An act of parliament , as a form of primary legislation , is a text of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council ). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliament begin as a bill , which the legislature votes on. Depending on the structure of government, this text may then be subject to assent or approval from the executive branch .
72-474: The Canada Highways Act was a 1919 act of the Dominion Parliament of Canada. The Act established a fund to support the construction of provincial highways as part of the post- World War I reconstruction program of Robert Borden 's Union government. In the mid-nineteenth century, the primary modes of transportation were rail and waterways , and authority over them was granted to
144-588: A Legislative Council consisting of the members of the Executive Council and non-official members. The Indian Councils Act 1892 established legislatures in each of the provinces of British India and increased the powers of the Legislative Council. Although these Acts increased the representation of Indians in the government, their power remained limited, and the electorate very small. The Indian Councils Act 1909 admitted some Indians to
216-501: A bill is a proposed law that needs to be discussed in the parliament before it can become a law. In territories with a Westminster system , most bills that have any possibility of becoming law are introduced into parliament by the government. This will usually happen following the publication of a " white paper ", setting out the issues and the way in which the proposed new law is intended to deal with them. A bill may also be introduced into parliament without formal government backing; this
288-612: A matter of sufficient public importance which has been the subject of a recent question in Lok Sabha irrespective of the fact whether the question was answered orally or the answer was laid on the Table of the House and the answer which needs elucidation on a matter of fact. Normally not more than half an hour is allowed for such a discussion. Usually, the half-an-hour discussion is listed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only. In one session,
360-419: A member is allowed to raise not more than two half-hour discussions. During the discussion, the member, who has given notice, makes a short statement, and not more than four members, who have intimated earlier and have secured one of the four places on the ballot, are permitted to ask a question each for further elucidating any matter of fact. Thereafter, the minister makes replies. There is no formal motion before
432-608: A member of Lok Sabha, which are as follows: However, a member can be disqualified from being a member of Parliament: A seat in the Lok Sabha will become vacant in the following circumstances (during the normal functioning of the House): Furthermore, as per article 101 (Part V.—The Union) of the Indian Constitution, a person cannot be: Members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the people of India, based on universal suffrage . Elections are by
504-450: A member of the House and its Presiding Officer. The Speaker conducts the business in the House. They decide whether a bill is a money bill or not. They maintain discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for their unruly behaviour by suspending them. They permit the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions like the motion of no confidence, motion of adjournment , motion of censure and calling attention notice as per
576-488: A separate secretarial staff: Provided that nothing in this clause shall be construed as preventing the creation of posts common to both Houses of Parliament. (2) Parliament may by law regulate the recruitment and the conditions of service of persons appointed to the secretarial staff of either House of Parliament. The Lok Sabha Secretariat functions under the overall guidance and control of the Speaker. The main activities of
648-543: A session, the members of the Lok Sabha would generally prevail, since the Lok Sabha includes more than twice as many members as the Rajya Sabha. As per Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, the Lok Sabha has a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker . In the Lok Sabha, both presiding officers — the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker — are elected from among its members by a simple majority of members present and voting in
720-661: Is assisted by the Secretary-General, who holds the rank equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India. The Secretary-General, in turn, is assisted by senior functionaries at the level of Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary and other officers and staff of the Secretariat. Since November 2020, the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha is Utpal Kumar Singh, IAS . Each Lok Sabha
792-546: Is called Question Hour . Asking questions in Parliament is the free and unfettered right of members, and during Question Hour they may ask questions of ministers on different aspects of administration and government policy in the national and international spheres. Every minister whose turn it is to answer questions has to stand up and answer for his department's acts of omission or commission. Questions are of three types—Starred, Unstarred, and Short Notice. A Starred Question
