<P> The parts of the Act intended to establish the Federation of India never came into operation, due to opposition from rulers of the princely states . The remaining parts of the Act came into force in 1937, when the first elections under the act were also held . </P> <P> Indians had increasingly been demanding a greater role in the government of their country since the late 19th century . The Indian contribution to the British war effort during the First World War meant that even the more conservative elements in the British political establishment felt the necessity of constitutional change, resulting in the Government of India Act, 1919 . That Act introduced a novel system of government known as provincial "diarchy", i.e., certain areas of government (such as education) were placed in the hands of ministers responsible to the provinces even for those areas over which they had gained nominal control, the "purse strings" were still in the hands of British officialdom . </P> <P> The intention had been that a review of India's constitutional arrangements and those princely states that were willing to accede to it . However, the division between Congress and Muslim representatives proved to be a major factor in preventing agreement as too much of the important detail of how federation would work in practice . </P> <P> Against this practice, the new Conservative - dominated National Government in London decided to go ahead with drafting its own proposals (white paper). A joint parliamentary select committee, chaired by Lord Linlithgow, reviewed the white paper proposals at great length . On the basis of this white paper, the Government of India Bill was framed . At the committee stage and later, to appease the diehards, the "safeguards" were strengthened, and indirect elections were reinstated for the Central Legislative Assembly (the central legislature's lower house). The bill was proposed on April 1931 but bill duly passed into law in August 1935 . </P>

When does a federal act came into operation