Polity
Constitutional Development (1773–1950)
Constitutional Development (1773–1950) — Quick Revision
One-page CGPSC quick revision for Constitutional Development: every Act, date, committee and Constituent Assembly fact in tables for Prelims and Mains.
The Acts of 1773–1947 and the Constituent Assembly on one page. For explanations, go back to the chapter or the topic pages: Company Rule Acts, Crown Rule I, Crown Rule II and Constituent Assembly.
How to use this sheet
Scan top to bottom the week before Prelims. Bold lines are the facts examiners return to most often.
Company Rule (1773–1853)
| Act | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Regulating Act 1773 | First step of Parliament to control the Company; Governor-General of Bengal (Warren Hastings) + council of 4; Bombay and Madras subordinate; Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774), CJ Elijah Impey + 3 judges; ban on private trade and gifts |
| Act of Settlement 1781 | GG-in-council exempt from Supreme Court for official acts; revenue matters excluded |
| Pitt’s India Act 1784 | Board of Control; dual government; “British possessions in India”; council cut to 3 |
| Act of 1786 | Cornwallis may override council; also Commander-in-Chief |
| Charter Act 1793 | Monopoly renewed 20 years; Board of Control paid from Indian revenues |
| Charter Act 1813 | Monopoly ended except tea and China trade; ₹1 lakh a year for education; missionaries allowed |
| Charter Act 1833 | Governor-General of India (William Bentinck); final step of centralisation; Bombay and Madras lose legislative power; Company stops trading; law member Macaulay; open competition attempted (negated); slavery abolished 1843 |
| Charter Act 1853 | Last Charter Act; legislative and executive functions separated (6 legislative councillors); local representation (Madras, Bombay, Bengal, Agra); open competition introduced; Macaulay Committee 1854; no fixed term |
Crown Rule (1858–1947)
| Act / event | Key facts |
|---|---|
| GoI Act 1858 | Crown rule; Viceroy (Canning); Board of Control + Court of Directors abolished; Secretary of State (Cabinet member) + Council of India (15) |
| Indian Councils Act 1861 | Indians nominated (1862: Raja of Benares, Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Dinkar Rao); Bombay and Madras regain legislative power; councils for Bengal 1862, NWP 1886, Punjab 1897; portfolio system recognised; ordinances (6 months) |
| Indian Councils Act 1892 | Indirect election (nomination on recommendation); discuss budget; questions |
| Indian Councils Act 1909 | Morley (SoS) + Minto (Viceroy); centre 16 → 60; official majority at centre, non-official in provinces; supplementary questions; S.P. Sinha first Indian in Executive Council; separate electorate for Muslims; Minto = “Father of Communal Electorate” |
| Montagu Declaration | 20 Aug 1917 |
| GoI Act 1919 | In force 1921; dyarchy in provinces (reserved / transferred); bicameral centre, direct elections; communal representation to Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans; High Commissioner in London; CPSC 1926; 10-year review |
| Simon Commission | Appointed Nov 1927; 7 British members; report 1930 |
| Communal Award / Poona Pact | Aug 1932 (MacDonald) / Sept 1932 (Gandhi–Ambedkar; joint electorate + reserved seats) |
| GoI Act 1935 | 321 sections, 10 schedules; federation (never formed); lists 59 / 54 / 36; residuary to Viceroy; provincial autonomy (1937); central dyarchy never worked; 6 bicameral provinces; Council of India abolished; Federal, Provincial and Joint PSCs; Federal Court 1937; franchise about 10% |
| August Offer / Cripps | 1940 / March 1942 |
| Cabinet Mission | 1946 (Pethick-Lawrence, Cripps, A.V. Alexander); plan of 16 May 1946 |
| Attlee / Mountbatten | 20 Feb 1947 / 3 June 1947 |
| Indian Independence Act | Royal assent 18 July 1947; India and Pakistan dominions from 15 Aug 1947; CA sovereign + legislature; Secretary of State abolished; paramountcy lapsed; GoI Act 1935 as interim constitution |
