Q. With reference to the Indian Councils Acts of 1892 and 1909, consider the following statements:
1.The Act of 1892 introduced the practice of direct elections for non-official members in legislative councils.
2.The Act of 1909 allowed non-official majority in the provincial legislative councils while retaining official majority in the central council.
3.The Act of 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims, thereby legalising communal representation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- The Act of 1892 did not introduce direct elections. It only allowed nomination on the recommendation of certain bodies (like municipalities, universities, chambers), making it an indirect and limited representation. The word “election” was deliberately not used.
- The Act provided for a non-official majority in the provincial legislative councils but retained the official majority in the Central Legislative Council.
- This was a major provision of the Act. For the first time, it legalised communal representation by creating separate electorates for Muslims, where Muslim voters would elect Muslim members.
Source: Laxmikant (Polity)
