Which of the following statements regarding Morley-Minto Reforms is NOT correct?

Question

Question

It retained official majority in the Central Legislative Council but allowed the provincial legislative councils to have non-official majority.
It introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims by accepting the concept of ‘separate electorate’.
It granted a franchise to a limited number of people on the basis of property, tax, or education.
All of the above

Answer 1

Option 3 is NOT correct.

Key Points

The Act of 1909 is also known as Morley-Minto Reforms (Lord Morley was the then Secretary of State for India and Lord Minto was the then Viceroy of India).
Features of the Act
- It considerably increased the size of the legislative councils, both Central and provincial.
- It retained the official majority in the Central Legislative Council but allowed the provincial legislative councils to have a non-official majority. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
- Members were allowed to ask supplementary questions, move resolutions on the budget.
- It provided (for the first time) the association of Indians with the executive councils of the Viceroy and Governors.
- It introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims by accepting the concept of a ‘separate electorate’. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
- Under this, the Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters. Thus, the Act ‘legalized communalism’ and Lord Minto came to be known as the Father of Communal Electorate.
- It also provided for the separate representation of presidency corporations, chambers of commerce, universities, and zamindars.
- Government of India Act, 1919 granted franchise to a limited number of people on the basis of property, tax, or education. Hence, Option 3 is NOT correct.