Polity Flashcards Preview

From Flashcardlet > Polity > Flashcards

Flashcards in Polity Deck (29)
Loading flashcards...
0
Q

Diwani

A
  • rights over revenue and civil justice

- entry of British into non trade functions begins when Diwani is obtained in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765

1
Q

Arrival of the British in India

A
  • 1600: British arrive as traders, the British East India Company
  • exclusive right of trading in India under charter granted by queen Elizabeth I
2
Q

Beginning of direct control by the Crown

A
  • 1858

- following the sepoy mutiny, continues till Independence

3
Q

MN Roy

A
  • suggested the creation of a Constituent Assembly for the drafting of a Constitution
  • pioneer of the communist movement in India
4
Q

Constituent Assembly

A

-formed in 1946 to draft constitution under scheme formulated by Cabinet Mission Plan
- originally demanded by the Indian National Congress in 1935
- 389 seats: 296-> British India –>292 from 11 governors provinces, 1
each from the 4 commissioners provinces
93->princely states
-partly elected and partly nominated
-completes drafting and Constitution is adopted on 26 January, 1950

5
Q

Criticism of the Constituent Assembly

A
  1. Not a representative body (not directly elected)
  2. Not a sovereign body (created upon British proposals)
  3. Time consuming
  4. Dominated by Congress
  5. Dominated by Lawyers and Politicians
  6. Dominated by Hindus
6
Q

Regulating Act of 1773

A
  • first step taken by British Crown to control and regulate BIC
  • first recognizes political and administrative capacity of BIC
  • laid the foundation of central administration in India
  • designated Governor of Bengal as Governor General of Bengal and created Executive Council of four members to assist him (1st: Warren Hastings)
  • subordinated governors of Bombay and Madras to Bengal
  • established Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one justice and three other judges
  • defects of the act were rectified by the Amending Act of 1781 (aka Act of Settlement)
7
Q

Pitt’s India Act of 1784

A
  • distinguishes between commercial and political functions of BIC
  • Board of Control established to manage political affairs–> double govt
  • Board of Control empowered to supervise and direct all operations of the civil and military govt or revenues of the “British possessions in India”**
  • British govt takes supreme control over BIC affairs and admin in India
8
Q

Charter Act of 1833

A
  • Governor General of Bengal made Governor General of India (1st: William Bentick)
  • Governors of Madras and Bombay are divested of their powers
  • Laws made under the Act are called Acts, whereas previously they were called regulations
  • East India Company becomes a purely administrative body, holding the territories in India ‘in trust’ for the British crown
  • Attempted to establish Civil Services through open competition, including Indian candidates
9
Q

Charter Act of 1853

A
  • separated the legislative and executive functions of the governor generals council–> established the Indian Central Legislative Council, which functioned as a mini-Parliament
  • established the Macaulay Committee on the Indian Civil Service in 1854 for an open competitive system of recruitment of civil servants
  • introduced local representation in the Indian Central Legislative Council
10
Q

Government of India Act (1858)

Act for the Good Government of India

A
  • Abolished the East India Company, following the Sepoy Mutiny
  • all powers of government were transferred to the British Crown
  • Governor General henceforth designated as Viceroy, was the direct representative of the Crown in India
  • Lord Canning was the first Viceroy
  • Created office of Secretary of State for India who was a member of the British Cabinet and was answerable to the British parliament
  • established 15 member Council of India to assist the Secretary of State for india
11
Q

Sepoy mutiny

A

-aka the Revolt of 1857, or the First War of Independence

12
Q

Indian Council Act of 1861

A
  • Indians were associated with the law making process of British India
  • Viceroy nominates some Indians as non-official members of his expanded council
  • Bombay and Madras Presidencies are restored legislative powers, initiating the process of decentralization
  • gave recognition to the portfolio system established by lord Canning
  • empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinances without the concurrence of the legislative council during emergency (ordinance is valid for six months)
13
Q

