Simon Commission was appointed by the British Government to recommend whether India was ready for further constitutional reforms or not. It consists of 7 members among them nobody was Indian.
Congress session under the presidency of M.A. Ansari decided to boycott the commission. Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha decided to support the congress on this issue.
Seeing the countrywide protest against the Simon Commission, Lord Birkenhead challenged the Indian politicians to make a Constitution which should be accepted by all the political parties. Nehru Report was the answer to the Lord Birkenhead challenge.
Nehru Report
All Parties Conference met in February 1928 and appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Moti Lal Nehru too draft a Constitution.
It was the first major attempt by the Indians to draft a constitution for the country.
Committee includes members such as Tej Bahadur Sapru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Mangal Singh, Ali Imam, M.S. Aney, Shuab Qureshi and G.R. Pradhan.
Recommendations of the Nehru Report came in August 1928.
Major recommendations of the Nehru Report were:
Dominion status should be given to India.
Demand for the Joint Electorates instead of Separate Electorates for the Muslims at the Centre and at the Provinces.
Provinces to be made on the Linguistic basis.
Bicameral legislature at the Centre consisting of Senate and House of Representatives. Senate consists of 200 members which are elected for 7 years while House of Representatives will consists 500 members elected for a period of 5 years.
Central Government should be headed by Governor General. Governor general will act on the advice of Governor General executive Council. Executive Council will be responsible to the Parliament.
Judiciary should be separated from the executive.
Reservation of 1/4th seats for the Muslims at the Centre.
Separation of religion from the State affairs.
Residual powers vested at the Centre.
Proposal for the creation of Sind as a Muslim Majority Province.
Reactions from Muslim League:
1/3rd representation to the Muslims at the centre instead of proposed 1/4th.
Reservation of the Muslims in Bengal and Punjab in proportion to their population.
Residual power should be given to the Provinces.
Reaction from Congress and Hindu Mahasabha:
Younger Congress leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subash Chandra Bose were against the idea of Dominion Status. They want complete independence from the British rule.
Hindu Mahasabha was opposed to the proposal for creating a new Muslim majority province.
