 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Government of India Act 1912" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2018) |
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to make such amendments in the Law relating to the Government of India as are consequential on the appointment of a separate Governor of Fort William in Bengal, and other administrative changes in the local government of India. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2 & 3 Geo. 5. c. 6 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 June 1912 |
TheGovernment of India Act 1912 (2 & 3 Geo. 5. c. 6) was an act of theParliament of the United Kingdom, which made changes to the governance ofBritish India. It received royal assent on 25 June 1912.[1]
The act addressed several problems related to the reorganization of Bengal. In 1905, theBengal Presidency wasdivided in two, and the eastern portion combined with Assam Province to become the new province ofEastern Bengal and Assam. The division generated considerable opposition and unrest, and in 1911 Bengal was reorganized again into three provinces - Bengal (present-dayWest Bengal andBangladesh),Bihar and Orissa, andAssam.
The first section of the act modified the powers of the newly appointed Governor of Bengal. Until 1912, theGovernor-General of India also served as Governor ofBengal Presidency. In March 1912, theSecretary of State for India proclaimed that the reunifiedBengal Province would be a province under its own governor. The Act gave the new governor the same powers as the governors ofBombay andMadras, including acting as governor-general in the governor-general's absence, the salary of the governor and his council, and the number and qualifications of members of the executive councils.
The second section of the Act permitted the immediate creation of a legislative council for the new province ofBihar and Orissa, and amended theIndian Councils Act 1909 to eliminate Parliamentary review of newly created legislative councils for provinces under a lieutenant-governor.
The third section of the Act permitted the creation of legislative councils for provinces under chief commissioners. This authority was used to establish a legislative council forAssam Province on 14 November 1912, and for theCentral Provinces on 10 November 1913.[2]
