In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of Provincial Government were divided into "Reserved" and "Transferred" subjects. Which of the following were treated as "Reserved" subjects?
- 1.Administration of Justice
- 2.Local Self-Government
- 3.Land Revenue
- 4.Police
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1, 3 and 4
Administration of justice, land revenue and police were reserved subjects, kept with the Governor and his Executive Council. Local self-government was a transferred subject, handed to Indian ministers answerable to the provincial legislature.
- ✓ 1. Administration of justice was not on the transferred list, so it stayed with the Governor and his Executive Council as a reserved subject.
- ✗ 2. Local self-government headed the list of transferred subjects, along with medical administration, public health, education, public works and agriculture.
- ✓ 3. Land revenue was a core reserved subject; even a provincial Bill touching land revenue had to be reserved for the Governor-General's assent.
- ✓ 4. Police, like other matters of law and order, was not transferred to ministers and remained reserved.
Remember · Dyarchy in the provinces (1919): law and order, justice, police and land revenue were reserved; local self-government, health, education and agriculture were transferred to Indian ministers.
Sources
- A. B. Keith, A Constitutional History of India 1600-1935 (e-book hosted by Delhi High Court), on the Government of India Act 1919 ↗ “The transferred sub- jects' were declared to be local self-government; medical administration;”
- EAC-PM Working Paper, Enumeration of Legislative Powers in India ↗ “While the transferred subjects were given to the Indian ministers responsible to the elected state legislatures, the reserved subjects were retained by the provincial governor and his executive council.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·