Q. To which among the following the residuary powers were conferred by the federation established by the act of 1935?
(a) Federal legislature
(b) Provincial legislatures
(c) Governor-General
(d) Provincial Governors
Ans: (c) Governor-General
Explanation: The correct answer is (c) Governor-General.
Under the Government of India Act, 1935, the residuary powers were conferred to the Governor-General. The Act established a federation in British India, consisting of provinces and princely states. It defined the distribution of powers between the federal government and the provincial governments.
According to the Act, certain subjects, known as “federal subjects,” were placed under the authority of the federal government, while other subjects, known as “provincial subjects,” were under the jurisdiction of the provincial governments.
However, there were certain subjects that did not fall under either federal or provincial jurisdiction. These subjects were referred to as “residuary powers,” and they were given to the Governor-General. Residuary powers included matters that were not explicitly assigned to either level of government, ensuring that there was a centralized authority to handle such matters.
Therefore, the residuary powers were conferred to the Governor-General, who held authority over subjects not specifically allocated to either the federal or provincial governments under the Government of India Act, 1935.
