Q. During British Era, the Duke Memorandum became the basis of which among the following?
Answer: Mont-Ford Reforms
Notes: Sir Frederick William Duke (1863 – 1924) was a Scottish civil servant of the Indian Civil Service who played a significant role in formulating the Duke Memorandum during a period of constitutional reforms in India. In 1884, he was assigned to Bengal and spent twenty-four years serving in various positions within the districts. He retired in 1914, at which point he was appointed as a member of the Council of India.
Duke became a member of a study group comprising India Office members and the Round Table Group, which was founded by Lionel George Curtis and had considerable influence on Indian constitutional reforms. During this time, Duke developed the "Duke Memorandum," a practical framework proposing reforms for implementing responsible government in India through a system of dyarchy. His extensive experience in India lent authority to the Round Table reform schemes, and his memorandum served as the foundation for the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms and the subsequent Government of India Act of 1919.
Following the royal assent of the 1919 Act, the Chamber of Princes was established in 1920 to provide a platform for the rulers of the princely states to participate in the governance of British India. Duke played a pivotal role as the chairman of the committee responsible for the establishment of this chamber.
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