Council of State (India)

The Council of State was the upper house of the legislature for British India (the Imperial Legislative Council) created by the Government of India Act 1919 from the old Imperial Legislative Council, implementing the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. The Central Legislative Assembly was the lower house.

As a result of Indian independence, the Council of State was dissolved on 14 August 1947 and its place taken by the Constituent Assembly of India and the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

The Council of State used to meet at the Metcalfe House.[1] The Viceroy or Governor-General was its ex officio President.[2]

Composition

1919 to 1937

The Council of States was created by the Government of India Act 1919. As per this Act, the Council was to have 60 members. The composition was as follows:[3]

The province-wise composition was as follows:

The Muslim seats of Punjab together with one General seat of Bihar and Orissa alternated to elect 2 seats for every Council of State.[3]

The members had a tenure of 5 years. There were no women members.

The elected members were voted from an electorate consisting of persons who fulfilled either condition

This electorate consisted of not more than 17,000 of entire population of 24 crores (240,000,000) in 1920.

1937 to 1947

The Government of India Act 1935 introduced further reforms. The size of the Council was increased to 260 members, 156 came from provinces while 104 came from the princely states. However, elections to the federal legislature did not take place until 1946.

Members of First Council of State (1921)

[4]

Nominated

Elected

Members of Second Council of State (1926)

[5][6]

Nominated

Elected Members

Members of Third Council of State (1930-1936)

[7][8]

Nominated

Elected Members

Fourth Council of State

[9][10]

Nominated

Elected Members

Presidents

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://delhiassembly.nic.in/history_assembly.htm
  2. ↑ http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/council_state/council_state.asp
  3. 1 2 "Government of India Act 1919".
  4. ↑ India's Parliament Selections from the proceedings of the second session of the Legislative Assembly and the Council of State. Director, Central Bureau of Information, Gov't of India. 1921.
  5. ↑ The Council of State Debates Official Report Vol VII.
  6. 1 2 3 Indian Quarterly Register. 1926 https://archive.org/stream/indianquarterlyr035508mbp/indianquarterlyr035508mbp_djvu.txt. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ The India Office and Burma Office List. Harrison and sons, Limited.
  8. ↑ The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who. Bennett, Coleman & Company. 1934.
  9. ↑ The Indian Year Book. Bennett, Coleman & Company. 1942.
  10. ↑ Indian Annual Register. 1943.
  11. ↑ Eminent Indians Who Was Who. Durga Das Pvt. Ltd. 1985.
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