Jawaharlal Nehru described the Government of India Act of 1935 as:

Jawaharlal Nehru described the Government of India Act of 1935 as "a new charter of slavery", because it did not give real power to Indians.

Why Nehru criticised the Act:

• The Act gave the British Governor-General and the provincial Governors wide special powers and "safeguards", with which they could override the elected ministers.
• The proposed federation was designed to give a large share of seats to the princes, who were nominated by the rulers, not elected, and were expected to support the British.
• Defence and foreign affairs remained under the control of the Governor-General.
• There was no promise of Dominion Status, let alone independence.
• Separate electorates were continued and extended, which divided Indians.

Nehru's other description:

He also described the Act as "a machine with strong brakes but no engine", meaning that it had many controls and restrictions but no real power to move forward.

Other reactions:

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah called it "thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable".
• The Congress rejected the Act, but decided to contest the provincial elections of 1937 held under it.
• The Congress won a majority in most provinces and formed ministries in eight provinces.

Main features of the Act:

• Provincial autonomy, with responsible government in the provinces.
• A proposed All-India Federation, which never came into being.
• A Federal Court (1937) and the Reserve Bank of India.
• An extended franchise.

Its importance for the Constitution:

Despite criticism, the Act provided much of the framework of the Constitution of India, which borrowed many provisions from it (such as the federal scheme, the office of Governor, the judiciary, the public service commissions and the emergency provisions).

Why not the other options?

• ✗The other phrases describe the Act as a gain for India, which was the opposite of Nehru's view.