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The history of British rule in India can be traced back to 31st December, 1600 - when the British

Crown granted a group of merchants a monopoly over trade in the eastern waters. In 1765, the
East India Company, which was earlier a commercial body, was granted the 'diwani' (the right of
collecting revenues) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam.
The acquisition of the Diwani rights made the company to emerge out as the de facto ruler of this
country. From 1765 to 1833 the company got engaged in the dual role of the trader and ruler. In
1833, it abandoned its commercial role.
The Regulating Act of 1773 is a major landmark in the evolution of British administration in
India. It was the basis of all subsequent legislation for determining the form of Indian
government and is the first statute that recognizes the company to fulfil its functions other than
that of trade.
A Governor-General with a council of four members in Bengal was appointed. The GovernorGeneral was given the power of controlling the presidencies of Madras and Bombay and, in all
cases relating to war and peace; they were obliged to comply with the order of the GovernorGeneral-in-Council.
The appointed Governor-General, according to this Act, was Warren Hastings and his councillors
were Clavering Monson, Barwell and Philip Francis.
Later in 1833, the Governor-General of Bengal became the Governor-General of India and in
1853, a separate Lieutenant-Governor was appointed for Bengal.
Under Warren Hastings, the civil service began to transcend its trading activity. During his
regime, the civil service changed from being a brand of commercial adventurers and fortune
hunters to a public service in the modern sense of the word".
The company, during this regime, emerged out from a trader to a government and took up
functions of revenue and maintenance of law and order.
The secretariat, an important organ of modern administration, had its beginning in those early
days when a nucleus of administration existed. The origin of the modern secretariat was in the
office of the factory writers.
In August 1784, the British Prime Minister Pitt, introduced the famous Pitts India Act (1784).
According to this Act, a Board of Control was established in England for better control of Indian
affairs. Later on, the Board of Control became the real ruling authority over the Indian terrorists.
Lord Warren Hastings was succeeded by Lord Cornwallis and the regime of Lord Cornwallis
marked a major change in the civil service of India. He introduced a liberal system of
remuneration, in lieu of pittances in the form of pay until then allowed to all classes, and it
offered the recipient no alternative between poverty and dishonesty.

He did much to eliminate patronage and saw to it that all important offices were held by the
covenanted civil servants.
Charter act of 1853
The Charter Act of 1853 abolished the system of patronage and introduced the system of open
competition as a method of recruitment. The entrance examination was to be conducted in
London by a Civil Service Commission set up in 1854. The age limit was 19-22 years.
The first competitive examination was held in 1855 at London, on the basis of the report of the
Macaulay Committee. The Act did not renew the charter of the company but left it pending till
the decision of the parliament.
The appointment of the Macaulay Committee was the beginning of an experiment on the Indian
soil for the first time.
The Macaulay Committee report of 1854 is considered the Bible on competitive recruitment is
training. It proposed a detailed scheme of the examination to be held in England. It underlined
the passed in order to premise that the candidates for senior government jobs should be
appointed on the basis of a competitive India examination open to young men in the age group of
18 to 23 years.
Administrative system between 1858-1947
After the uprising of 1857, the Crown took over the government from the East India Company,
through the Queen's Proclamation of 1858. According to the Act of 1858, India shall be governed
by and in the name of her Majesty; it also authorized the appointment of an additional principal
secretary of state (for India) and created the Council of India.
The first Viceroy was Lord Canning. In 1859, he introduced the 'portfolio' system. Under this, the
work of the government, divided into several branches, and was entrusted to different members
of the Governor-General's Council.
Canning's innovation was legalized by the Indian Councils Act of 1861, which the British
parliament passed in order 'to make better provision for the constitution of the Council of the
Governor-General of India, and for the local government of the several presidencies and
provinces of India"
The Aitchison Commission (1886-87) supported the formation of a lower, local civil service to
call the Provincial Civil Service. Below the Provincial Civil Service, a lower service called
Subordinate Civil Service was set up.
In accordance with its recommendations, the term 'covenanted" civil service was abolished
resultantly, three services were carved out.
(i) The Imperial Civil Service

(ii) The Provincial Civil Service


(iii) The Subordinate Civil Services
Also, the commission recommended that the imperial and the provincial civil services be put on
footing of social equality. Resultantly, the members of the provincial civil service were made
eligible) promotion to the listed posts in the imperial civil services.
The Indian Councils Act, or the Morley Minto Reforms, of 1909 was an extension of the Act of
189 it further increased the size of the legislative councils.
The Decentralisation Commission appointed in the same year, also made recommendations fort.,
revival and growth of Panchayats and lessening of government control over local bodies.
The Montague Chelmsford reforms or the act of 1919
The Government of India Act 1919, which followed next, was based on the premise that popular
contract in the field of local government be established, the provincial governments be made
responsible to the popular representatives and the control of British parliament and the secretary
of state be relaxed.
The act primarily dealt with the structure of provincial governments and the provisions
concerning these were embodied in a system called 'Dyarchy'. Under this scheme, the provincial
subjects were reserve into 'reserved' and 'transferred'.
The administration of the reserved subjects was entrusted to members of the Governors'
Executive Council, who were appointed by the Crown for a period of five years on i fixed pay.
They were not responsible to the provincial legislative. All the important subjects like the home,
police, press, finance etc. were included in this list.
The 'transferred' subjects were entrusted to the ministers who were to be nominated by the
Governor from among the elected members of the Provincial Council and who were to hold office
during him pleasure. The 'transferred' list included those departments, which afforded
opportunities for local knowledge and social service like medicine, health, education etc.
But the division of powers and revenues did not make India a federation. The powers of the
centre be were so formidable that its decisions were final and always binding on the provinces irrespective of whether such decisions related to central or provincial subjects.
Government of India act 1935
The Government of India Act of 1935 was the last of the constitutional measures prepared by the
British Parliament for India. It again proclaimed the supreme authority of Crown over India, but
relaxed its control, in certain spheres, for a more popular government. The Secretary of state
remained in overall control, with a new body of advisers in lieu of the old council.

The 1935 Government of India Act was the culmination of the process of decentralisation
initiated in 1861. It envisaged three important changes at the centre.
(1) All India Federation
(2) Dyarchy
(3) Creation of the post of Crown Representative

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