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#1732783949276864-452: Is known as a private member's bill . In territories with a multicameral parliament, most bills may be first introduced in any chamber. However, certain types of legislation are required, either by constitutional convention or by law, to be introduced into a specific chamber. For example, bills imposing a tax , or involving public expenditure , are introduced into the House of Commons in
936-413: Is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. An unstarred question is not called for oral answer in the house and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. An answer to such a question is given in writing. A minimum period of notice for starred/unstarred questions is 10 clear days. If the questions given notice are admitted by
1008-448: Is passed by Parliament it becomes an act and part of statute law. There are two types of bill and act, public and private . Public acts apply to the whole of the UK or a number of its constituent countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Private acts are local and personal in their effect, giving special powers to bodies such as local authorities or making exceptions to
1080-482: Is passed. To become law it must be passed by both the houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and then assented to by the president. The presentation, discussion of, and voting on the annual general and railways budgets—followed by the passing of the appropriations Bill and the finance bill—is a long, drawn-out process that takes up a major part of the time of the House during its budget session every year. Among other kinds of business that come up before
1152-489: Is prepared to answer it at shorter notice. A short-notice question is taken up for answer immediately after the Question Hour, popularly known as Zero Hour. The time immediately following the Question Hour has come to be known as "Zero Hour". It starts at around noon (hence the name) and members can, with prior notice to the Speaker, raise issues of importance during this time. Typically, discussions on important Bills,
1224-568: The Department of Railways and Canals , provided a maximum of $ 20 million to approved projects between 1 April 1919 and 31 March 1924. To qualify for funding, a province was required to develop a five-year provincial highways plan, including primary and secondary designations. Upon approval, the Dominion fund would subsidize 40% of the cost of construction. Work on provincial highways proceeded more slowly than anticipated. The fund
1296-556: The House of the People , is the lower house of India 's bicameral Parliament , with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha . Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system to represent their respective constituencies , and they hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the president on the advice of the council of ministers . The house meets in
1368-465: The Parliament of England did not originally have titles, and could only be formally cited by reference to the parliamentary session in which they were passed, with each individual act being identified by year and chapter number. Descriptive titles began to be added to the enrolled acts by the official clerks, as a reference aid; over time, titles came to be included within the text of each bill. Since
1440-646: The Parliament of India , every bill passes through following stages before it becomes an Act of Parliament of India : In the Irish Parliament, the Oireachtas , bills pass through the following stages. Bills may be initiated in either the Dáil or the Seanad, and must pass both houses. In New Zealand, the bill passes through the following stages: A draft piece of legislation is called a bill ; when this
1512-507: The head of state . In some countries, such as in France, Belgium, Luxembourg , Spain and Portugal, the term for a bill differs depending on whether it is initiated by the government (when it is known as a "draft"), or by the parliament (a "proposition", i.e., a private member's bill). In Australia, the bill passes through the following stages: In Canada, the bill passes through the following stages: The committee considers each clause of
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#17327839492761584-598: The 1915 establishment of the Canadian Automobile Association ) maintained pressure on the federal government. Following the war, Borden's Union government established a reconstruction program including the Canada Highways Act , which passed in 1919. The Act established a fund to provide financial assistance to provincial highway projects, with an emphasis on encouraging interprovincial highway connections. The fund, administered by
1656-569: The 43rd act passed in 1980 would be 1980 chapter 43. The full reference includes the (short) title and would be the Magistrate's Court Act 1980 (c. 43). Until the 1980s, acts of the Australian state of Victoria were numbered in a continuous sequence from 1857; thus the Age of Majority Act 1977 was No. 9075 of 1977. Lok Sabha Opposition (249) The Lok Sabha , also known as
1728-563: The British parliament on 18 July 1947, divided British India (which did not include the Princely states ) into two newly independent countries, India and Pakistan, which were to be dominions under the Crown until they had each enacted a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly was divided into two for the separate nations, with each new Assembly having sovereign powers transferred to it for
