Table 4: Key "Firsts" Introduced by Each Act

PART H: IMPORTANT ONE-LINERS FOR QUICK REVISION

1. Which Act was the first step to regulate/control the East India Company? → Regulating Act, 1773
2. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal? → Warren Hastings
3. Which Act established the Supreme Court at Calcutta? → Regulating Act, 1773 (established 1774)
4. Which Act created the Board of Control? → Pitt's India Act, 1784
5. What system did Pitt's India Act, 1784 introduce? → System of "Double Government"
6. Which Act ended the East India Company's trade monopoly in India (except tea and China trade)? → Charter Act, 1813
7. Which Act completely ended the EIC's trading activities, making it purely an administrative body? → Charter Act, 1833
8. Who was the first Governor-General of India? → Lord William Bentinck (under Charter Act, 1833)
9. Which Act made the Company hold territories "in trust for the Crown"? → Charter Act, 1833
10. Who abolished Sati and when? → Lord William Bentinck, 1829 Regulation
11. Who introduced the Widow Remarriage Act, 1856? → Lord Canning; driven by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
12. Which Act separated the legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General's Council for the first time? → Charter Act, 1853
13. Which Act introduced open competition for civil services? → Charter Act, 1853
14. Which Act ended East India Company rule and transferred power to the British Crown? → Government of India Act, 1858
15. Who was the first Viceroy of India? → Lord Canning
16. What new post was created in London by the 1858 Act? → Secretary of State for India
17. Which Act introduced the Portfolio system? → Indian Councils Act, 1861 (by Lord Canning)
18. Which Act first associated Indians with law-making (nominated)? → Indian Councils Act, 1861
19. Which Act introduced the (indirect) elective principle for the first time? → Indian Councils Act, 1892
20. Which Act introduced separate electorates for Muslims for the first time? → Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms)
21. Who was the first Indian member of the Viceroy's Executive Council? → Satyendra Prasad Sinha (1909, Law Member)
22. Which Act introduced Dyarchy? Where? → Government of India Act, 1919 — in the PROVINCES
23. Which Act introduced bicameral legislature at the Centre for the first time? → Government of India Act, 1919
24. What are "transferred" and "reserved" subjects associated with? → Dyarchy under GoI Act, 1919
25. Which act extended separate electorate to Sikhs? → Government of India Act, 1919
26. Which act led to Jallianwala Bagh Massacre indirectly? → Rowlatt Act, 1919
27. Which act curbed vernacular press and was repealed by Ripon? → Vernacular Press Act, 1878 (passed by Lytton)
28. What controversy sought equal judicial powers for Indian judges over Europeans? → Ilbert Bill Controversy, 1883
29. Which act raised the age of consent to 12 years? → Age of Consent Act, 1891
30. Which commission was appointed under the 10-year review clause of the 1919 Act and was boycotted for having no Indian members? → Simon Commission, 1927
31. Which award extended separate electorates to the Depressed Classes? → Communal Award, 1932 (Ramsay MacDonald)
32. Which pact replaced separate electorates for Depressed Classes with joint electorate + reserved seats? → Poona Pact, 1932 (Gandhi–Ambedkar)
33. Which Act abolished dyarchy in the provinces and introduced provincial autonomy? → Government of India Act, 1935
34. Which Act proposed an All-India Federation that never actually came into force? → Government of India Act, 1935
35. Which Act established the Federal Court in India (1937)? → Government of India Act, 1935
36. Which Act is considered the basis of the Constitution of India, 1950? → Government of India Act, 1935
37. Who called the 1935 Act "a charter of slavery"? → Jawaharlal Nehru
38. Which mission proposed a Constituent Assembly and the right of provinces to opt out (non-accession clause)? → Cripps Mission, 1942
39. What did Gandhi call the Cripps proposals? → "A post-dated cheque on a crashing bank"
40. Which plan failed over the Muslim League's demand to be the sole representative of Indian Muslims? → Wavell Plan / Shimla Conference, 1945
41. Which plan led directly to the formation of India's Constituent Assembly? → Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946
42. When did the Constituent Assembly of India first meet? → 9 December 1946
43. Who headed the Interim Government formed in September 1946? → Jawaharlal Nehru
44. Which plan accepted the Partition of India? → Mountbatten Plan / June 3rd Plan, 1947
45. Who demarcated the boundary between India and Pakistan? → Sir Cyril Radcliffe (Radcliffe Line)
46. Which Act formally granted independence to India and Pakistan? → Indian Independence Act, 1947
47. When did India and Pakistan become independent? → India: 15 August 1947; Pakistan: 14 August 1947
48. Who was the first Governor-General of independent India? → Lord Mountbatten
49. Who was the first Governor-General of Pakistan? → Muhammad Ali Jinnah
50. Which document served as the provisional Constitution of India until 26 January 1950? → Government of India Act, 1935 (as adapted by the Indian Independence Act, 1947)
51. Who was the last Viceroy of India? → Lord Mountbatten
52. Which Act ended British paramountcy over the Princely States? → Indian Independence Act, 1947

