The Motilal Nehru Report 1928 was a report compiled by a committee led by Pt. Motilal Nehru. This committee was formed after Lord Birkenhead, India's Secretary of State, asked Indian leaders to draft a constitution for the country. The Congress debated the report, which called for India to be granted Dominion Status. The primary goal of the Nehru Report was to grant India dominion status within the British Commonwealth. In this article, we will discuss the Nehru Report (1928) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Nehru Report - Background

• In its annual session held in Calcutta in 1928, while Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose advocated for total swaraj, most leaders were content with the dominion status for the time being.
• In December 1927, at the annual session of Congress in Madras, a resolution was passed calling for a boycott of the Simon Commission "at every stage and in every form." Other political factions joined the suit as well.
• On the day the Simon Commission arrived in Bombay on February 3, 1928, a complete hartal was observed in Mumbai. People came out in procession wherever the commission went.
• But the commission had to carry out its mandate. It paid two visits in 1928 and 1929 before submitting its report in May 1930.
• The Indian leaders, however, were not going to accept it. Lord Birkenhead, the secretary of state for India, challenged these congressmen to prepare a draft of India's constitution.
• The political leaders accepted the challenge, prompting a call for an All Party Conference in February and May 1928.
• The All Parties Conference resulted in the formation of a committee, chaired by Motilal Nehru, to draft the proposed constitution.
• The committee's secretary was Jawaharlal Nehru, and its members included Ali Imam, Tej Bahadur Sapru, M.S. Aney, Mangal Singh, Shuaib Qureshi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and G. R. Pradhan.
• The "Nehru Committee Report" was prepared as a draft constitution. This report was presented to the Lucknow conference of all parties on August 28, 1928. However, Jinnah voted against the report.

Nehru Report - Recommendations

• India should be granted Dominion Status with a Parliamentary form of government and a bi-cameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
• The Senate will have 200 members elected for seven years, while the House of Representatives will have 500 members elected for five years.
• The Governor-General will make decisions based on the advice of the Executive Council. It will be collectively accountable to the legislature.
• In India, a federal form of government should be established, with the Centre retaining residuary powers.
• There will be no separate electorate for minorities because it incites communal feelings; therefore, it should be abolished and a joint electorate established.
• There will be no reserved seats for Punjabi and Bengali communities. However, Muslim seats may be reserved in provinces with a Muslim population of at least 10%.
• The judiciary must be separate from the executive.
• At the Centre, Muslims should account for one-quarter of the population.
• Sind should be separated from Bombay if it can demonstrate financial independence.

Nehru Report - Muslim League’s Reaction

The League leaders, with a few exceptions, rejected Nehru's proposals. In response, Mohammad Ali Jinnah drafted his Fourteen Points in 1929, which became the core demands made by the Muslim community in exchange for their participation in an independent united India. Their main concerns were as follows:

• Separate electorates and weightage were provided to the Muslim community by the 1916 Congress-Muslim League agreement Lucknow Pact, but were rejected by the Nehru Report.
• Residuary powers — Muslims realised that while they would be a majority in the North-East and North-West provinces of India, and thus control their provincial legislatures, they would always be a minority at the Centre.
  • As a result, they demanded, in contravention of the Nehru Report, that residuary powers be devolved to the provinces.
• The Committee has adopted a narrow-minded policy to ruin the political future of Muslims.

Jinnah’s Fourteen Points

• The provinces retain residual powers under a federal constitution.
• Autonomy for provinces.
• There can be no constitutional amendment without the consent of the states.
• All legislatures and elected bodies must have adequate Muslim representation without reducing a province's Muslim majority to a minority or equality.
• Adequate Muslim representation in the armed forces and in self-governing bodies.
• Muslims make up one-third of the Central Legislative Assembly.
• Muslims make up one-third of central and state cabinet members.
• Divide the electorate.
• No bill shall be passed in any legislature if three-quarters of a minority community believes it is detrimental to its interests.
• Any reorganisation of territories must not have an impact on the Muslim majority in Bengal, Punjab, or the NWFP.
• Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency.
• Reforms to the constitution in the NWFP and Baluchistan.
• All communities have complete religious freedom.
• Muslims' religious, cultural, educational, and linguistic rights must be protected.

