The Simon Commission (1927) was an all-British statutory body that reviewed India's constitutional progress and was boycotted for excluding Indian members.
At a glance
An all-British statutory commission (1927) that reviewed India's constitutional progress under the 1919 Act.
Recommended abolishing dyarchy and forming an all-India federation of British India and princely states.
Its all-British composition triggered a nationwide boycott; its report shaped the Government of India Act, 1935.
Timeline
The simon commission was a seven-member statutory commission appointed by the British Government in November 1927 — two years ahead of schedule — under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon, to examine how India's constitution was working under the Government of India Act of 1919 and to recommend the next stage of reform.
Background and Composition
The Government of India Act, 1919 had itself provided for a statutory commission to review its working after ten years, and the British Government moved up this review, announcing the Commission in 1927. Every one of its seven members was British, with no Indian representative included. This composition became the Commission's defining controversy: Indian political parties across the spectrum saw it as a denial of India's right to have a say in deciding its own constitutional future, and virtually all of them resolved to boycott the Commission when it arrived in India, greeting it with demonstrations and the slogan "Simon, Go Back."
Recommendations
Despite the boycott, the Commission completed its inquiry and submitted its report in 1930. Its key recommendations included:
| Recommendation | Effect proposed |
|---|---|
| Abolition of dyarchy | Ended the divided "reserved" and "transferred" subject system introduced in the provinces by the 1919 Act |
| Extension of responsible government | Greater self-government to be extended in the provinces |
| All-India federation | Proposed bringing British India and the princely states together into a single federal structure |
| Continuation of communal electorates | Retained separate electorates for minority communities, as introduced earlier |
What Followed
To deliberate on the Commission's proposals, the British Government convened three Round Table Conferences bringing together representatives of the British Government, British India, and the Indian princely states. These discussions fed into a White Paper on Constitutional Reforms, which was then examined by a Joint Select Committee of the British Parliament. The committee's recommendations, with some modifications, were ultimately incorporated into the Government of India Act of 1935 — the next major milestone in India's constitutional development, which itself went on to influence the structure of India's own Constitution after independence.
Significance
The Simon Commission is remembered less for its formal recommendations than for the political reaction it provoked. By excluding Indians entirely from a body meant to decide India's constitutional future, the British Government triggered a nationwide, cross-party boycott that briefly unified otherwise divided political opinion and hardened the demand for Indians to be included as equal participants in shaping their own governance. Its report nonetheless became one link in the chain — from the Government of India Act of 1919 through the Round Table Conferences to the Government of India Act of 1935 — that shaped the institutional framework later inherited and adapted by independent India's Constitution-makers.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims
- The Simon Commission was appointed in November 1927 under Sir John Simon; all seven members were British.
- It was boycotted by Indian political parties for excluding Indians.
- It submitted its report in 1930, recommending abolition of dyarchy and an all-India federation of British India and princely states.
- Its recommendations fed into the Round Table Conferences, the White Paper on Constitutional Reforms, and eventually the Government of India Act, 1935.
Mains
- Discuss how the composition of the Simon Commission shaped the trajectory of India's constitutional reform process.
- Trace the legislative chain connecting the Simon Commission's report to the Government of India Act, 1935.
FAQ
Q1. Who chaired the Simon Commission? Sir John Simon chaired the seven-member statutory commission appointed in November 1927.
Q2. Why was the Simon Commission boycotted? Because all seven of its members were British, with no Indian included, Indian political parties saw it as excluding India from decisions about its own constitutional future and boycotted it.
Q3. What did the Simon Commission recommend? Its 1930 report recommended abolishing dyarchy, extending responsible government in the provinces, establishing an all-India federation of British India and the princely states, and continuing communal electorates.
Q4. What came after the Simon Commission's report? The British Government convened three Round Table Conferences, prepared a White Paper on Constitutional Reforms, and referred it to a Joint Select Committee, whose recommendations were incorporated into the Government of India Act, 1935.
Quick Revision
- November 1927: Simon Commission appointed, chaired by Sir John Simon.
- All seven members were British — led to nationwide boycott.
- Report submitted in 1930.
- Recommended abolition of dyarchy and an all-India federation.
- Led to three Round Table Conferences and the White Paper on Constitutional Reforms.
- Recommendations incorporated (with changes) into the Government of India Act, 1935.
Sources
- Government of India Act, 1935 — legislation.gov.uk — official UK legislation record of the Act that incorporated the Simon Commission's recommendations.
Further Reference
For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:
- M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
- D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
- The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.
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