Prelims · Modern India & the freedom struggle · 14 questions

Constitutional development & the transfer of power

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Prelims 2022 · Q51

Medium

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). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q54

Hard

With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:

1.The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.
2.Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 only

Statement 2 is correct and statement 1 is not: the Cripps draft let a non-acceding province keep its position and settle its own future status with Britain, but the Constituent Assembly's British Indian members were to be elected, not nominated.

✗ 1. Under the draft declaration of March 1942 the members from British India were elected by the lower houses of the provincial legislatures, sitting as one electoral college, by proportional representation. Only the Indian States named their members by other means, being represented by their Ruling Princes rather than by elected representatives.
✓ 2. Any province of British India not ready to accept the new constitution could stay out and keep its present position, with the option to accede later. Britain was ready to agree a new constitution with such provinces, on the same full status as the Indian Union.

Remember · Cripps Mission (March 1942): post-war Constituent Assembly, British India's members elected by provincial lower houses, States' members appointed, and provinces free to stay out.

Sources

Draft Declaration and Other Papers Relating to Negotiations with Sir Stafford Cripps (1942 official papers; copy in the University of North Bengal repository) ↗ · reference work “the entire membership of the Lower Houses of Provincial legislatures shall as a single electoral college proceed to the election of the constitution-making body by the system of pro- portional representation. … With such non-acceding provinces, should they so desire, His Majesty's Government will be prepared to agree upon a new constitution giving them the same full status as the Indian Union”
UK Parliament, House of Lords debate on India (Hansard, 29 April 1942) ↗ · reference work “Well, the Draft Declaration contained provisions by which the States should be represented, but they were to be represented by the Ruling Princes and not by elected representatives of the people. … To Congress the plan is faulty because, amongst other things, it provides for the possible contracting out of Provinces of British India.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains

The freedom struggleGS 1 syllabus
Constitution: evolution, features & basic structureGS 2 syllabus

Constitutional development & the transfer of power

Prelims 2022 · Q51

Prelims 2022 · Q54

The same topic in Mains

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