Modern History: Government of India Act, 1935 to Cabinet mission, 1945

Government of India Act, 1935:

• Abolition of provincial dyarchy and introduction of dyarchy at centre.
• Abolition of Indian Council and introduction of an advisory body in its place.
• Provision for an All India Federation with British India territories and princely states.
• Elaborate safeguards and protective instruments for minorities.
• Supremacy of British Parliament. Increase in size of legislatures, extension of franchise, division of subjects into three lists and retention of communal electorate.

Elections of 1937:

• First provincial elections held in 1937 where out of 11 congress has won eight, Muslim league none , Unionist party won 1(in Punjab),United party won 1(Sindh) and Praja party won 1(Bengal).
• Congress ministries had resigned because Britishers declared India’s participations in second world war without their will.

August Offer, 1940:

• Dominoin Status in the unspecified future.
• A post-war body to enact the Constitution.
• To expand the Governor General’s Executive Council to give full weightage to minority opinion

Cripps mission,1942:

• This mission was sent by British to seek help from Indians in second world war.
• Cripps worked to keep India loyal to the British war effort in exchange for a promise of full self-government after the war.
• Both congress and Muslim league rejected this offer.