Government of India Act 1935

The Government of India Act of 1935 was a major constitutional document that proposed a federal structure for British India. Under this Act, residuary powers (matters not enumerated in the federal or provincial legislative lists) were vested in the Governor General, not in the legislatures or provincial governors. This was a critical aspect of the Act that ensured centralized control. The Act had three lists: Federal List, Provincial List, and Concurrent List; matters not covered by any list fell under residuary powers of the Governor General. This concentration of residuary powers in the Governor General was seen as a mechanism to maintain British imperial control even within a federal framework.