative councils.
2. The number of members in the Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60.
3. The number of members in the provincial legislative councils was not uniform.
4. It retained official majority in the Central Legislative Council (majority of British officials)
5. However, it allowed the provincial legislative councils to have non-official majority.
6. It enlarged the deliberative functions (right to discuss and ask questions) of the legislative councils at both the levels.
7. For example, members could move resolutions on the budget, ask supplementary questions, etc.
8. For the first time, it provided for the association of Indians with the executive Councils of the Viceroy and Governors.
9. Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council. He was appointed as the law member.
10. It introduced ‘separate electorate’, a system of communal representation for Muslims.
11. Under this, the Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters.
12. Thus, the Act ‘legalized communalism’ and Lord Minto came to be known as the Father of Communal Electorate.
13. It also provided for the separate representation of presidency corporations, chambers of commerce, universities and zamindars.

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