1800-780: The Budget, and other issues of national importance take place from 2 p.m. onwards. After the Question Hour, the House takes up miscellaneous items of work before proceeding to the main business of the day. These may consist of one or more of the following: Adjournment Motions, Questions involving breaches of Privileges, Papers to be laid on the Table, Communication of any messages from Rajya Sabha, Intimations regarding President's assent to Bills, Calling Attention Notices, Matters under Rule 377, Presentation of Reports of Parliamentary Committee, Presentation of Petitions, miscellaneous statements by Ministers, Motions regarding elections to Committees, Bills to be withdrawn or introduced. The main business of
1872-707: The Constitution of India, the Parliament of India consists of the President of India and the two Houses of Parliament known as the Council of States ( Rajya Sabha ) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Lok Sabha (House of the People) was duly constituted for the first time on 17 April 1952 after the first General Elections held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952. Article 84 (under Part V. – The Union) of Indian Constitution sets qualifications for being
1944-571: The English translation of the proceedings take place in Hindi or any regional language. The original version, however, contains proceedings in Hindi or English as they actually took place in the House and also the English/Hindi translation of speeches made in regional languages. If conflicting legislation is enacted by the two Houses, a joint sitting is held to resolve the differences. In such
2016-399: The House are resolutions and motions. Resolutions and motions may be brought forward by the government or by individual members. The government may move a resolution or a motion for obtaining the sanction to a scheme or opinion of the house on an important matter of policy or a grave situation. Similarly, an individual member may move a resolution or motion to draw the attention of the house and
2088-511: The House of Commons, or S- if they originate in the Senate. For example, Bill C-250 was a private member's bill introduced in the House. Bills C-1 and S-1 are pro forma bills, and are introduced at the beginning of each session in order to assert the right of each Chamber to manage its own affairs. They are introduced and read a first time, and then are dropped from the Order Paper . In
2160-439: The House, formal references to important national and international events, and the valedictory address after every Session of the Lok Sabha and also when the term of the House expires. Though a member of the House, the Speaker does not vote in the House except on those rare occasions when there is a tie at the end of a decision. To date, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has not been called upon to exercise this unique casting vote. While
2232-402: The House. No specific qualifications are prescribed for being elected Speaker; the Constitution only requires that Speaker should be a member of the House. But an understanding of the Constitution and the laws of the country and the rules of procedure and conventions of Parliament is considered a major asset for the holder of the office of the Speaker. Vacation and resignation of, and removal from,
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2304-662: The Lok Sabha Chambers of the Parliament House , New Delhi. The maximum membership of the House allotted by the Constitution of India is 552 (Initially, in 1950, it was 500.) Currently, the house has 543 seats which are filled by the election of up to 543 elected members. Between 1952 and 2020, two additional members of the Anglo-Indian community were also nominated by the President of India on
2376-473: The Lok Sabha Secretariat and attending to personnel matters; & (vi) preparing and publishing a record of the day-to-day proceedings of the Lok Sabha and bringing out such other publications, as may be required concerning the functioning of the Lok Sabha and its Committees, among other things. In the discharge of his constitutional and statutory responsibilities, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
2448-412: The Lok Sabha has more influence due to its greater numerical strength. This is typical of parliamentary democracies, many of which have a lower house that is more powerful than the upper. The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Directions issued by the Speaker from time to time there under regulate the procedure in Lok Sabha. The items of business, a notice of which is received from
2520-486: The Ministers/ Private Members and admitted by the Speaker, are included in the daily List of Business which is printed and circulated to members in advance. The period during which the House meets to conduct its business is called a session. The Constitution empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. Hence
2592-485: The Parliament must meet at least twice a year. But, three sessions of Lok Sabha are held in a year: When in session, Lok Sabha holds its sittings usually from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. On some days the sittings are continuously held without observing lunch break and are also extended beyond 6 p.m. depending upon the business before the House. Lok Sabha does not ordinarily sit on Saturdays and Sundays and other closed holidays. The first hour of every sitting