Nehru Report - Outcome

• The Nehru report infuriated Muslim political circles in Bengal, who saw it as a threat to Hindu dominance.
• The principle of separate electorates had become the sine qua non of Muslim politics in Bengal, and its sudden rejection was viewed by Hindus as a betrayal of the Muslim cause.
• They claimed that because of their provincial majority, they should be granted a majority in the legislature, and that separate electorates should be maintained to protect them from economic and educational exploitation of Hindus.
• Hindus saw no logic in these demands and instead claimed that, despite being a population minority, they fully deserved their current majority in the house based on past services and current capacity.

Conclusion

The Nehru Report demanded that India's Fundamental Rights not be forfeited. The reports had drowned out an inspiration from the American Bill of Rights, which served as the foundation for the Fundamental Rights provision in the Indian Constitution. Unfortunately, the Nehru Report was not adopted by the All Party Convention in Calcutta in December 1928. Some communal leaders from the Muslim League, the Hindu Mahasabha, and the Sikh League objected.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which form of government was proposed in the Nehru Report?

A. Federal
B. Unitary
C. Presidential
D. Parliamentary

2. Who was the chairman of the Nehru Report committee?

A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Motilal Nehru
D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

3. What did the Nehru Report suggest about separate electorates for minorities?

A. Supported them
B. Opposed them
C. Recommended proportional representation
D. Suggested minority reservation

4. In which year was the Nehru Report published?

A. 1919
B. 1928
C. 1935
D. 1942

5. What was the key demand of the Nehru Report regarding India's political status?

A. Complete independence
B. Dominion status
C. Provincial autonomy
D. Federal structure

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of the Nehru Report in the context of India’s constitutional development.

Answer: The Nehru Report was significant as it marked the first attempt by Indians to draft a constitution for self-governance. It introduced progressive ideas like universal adult suffrage, fundamental rights, and dominion status. The rejection of separate electorates aimed at fostering unity, though it led to divisions with the Muslim League. Despite not being accepted by the British, the report influenced later constitutional developments, including the demand for complete independence.

Q2: Analyze the impact of the Nehru Report on Hindu-Muslim relations during the freedom struggle.

Answer: The Nehru Report’s opposition to separate electorates, which were favored by the Muslim League, created a rift between Hindu and Muslim leaders. While the report aimed to promote unity, it was perceived as sidelining Muslim interests, leading to increased communal tensions. This division contributed to the Muslim League’s subsequent demands for greater political representation and, eventually, the creation of Pakistan.

Q3: Explain how the Nehru Report addressed the issue of fundamental rights in its recommendations.

Answer: The Nehru Report proposed the inclusion of fundamental rights, which were to be guaranteed by the constitution. These rights included freedom of expression, equality before law, protection against discrimination, and the right to property. The introduction of such rights marked a progressive step towards ensuring civil liberties for all citizens, laying the groundwork for the inclusion of fundamental rights in India's post-independence Constitution.

Previous Year Questions on Nehru Report

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2017

Question: Who among the following chaired the committee responsible for drafting the Nehru Report?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Motilal Nehru
D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Answer: C

Explanation: Motilal Nehru chaired the committee that drafted the Nehru Report in 1928, advocating for dominion status and constitutional reforms.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2018 (GS Paper 1)

Question: "The Nehru Report of 1928 was a turning point in India’s constitutional development." Discuss its significance in shaping India's freedom movement.

Answer: The Nehru Report was pivotal in shaping the Indian freedom movement by presenting a unified demand for dominion status and rejecting separate electorates for minorities. While the report laid down a constitutional framework, its opposition to communal electorates alienated the Muslim League, leading to deeper divisions. Despite its limitations, the report reinforced the nationalist call for self-governance and laid the foundation for future constitutional reforms, including the eventual demand for complete independence.