The British established numerous committees and commissions in a variety of fields, including education, law enforcement, etc., throughout their time in power in India.
These significant commissions and committees were formed during the British Empire with the intention of ensuring reforms and modernising the sectoral operating structure.
The British Indian Committees and Commissions that were established for either judicial reform, administrative reform, or social reform are listed in this article.
Civil Services, Police and Army Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Aitchison Commission (1886)
Charles Aitchison
To involve more Indians in Civil Service.
Lord Dufferin
Fraser Commission (1902)
Fraser
To investigate the working of police.
Lord Curzon
Royal Commission on Civil Service (1912)
Lord Islington
To give 25% high posts to Indian.
Lord Hardinge
Lee Commission (1924)
Lord Lee
To remove defects of Civil Service.
Lord Reading
Sandhurst Committee (1926)
Andrew Skeen
To suggest Indianization of Indian army.
Lord Reading
Indian Jail Reforms Committee (1919)
Sir Alexander Cardew
To improve the condition of prisoners
Lord Chelmsford
Butler Committee (1927)
Hercourt Butler
To Examine the relation between native states and the paramount power (Crown).
Lord Irwin
Agriculture Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Madras Agricultural Committee (1890)
To examine the necessity of abandoning the attempts to teach the ryot until more is known, through careful enquiry of what his practices really are, and the conditions under which he pursues them.
Lord Lansdowne
Irrigation Commission (1901)
Sir Scott Crieff
To plan for the expenditure on Irrigation.
Lord Curzon
Linlithgow Commission (1928)
Linlithgow
To study the problem in agriculture. (Report by Linlithgow).
Lord Irwin
Finance and Currency Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Herschell Committee (1893)
Herschell
To give suggestion Regarding currency.
Lord Lansdowne
Opium Commission (1893)
To investigate about the effect of opium on health.
Lord Lansdowne
Flenry Fowler Commission (1898)
H. Fowler
To give suggestions on currency.
Lord Elgin
Maclagan Committee (1914-15)
Maclagan
To advise for cooperative finances.
Lord Hardinge
Labour Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Whitley Commission (1929)
J.H. Whitley
To study the condition of labor in Industries and gardens.
Lord Irwin (1926-1931)
National Planning Committee (1938)
Jawaharlal Nehru
To prepare economic plan.
Lord Linlithgow
Education Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Macaulay Minute (1835)
Lord Macaulay
Allocate money for Educational expenditure
Lord William Bentinck
Woods Dispatch (1854)
Charles woods
To recommend the Medium of primary, secondary and graduation level education.
Lord Dalhousie
Hunter Commission (1882)
William Hunter
To study the development in education.
Lord Ripon
University Commission (1902)
Thomas Raleigh
To study the Universities and introduce reforms.
Lord Curzon
Calcutta University Commission (1917)
Michael Sadler
To study the condition of University.
Lord Chelmsford
Indian Disbandment Committee (1923)
Lord Itchcap
To discuss the Central Committee of Education.
Lord Reading
Hartog Committee (1929)
Sir Philip Joseph Hartog
To address the decline in educational standards caused by the increased number of educational institutions
Lord Irwin
Sargent Plan (1944)
John Sargent
To raise the standard of Education in British India.
Lord Wavell
Famine Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
Strachey Commission (1880)
Richard Strachey
To give relief to famine stricken
Lord Lytton
Lyall Commission (1897)
James Lyall
To give suggestion on earlier reports.
Lord Elgin
MacDonnell Commission (1900)
Anthony MacDonnell
To give the suggestion on famine report.
Lord Curzon
Famine Inspection Commission (1943-44)
John Woodhood
To investigate in events of Bengal Famine.
Lord Wavell
Law Commissions
Committee/Commission
Chairman
Objectives
Governor General/Viceroy
First Law Commission(1834)
Lord Macaulay
To recommend the codification of the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and a few other matters.
Lord William Bentinck
Second Law Commission (1853)
Sir John Romilly
To recommend about Indian Code of Civil Procedure, the Indian Contract Act etc.
Lord Dalhousie
Third Law Commission (1861)
Sir John Romilly
To recommend about Indian Evidence Act, the Transfer of Property Act etc.
Lord Canning
Fourth Law Commission (1879)
Dr. Whitley Stokes
To recommend about Code of Negotiable Instruments , Code on Trusts Law, Code on Transfer of Property and Easements, Code of Criminal Procedure and Civil Procedure.