2664-549: The Railway Grade Crossing Fund in 1907. Robert Borden 's Conservative government first proposed a federal assistance program for provincial road construction in 1913, but the program was rejected by the Liberal -dominated Senate over opposition to acting in an area of provincial jurisdiction. Interest in road funding was put aside during World War I , however automobile interest groups (including
2736-441: The Secretariat inter alia include the following: (i) providing secretarial assistance and support to the effective functioning of the House of the People (Lok Sabha) possible to Members of Lok Sabha; (ii) providing amenities as admissible to Members of Lok Sabha; (iii) servicing the various Parliamentary Committees; (iv) preparing research and reference material and bringing out various publications; (v) recruitment of manpower in
2808-542: The Speaker for recording the votes, the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha presses the button of a keyboard. Then a gong sounds, serving as a signal to members for casting their votes. To vote, each member present in the chamber has to flip a switch and then operate one of the three pushbuttons fixed in their seat. The push switch must be kept pressed simultaneously until the gong sounds for the second time after 10 seconds. There are two indicator boards installed in
2880-466: The Speaker in terms of the relevant provision in the Rules of Procedure etc. In the Lok Sabha, divisions may be held either by the distribution of 'Aye'/'No' and 'Abstention' slips to members in the House or by the members recording their votes by going into the lobbies. There is an indicator board in the machine room showing the name of each member. The result of the division and vote cast by each member with
2952-475: The Speaker may call upon them. Only one member can speak at a time and all speeches are directed to the chair. A matter requiring the decision of the House is decided to employ a question put by the Speaker on a motion made by a member. A division is one of the forms in which the decision of the House is ascertained. Normally, when a motion is put to the House members for and against it indicate their opinion by saying "Aye" or "No" from their seats. The chair goes by
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3024-514: The Speaker, they are listed and printed for an answer on the dates allotted to the Ministries to which the subject matter of the question pertains. The normal period of notice does not apply to short-notice questions that relate to matters of urgent public importance. However, a short-notice question may be answered only on short notice if so permitted by the Speaker and the Minister concerned
3096-538: The United Kingdom, Canada's House of Commons , Lok Sabha of India and Ireland's Dáil as a matter of law. Conversely, bills proposed by the Law Commission and consolidation bills traditionally start in the House of Lords . Once introduced, a bill must go through a number of stages before it can become law. In theory, this allows the bill's provisions to be debated in detail, and for amendments to
3168-564: The advice of the Government of India , which was abolished in January 2020 by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 . The new parliament has a seating capacity of 888 for Lok Sabha. A total of 131 seats (24.03%) are reserved for representatives of Scheduled Castes (84) and Scheduled Tribes (47) . The quorum for the House is 10% of the total membership. The Lok Sabha, unless sooner dissolved, continues to operate for five years from
3240-405: The aid of automatic vote recording equipment also appear on this board and immediately a photograph of the indicator board is taken. Later the photograph is enlarged and the names of members who voted 'Ayes' and for 'Noes' are determined with the help of the photograph and incorporated in Lok Sabha debates. Three versions of Lok Sabha debates are prepared: the Hindi version, the English version, and
3312-560: The bell stops, all the doors to the Chamber are closed and nobody can enter or leave the Chamber till the division is over. Then the chair puts the question for a second time and declares whether in its opinion the "Ayes" or the "Noes", have it. If the opinion so declared is again challenged, the chair asks the votes to be recorded by operating the Automatic Vote Recording Equipment. With the announcement of
3384-453: The bill, and may make amendments to it. Significant amendments may be made at the committee stage. In some cases, whole groups of clauses are inserted or removed. However, if the Government holds a majority, almost all the amendments which are agreed to in committee will have been tabled by the Government to correct deficiencies in the bill or to enact changes to policy made since the bill was introduced (or, in some cases, to import material which
3456-742: The clause stand part of the bill are made. In the Report stage, the debate is on the motions for specific amendments. Once a bill has passed both Houses in an identical form, it is presented to the Governor General , who gives it royal assent . Although the Governor General can refuse to assent a bill, this power has never been exercised. Bills being reviewed by Parliament are assigned numbers: 2 to 200 for government bills, 201 to 1000 for private member's bills , and 1001 up for private bills . They are preceded by C- if they originate in
