Q. The Act which imparted provincial autonomy was the
(a) Indian Council Act, 1909
(b) Government of India Act, 1919
(c) Government of India Act, 1935
(d) Indian Independence Act, 1947.
Ans: (c) Government of India Act, 1935
Explanation: The correct answer is (c) Government of India Act, 1935.
The Government of India Act, 1935 was a significant piece of legislation that introduced provincial autonomy in British India. It provided for the establishment of provincial governments with substantial powers and responsibilities. Under this Act, provinces were granted the authority to make laws and govern their respective territories.
The Act introduced the concept of dyarchy, which divided the powers and responsibilities between the provincial governments and the central government. It expanded the legislative and executive powers of the provinces, allowing them to have greater control over their internal affairs.
While the Indian Council Act, 1909, and the Government of India Act, 1919, also brought some reforms, they did not grant as much autonomy to the provinces as the Government of India Act, 1935. The Indian Independence Act, 1947, on the other hand, was the legislation that marked the formal transfer of power from British rule to Indian self-rule and the partition of India into two separate nations, India and Pakistan.