Constituent Assembly
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Idea | M.N. Roy (1934); Congress demand (1935) |
| Strength | 389 planned (296 British India + 93 states) → 299 after Partition (229 + 70) |
| Election | Indirect, by provincial assemblies; PR by single transferable vote; states nominated |
| 1946 results | Congress 208, League 73, others 15 |
| First meeting | 9 Dec 1946, 211 members; Sachchidananda Sinha temporary President |
| President | Rajendra Prasad (11 Dec 1946); Vice-Presidents H.C. Mukherjee, V.T. Krishnamachari |
| Constitutional Adviser | B.N. Rau |
| Objectives Resolution | Moved by Nehru 13 Dec 1946; adopted 22 Jan 1947 |
| National Flag | 22 July 1947 |
| Drafting Committee | 29 Aug 1947; Ambedkar + Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, K.M. Munshi, Saadullah, Madhava Rau (for Mitter), T.T. Krishnamachari (for Khaitan) |
| Legislative role | Chaired by G.V. Mavalankar |
| Adopted | 26 Nov 1949 (Constitution Day since 2015) |
| Signed | 24 Jan 1950, 284 members; Anthem and Song adopted; Prasad elected President |
| In force | 26 Jan 1950 (Purna Swaraj Day, 1930) |
| Totals | 11 sessions; 165 days (114 on Draft); about 2 years 11 months 18 days; about ₹64 lakh |
| Original text | Preamble, 395 articles, 22 parts, 8 schedules |
Committee Chairmen
| Committee | Chairman |
|---|---|
| Union Powers; Union Constitution; States | Nehru |
| Provincial Constitution; Advisory Committee (FR, Minorities, Tribal and Excluded Areas) | Patel |
| Fundamental Rights sub-committee | J.B. Kripalani |
| Minorities sub-committee | H.C. Mukherjee |
| North-East / Assam tribal areas sub-committee | Gopinath Bardoloi |
| Excluded areas other than Assam sub-committee | A.V. Thakkar |
| Rules of Procedure; Steering; Finance and Staff; National Flag | Rajendra Prasad |
| Drafting | Ambedkar |
| Credentials / House / Order of Business | Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar / Pattabhi Sitaramayya / K.M. Munshi |
Chhattisgarh Connections
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh becomes British | 1854 (Nagpur annexed); Central Provinces formed 1861; Chhattisgarh Division 1862 |
| CP and Berar Premiers | N.B. Khare (1937); Ravishankar Shukla (from 27 April 1946) |
| CA members from the region | Ravishankar Shukla, Ghanshyam Singh Gupta, Thakur Chhedilal, Ramprasad Potai (Kanker), Kishori Mohan Tripathi (Eastern States), Raghuraj Singh |
| Hindi translation | Committee chaired by Ghanshyam Singh Gupta (1947); Art 394A (58th Amendment, 1987) for the authoritative Hindi text |
| Princely states merger | 14 states merged into CP and Berar, 1 January 1948 |
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| GG of Bengal (1773, Hastings) | vs | GG of India (1833, Bentinck) |
| Dual government (1784) | vs | Dyarchy (1919, provinces) |
| 1813: monopoly ends except tea and China | vs | 1833: all trade ends |
| 1833: open competition attempted | vs | 1853: open competition introduced |
| 1861: Indians in the legislative council | vs | 1909: Indian in the executive council |
| Communal Award (separate electorate, Aug 1932) | vs | Poona Pact (joint electorate + reserved seats, Sept 1932) |
| 1919: dyarchy in provinces | vs | 1935: provincial autonomy; dyarchy proposed at centre |
| Sachchidananda Sinha (temporary) | vs | Rajendra Prasad (permanent President) |
| Prasad: constituent body | vs | Mavalankar: legislative body |
| 26 Nov 1949: adopted | vs | 26 Jan 1950: in force |
Favourite MCQ trap
“The Government of India Act, 1935 established an All-India Federation.” Wrong. It provided for one, but the princely states never joined, so it never came into being. Only provincial autonomy came into force (1937).
Second favourite trap
“Members of the Constituent Assembly were directly elected on adult franchise.” Wrong. British India members were elected indirectly by the provincial assemblies; princely state members were nominated.
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