3528-645: The date appointed for its first meeting. However, while a proclamation of emergency is in operation, this period may be extended by Parliament by law or decree. An exercise to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies' boundaries is carried out by the Boundary Delimitation Commission of India every decade based on the Indian census , the last of which was conducted in 2011 . This exercise earlier also included redistribution of seats among states based on demographic changes but that provision of
3600-411: The day may be consideration of a bill or financial business or consideration of a resolution or a motion. Legislative proposals in the form of a bill can be brought forward either by a minister or by an individual member. In the former case, it is known as a government bill and in the latter case, it is known as a private members' bill. Every bill passes through three stages—each called readings—before it
3672-586: The federal government under Canada's Constitution ; roads were thought of as a local concern and were delegated to the provinces. As the automobile rose in prominence in the early 20th century, organizations such as the Good Roads Movement and local motor clubs put pressure on governments to provide improved roads. Several provinces established their own highway authorities to coordinate the development of regional road networks. The federal government's first effort to fund highway construction came with
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#17327839492763744-433: The government to a particular problem. The last two and half hours of sitting every Friday are generally allotted for the transaction of individual members' business. While private members' bills are taken up on one Friday, private members' resolutions are taken up on the succeeding Friday, and so on. Most of the business of drafting a bill or amendments is initially discussed and debated in the parliamentary committees. Since
3816-407: The house nor voting. Members may raise discussions on matters of urgent public importance with the permission of the Speaker. Such discussions may take place two days a week. No formal motion is moved in the House nor is there any voting on such a discussion. After the member who initiates discussion on an item of business has spoken, other members can speak on that item of business in such order as
3888-690: The law in particular geographic areas. In the United Kingdom Parliament, each bill passes through the following stages: In the Scottish Parliament, bills pass through the following stages: There are special procedures for emergency bills, member's bills (similar to private member's bills in the UK Parliament), committee bills, and private bills. In Singapore, the bill passes through these certain stages before becoming into an Act of Parliament. Acts passed by
3960-454: The mandate of the commission was suspended in 1976 following a constitutional amendment to incentivize the family planning program which was being implemented. The 18th Lok Sabha was elected in May 2024 and is the latest to date. The Lok Sabha proceedings are televised live on channel Sansad TV , headquartered within the premises of Parliament. A major portion of the Indian subcontinent
4032-499: The mid-nineteenth century, it has also become common practice for acts to have a short title , as a convenient alternative to the sometimes lengthy main titles. The Short Titles Act 1892 , and its replacement the Short Titles Act 1896 , gave short titles to many acts which previously lacked them. The numerical citation of acts has also changed over time. The original method was based on the regnal year (or years) in which
4104-465: The office of Speaker is vacant due to absence/resignation/removal, the duties of the office are performed by the Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, by such member of the House of the People as the President may appoint for the purpose. The Lok Sabha has also a separate non-elected Secretariat staff. Shri G. V. Mavalankar was the first Speaker of Lok Sabha (15 May 1952 – 27 February 1956) and Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar
4176-399: The offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker are mentioned under Article 94 of the Constitution of India. As per Article 94 of the Indian Constitution, a Speaker or a Deputy Speaker should vacate their office, a) if they cease to be a member of the House of the People, b) they resign, or c) is removed from office by a resolution of the House passed by a majority. The Speaker of Lok Sabha is both
4248-422: The original bill to also be introduced, debated, and agreed to. In bicameral parliaments, a bill that has been approved by the chamber into which it was introduced then sends the bill to the other chamber. Broadly speaking, each chamber must separately agree to the same version of the bill. Finally, the approved bill receives assent; in most territories this is merely a formality and is often a function exercised by
4320-496: The original version. Only the Hindi and English versions are printed. The original version, in cyclostyled form, is kept in the Parliament Library for record and reference. The Hindi version contains proceedings (all questions asked and answers are given thereto and speeches made) in Hindi and verbatim Hindi translation of proceedings in English or regional languages. The English version contains proceedings in English and
