Indian Council Act of 1891

By the 1880s Indians had a national body, the Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, and one of its first demands was simple: let us discuss the budget and ask the government questions. The councils that made the laws had Indian members only by nomination and could not touch finance. The answer Parliament gave in 1892 was small, but it was the first time the principle of representation was admitted into the law-making machinery of British India.

In two minutes

The Indian Councils Act, 1892 (the syllabus's “1891” appears to be a misprint for this Act) enlarged the legislative councils, let members put questions and discuss the budget without a vote, and accepted a form of indirect election through recommending bodies.

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