Consider the following statements : 1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21. 2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Why the answer is (b)

• Statement 1 is wrong: the Montagu–Chelmsford Report (1919) did not recommend women's suffrage; it left the matter to the provincial legislatures, which extended a limited, property-qualified vote to women from 1921 onwards (Madras first).

• Statement 2 is correct: the Government of India Act, 1935 reserved seats for women in the provincial and federal legislatures (41 in provincial assemblies) and widened the female franchise.

• Universal adult suffrage, including all women above 21, came only with the Constitution of India in 1950.

• Hence 2 only, option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 only: Statement 1 is wrong: 1919 reforms did not grant all women the vote.
(c) Both 1 and 2: Statement 1 is wrong.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2: Statement 2 is correct: the 1935 Act reserved seats for women.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.