4392-504: The people directly to the Lok Sabha and each state is divided into territorial constituencies under two provisions of the Constitution: Notes: The Lok Sabha has certain powers that make it more powerful than the Rajya Sabha. In conclusion, the Lok Sabha is more powerful than the Rajya Sabha in almost all matters. Even in those matters in which the Constitution has placed both Houses on an equal footing,
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#17327839492764464-415: The relevant parliamentary session met. This has been replaced in most territories by simple reference to the calendar year, with the first act passed being chapter 1, and so on. In the United Kingdom, legislation has referenced by year and chapter number since 1963 ( Acts of Parliament Numbering and Citation Act 1962 ). Each act is numbered consecutively based on the date it received royal assent, for example
4536-422: The respective dominion. The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950, proclaiming India to be a sovereign, democratic republic. This contained the founding principles of the law of the land which would govern India in its new form, which now included all the princely states which had not acceded to Pakistan . According to Article 79 (Part V-The Union.) of
4608-455: The rules. The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting. It is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha who presides over joint sittings called in the event of disagreement between the two Houses on a legislative measure. Following the 52nd Constitution amendment, the Speaker is vested with the power relating to the disqualification of a member of the Lok Sabha on grounds of defection. The Speaker makes obituary references in
4680-427: The time for legislation is limited, the work of all departments of the government and any special focus tasks are delegated to the committees, wherein the committees shall prepare the initial draft of the bill/amendment for consideration by both the houses. They consist of members of both houses. There are primarily two kinds of parliamentary committees based on their nature:- A half-an-hour discussion can be raised on
4752-534: The various councils. The Government of India Act 1919 further expanded the participation of Indians in the administration, creating the Central Legislative Assembly , for which Parliament House, New Delhi , was built and opened in 1927. The Government of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy and proposed a federal structure in India. The Indian Independence Act 1947 , passed by
4824-498: The voices and declares that the motion is either accepted or rejected by the House. If a member challenges the decision, the chair orders that the lobbies be cleared. Then the division bell is rung and an entire network of bells installed in the various parts and rooms in Parliament House and Parliament House Annexe rings continuously for three and a half minutes. Members and Ministers rush to the Chamber from all sides. After
4896-476: The wall on either side of the Speaker's chair in the chamber. Each vote cast by a member is flashed here. Immediately after the votes are cast, they are totalled mechanically and the details of the results are flashed on the result indicator boards installed in the railings of the Speakers and diplomatic galleries. Divisions are normally held with the aid of automatic vote recording equipment. Where so directed by
4968-472: Was not depleted as of the expiry date in 1924, and so the deadline was extended to 31 March 1928. A report prepared by the Department showed that the fund contributed $ 19,596,388 toward $ 48,990,092 of provincial road construction, funding 8,415 miles (13,543 km) of roads in all nine provinces then existing. Act of Parliament A draft act of parliament is known as a bill . In other words,
5040-504: Was not ready when the bill was presented). The debate on each stage is actually debate on a specific motion. For the first reading, there is no debate. For the second reading, the motion is "That this bill be now read a second time and be referred to [name of committee]" and for third reading "That this bill be now read a third time and pass." In the Committee stage, each clause is called and motions for amendments to these clauses, or that
5112-470: Was the first Deputy Speaker (30 May 1952 – 7 March 1956). In the 17th Lok Sabha, Om Birla is the current Speaker. The Secretariat of Lok Sabha was set up according to the provisions contained in Article 98 of the Constitution. The said Article, which provides for a separate secretarial staff for each House of Parliament, reads as follows:- 98. Secretariat of Parliament – Each House of Parliament shall have
5184-604: Was under British rule from 1858 to 1947. During this period, the office of the Secretary of State for India (along with the Council of India ) was the authority through whom British Parliament exercised its rule in the Indian sub-continent, and the office of Viceroy of India was created, along with an Executive Council in India, consisting of high officials of the British government. The Indian Councils Act 1861 provided for
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