Previous Year Question
The Government of India Act, 1935 was an extremely extensive constitutional statute enacted by the British Parliament for India. After the original Bill was divided, which separate Act existed alongside the Government of India Act, 1935?
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The constitutional settlement of 1935 resulted in two separate statutes—the Government of India Act, 1935 and the Government of Burma Act, 1935.
Direct evidence comes from the original records of the British Parliament (Hansard). The House of Lords record dated 12 February 1936 states that there had initially been a Government of India Bill, after which a Bill divided India and Burma so that there were two Bills. The same parliamentary record explicitly refers to both the Government of India Act, 1935 and the Government of Burma Act, 1935.
This constitutional change also provided for Burma to become
politically separate from India. The Government of India Act, 1935 itself provided that Burma would cease to be part of India. British parliamentary records show that the separation became effective on 1 April 1937.
Government of India Act, 1935 → Constitutional arrangements for India
Government of Burma Act, 1935 → Separate constitutional arrangements for Burma
1 April 1937 → Administrative separation of Burma from India became effective