The question asks to identify an example that illustrates the ultimate authority of the British government as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935.

Government of India Act 1935 Overview

The Government of India Act, 1935 was a significant piece of legislation passed by the British Parliament. Its main goals were to introduce provincial autonomy and establish a federation of British India and the princely states. However, it also contained provisions that ensured the British government retained significant control and ultimate authority over India.

Analyzing Options for British Authority

Let's examine how each option relates to the British government's authority under the Act:

• Special powers for governor over provincial governments: The Act granted Governors extensive discretionary powers. They acted as agents of the British Crown and could override the decisions of the provincial elected ministries, especially in areas concerning law and order, the rights of minorities, or the administration of areas declared "undesirable". They could also reserve certain bills for the consideration of the Governor-General or even the British Crown. These powers directly reflected the ultimate authority of the British Crown and Parliament, ensuring British interests were protected even within the new provincial structure.
• Abolition of diarchy at the provincial level: The 1935 Act abolished diarchy (rule by two sets of rulers) in the provinces, which had been introduced by the 1919 Act. Provinces were now governed entirely by a responsible ministry responsible to the provincial legislature. While this was a major change towards self-governance, the abolition itself doesn't directly represent the *assertion* of British ultimate authority, but rather a restructuring of governance.
• Establishment of federal bank: The Act proposed the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India to manage the currency and credit of the country. While important for economic administration, establishing a bank is a functional change and not a direct manifestation of the British government's ultimate authority over political decision-making in the same way as direct control mechanisms.
• Division of power: The Act outlined a three-fold division of legislative powers: Federal, Provincial, and Concurrent lists. This structure aimed to distribute functions between the central government and the provinces. While the *framework* of this division was determined by the British, the division itself is a characteristic of federalism, not solely an example of the ultimate authority being exercised, although the British retained residuary powers.

Governor's Powers and Ultimate Authority

The special powers vested in the Governors were crucial instruments through which the British government maintained its paramountcy. These powers allowed the Governor, acting on instructions from the Viceroy or the Secretary of State for India, to intervene directly in provincial administration, suspend responsible government, or take actions that superseded the provincial legislature and ministry. This demonstrates the ultimate authority the British Crown intended to retain over the governance of India, ensuring that provincial autonomy did not undermine British imperial control.