The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to
- A.Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
- B.Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
- C.Impose censorship on national press.
- D.Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States. The Butler Committee was set up to examine the ties between the British paramount power and the princely states.
The Indian States Committee was appointed in 1927 under Sir Harcourt Butler, with its report coming in 1929. The princes wanted their treaty rights clarified and a say in matters that affected them, such as customs and railways. The committee held that paramountcy must remain supreme and could not be limited by treaties, and that the states should not be handed over to an Indian government in British India without their consent. It also suggested that the Viceroy, not the Governor-General in Council, should deal with the states.
A is wrong: the division of powers between the Centre and provinces was taken up by the Simon Commission and the Government of India Act, 1935.
B is wrong: the Secretary of State's powers were not its subject.
C is wrong: press censorship came through press laws, not this committee.
Exam tip: Butler Committee (1927) = princely states and paramountcy; Simon Commission (1927) = constitutional reforms.
Practice Questions
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- C.The Charter Act of 1813
- D.Government of India Act of 1858
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