Previous Year Question
Which of the following provisions of the Government of India Act, 1935 was an example of the ultimate authority retained by the British Government?
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The Government of India Act, 1935 introduced provincial
autonomy, but that autonomy was not absolute. Governors continued to possess special and discretionary powers.
The strongest evidence is the Government of India Act, 1935 itself, which provided for functions that a Governor could exercise in his discretion and for special responsibilities assigned to him.
More significantly, Section 93 allowed a Governor, when satisfied that the government of a province could not be carried on according to the Act, to assume provincial governmental powers through a proclamation.
Thus:
Provincial autonomy → transferred substantial administration to Indian ministers.
Governor's special and discretionary powers → preserved overriding colonial control.