Indian Councils Act 1861

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Indian Councils Act was a piece of Legislation passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1861 that transformed the Viceroy of India's executive council into a cabinet run on the portfolio system^[1]. This cabinet had six "ordinary members" who each took charge of a separate department in Calcutta's government: home, revenue, government, law, finance, and (after 1874) public works. The military commander in chief sat in with the council as an extraordinary member. The Viceroy was allowed, under the provisions of the act, to overrule the council on affairs if he deemed it necessary, As was the case in 1879 during the tenure of Lord Lytton.

[edit] Sources

• Indian Polity, Laxmi kanth