Council Act 1909:
- The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.
Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members
Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United Provinces – 50 members each
Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members each
- The legislative councils at the centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members as follows:
Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.
Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the Governor-General.
Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not government officials.
Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.
- The elected members were elected indirectly. The local bodies elected an electoral college who would elect members of the provincial legislative councils. These members would, in turn, elect the members of the Central legislative council.
- The elected members were from the local bodies, the chambers of commerce, landlords, universities, traders’ communities and Muslims.
- In the provincial councils, non-official members were in a majority. However, since some of the non-official members were nominated, in total, a non-elected majority was there.
- Indians were given membership to the Imperial Legislative Council for the first time.
- It introduced separate electorates for the Muslims. Some constituencies were earmarked for Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.
- The members could discuss the budget and move resolutions. They could also discuss matters of public interest.
- They could also ask supplementary questions.
- No discussions on foreign policy or on relations with the princely states were permitted.
- Lord Minto appointed (on much persuasion by Morley) Satyendra P Sinha as the first Indian member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
- Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian affairs.