Indian Council Act of 1892

A
  • increased the number of non-official members in the central and provincial legislative councils
  • legislative council given the power of discussing the budget and addressing questions to the executive
14
Q

Indian Councils Act of 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms)

A
  • increased size of central and provincial legislative councils
  • allowed provincial legislative council to have non-official majority
  • introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims: separate electorate
15
Q

Father of Communal Electorate

A

Lord Minto

For legalizing communalism

16
Q

Government of India Act of 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms)

A
  • relaxed the central control over the provinces by demarcating and separating the central and provincial subjects
  • Dyarchy: provincial subjects were divided into transferred and reserved
  • introduced bicameralism and direct elections: Indian Legislative Council replaced by Council of State (upper house) and Legislative Assembly (lower house)
  • extended communal representation to Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans
  • establishes the central public services commission to recruit civil servants in 1926
  • separated Central and Provincial Budget
17
Q

Simon Commission

A
  • November 1927, seven member statutory commission to report on the condition of India under its new Constitution
  • commission was boycotted because all of its members were British
  • report was submitted in 1930
  • recommendations: abolition of Dyarchy,
18
Q

Communal Award

A
  • scheme of representation of minorities introduced by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
  • scheduled castes were also given separate electorates in addition to Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Anglo Indians and Europeans
  • an agreement between the congress leaders and the depressed classes modified this so that Hindus retained the joint electorate and gave reserved seats to the depressed classes
19
Q

Poona Pact

A

-agreement between leaders of congress and depressed classes retaining a joint Hindu electorate with reserved seats for depressed classes

20
Q

Government of India Act of 1935

A
  • 321 Sections and 10 Schedules
  • establishes All India Federation of provinces and princely states
  • divides powers between the Centre and units into 3 lists:
    i. Federal List
    ii. Provincial List
    iii. Concurrent List
  • abolished Dyarchy in provinces and introduced Dyarchy at the Center (never operationalized)
  • introduced bicameralism in provincial legislatures of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam, and United Provinces
  • separate electorate also introduced for women and laborers
  • extended franchise to about ten percent of the population
  • established the Reserve Bank of India to control currency and credit of the country
  • in addition to the federal public services commission, it established a provincial public services commission
  • federal court set up in 1937
21
Q

Indian Independence Act of 1947

A
  • PM clement ATLEE declares that British rule in India would end by June 30, 1948
  • -> Muslim League agitates for a separate country
  • ->Mountbatten Plan put forth and upon acceptance of the plan by both congress and the Muslim league, indian independence act of 1947 is enacted immediately
22
Q

Mountbatten Plan

A
  • Plan drawn up to partition the country for independence upon the demand of the Muslim League
  • put forth by Lord Mountbatten, viceroy of India, on June 3, 194
23
Q

Objectives Resolution

A
  • laid down the fundamentals and philosophy of the constitutional structure
  • moved by JL Nehru on dec 13, 1946
  • unanimously adopted by the constituent assembly on jan 22, 1947
  • modified version forms the Preamble of present constitution
  • essential ideas: Independent Sovereign Republic; authority derived from the people of India; political, social and economic justice for all people of India; promotion of world peace
24
Q

Independence

A
  • Midnight 14-15 August 1947
  • lord Mountbatten becomes first Governor General, swears Jawaharlal Nehru in as first prime minister
  • constituent assembly becomes first parliament of the Indian dominion
25
Q

National Flag

A
  • tricolor

- adopted on 22 July, 1947

26
Q

National Anthem

A
  • Jana Gana Mana

- Adopted on 24.01.1950

27
Q

Republic Day

A
  • date of commencement of complete constitution
  • January 26, 1950
  • date chosen because Purna Swaraj Day observed in 1930 on 26.01
28
Q

The Constitution of India

A
  • Adopted on November 26, 1949
  • contained a Preamble, 395 Articles, 8 schedules originally
  • as of 2015: