Government of India Acts, 1773–1947: A Historical Evaluation of People's Rights through Legislation without Indian Parliament

The historians have rightly described the Regulating Act of 1773 as the first landmark in the history of constitutional development of India because it was through this Act British Parliament for the first time interfered into the affairs of India. Before the Act, the territory acquired by the East India Company was divided into three Presidencies-Bengal, Calcutta and (Madras and Bombay) which administered independent of each other by a Governor and a Council under the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London. The Indian Councils Act of 1909 also known as Minto-Morley Reforms made an attempt to associate Indians not only with the work of legislation but also with day to day administration of India. It increased the strength of Councils and and started a new era in the political system by the introduction of separate electorates. The Government of India Act of 1919 marked the end of benevolent despotism and dawn a new era of responsible government. The Preamble of the Act made it clear that the objective of the declared policy of Parliament was to establish a responsible government of India.

No doubt the Government of India Act of 1935 was the most detailed and complicated statute but it was considered as the second milestone on the highway leading to responsible government. Against this backdrop, the present study would endeavour to examine the political, social and economic conditions of India from 1773-1947 besides exploring the origin, scope and implementation of various acts with regard to Parliament reforms in India. Different phases of parliamentary reforms up to 1909 in terms of the rights of the people of India would also be studied along with evaluating Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935 in terms of electorate systems.