Question

Which one of the following Acts made the Central Legislature a bicameral i.e., the council of states and the Legislative assembly?
A. Government of India Act, 1909
B. Government of India Act, 1919
C. Government of India Act, 1935
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: A bicameral Legislature is a practice of having two Houses of Parliament I.e, the council of States and the Legislative Assembly. India has borrowed Bicameralism from Britain. At the central level, the 2 houses are Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and their State level counterparts are Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad.

Complete step by step answer:
1. Government of India Act, 1909: This Act was introduced by the British Parliament for certain reforms in the Legislative council, and increased the participation of Indians in the governance of British India. It is also known as the Morley Minto Reforms, in honor of the then Secretary John Morley.
2. Government of India Act, 1919: This Act was introduced by the British Parliament to ensure some form of collective governance over British India by bringing in Indian participation. They were based on the recommendations of Edwin Montagu and Lord Chelmsford and thus referred to as the Montagu Chelmsford reforms or Montagu reforms.
3. Government of India Act, 1935: This Act was introduced by the British Parliament and introduced some structural reforms for British India. It replaced the Dyarchy structure with Bicameralism. 6 out of 11 provinces were introduced to bicameralism, which created a legislative council (upper house) and a legislative assembly (lower house).
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: The Government of India Act, 1935 was based on the recommendations of the Simon Commission Report, The recommendations of the Round Table conferences, White Paper 1933, and report on the Joint Select Committees, Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha is the largest State Assembly in India.