PART I: PRACTICE MCQ POINTERS (TOPIC AREAS TO PRACTICE)

Use these as self-test pointers — frame/practice MCQs around each:

1. Matching Acts with their years (chronological sequencing questions — arrange in order).
2. Matching each Act with its associated Governor-General/Viceroy or British statesman (e.g., Regulating Act–Warren Hastings; 1833 Act–Bentinck; 1909 Act–Morley & Minto; 1919 Act–Montagu & Chelmsford).
3. "First" based questions — first Governor-General, first Viceroy, first Indian in Executive Council, first Law Member, first Indian ICS officer, first Chief Justice of Federal Court.
4. Provisions unique to each Act — especially trade monopoly (1813 partial, 1833 complete), dyarchy (1919 provinces vs. 1935 centre), separate electorates (1909 Muslims, 1919 Sikhs, 1932 Depressed Classes).
5. The Government of India Acts comparative table (1858/1861/1892/1909/1919/1935) — feature-wise cross-questions (e.g., "In which act was budget discussion without voting rights allowed?" → 1892).
6. Social reform legislation and their reformers (Sati–Ram Mohan Roy/Bentinck; Widow Remarriage–Vidyasagar/Canning; Age of Consent–Malabari/Lansdowne).
7. Committees/Commissions and their outcomes (Simon Commission → boycotted, no Indian member; Rowlatt Committee → Rowlatt Act; Cabinet Mission → Constituent Assembly).
8. Communal Award vs. Poona Pact — differences (separate electorate vs. joint electorate + reserved seats) and the personalities involved (Gandhi, Ambedkar, Ramsay MacDonald).
9. Missions/Plans of 1940s in sequence — August Offer (1940) → Cripps Mission (1942) → Wavell Plan/Shimla (1945) → Cabinet Mission (1946) → Mountbatten Plan (June 1947) → Indian Independence Act (July 1947).
10. Key dates: 15 August 1947 (India), 14 August 1947 (Pakistan), 18 July 1947 (Royal Assent to Indian Independence Act), 9 December 1946 (Constituent Assembly's first sitting), 26 November 1949 (Constitution adopted), 26 January 1950 (Constitution enforced/Republic Day).
11. Titles and their evolution: Governor of Bengal → Governor-General of Bengal (1773) → Governor-General of India (1833) → Viceroy (1858) → Governor-General of independent India (1947).
12. Terms like "Dyarchy," "Double Government," "Portfolio System," "Provincial Autonomy," "Separate Electorate," "Communal Award," "Non-accession clause," "Direct Action Day" — definition-matching questions.
13. Constituent Assembly facts — total original strength (389), post-Partition strength (299), first sitting (9 December 1946), first President (Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, provisional) vs. permanent President (Dr. Rajendra Prasad), Objectives Resolution mover (Nehru).
14. Statutory bodies created/enabled by these Acts — Federal Court (1935 Act, est. 1937, first CJ Sir Maurice Gwyer), Public Service Commission (1919 Act enabling clause → Central PSC 1926), Reserve Bank of India (linked to 1935 Act framework).
15. Boycotts and protests linked to specific reforms — Simon Commission boycott (no Indian member; Lala Lajpat Rai's death), Rowlatt Satyagraha (against Rowlatt Act, 1919), Muslim League's boycott of the Constituent Assembly (1946).
16. Word-matching of committees/reports with their chairmen — Rowlatt Committee (Sidney Rowlatt), Simon Commission (John Simon), Nehru Report (Motilal Nehru), Muddiman Committee (Alexander Muddiman, on dyarchy's working), Cabinet Mission (Pethick-Lawrence, Cripps, Alexander).
17. Practice distinguishing "extended trade rights" (1793 renewal) vs. "ended trade monopoly partially" (1813) vs. "ended trade monopoly completely" (1833) — a frequent source of confusion in MCQs.
18. Practice distinguishing which Act created which office: Governor-General of Bengal (1773) vs. Governor-General of India (1833) vs. Viceroy (1858) vs. Secretary of State for India (1858, abolished 1947) vs. Board of Control (1784, abolished 1858).

End of Notes — "Acts and Reforms" — pareeksha.in Study Material