---
title: "Dyarchy Under the 1919 Act: Reserved vs Transferred"
description: "Dyarchy under the 1919 Act introduced a dual provincial government in India, impacting governance until its failure by 1935."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/government-of-india-act-1919-dyarchy"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Dyarchy was the system of dual provincial government introduced by the Government of India Act 1919, dividing subjects into reserved and transferred categories.
- What was the difference between reserved and transferred subjects under dyarchy?
- Why did dyarchy fail?
- How did dyarchy differ from the provincial autonomy of the 1935 Act?
- Was dyarchy introduced at the central government as well?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 20 August 1917

   Dyarchy — from the Greek di-archē, "rule by two" — was the constitutional scheme of dual government installed in British India's provinces by the Government…

2. 1 April 1921

   The scheme drew on the proposals of Lionel Curtis and the Round Table group, who had popularised the term in their 1916 paper, and it took effect on after t…

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In 1921 the Justice Party formed the first ministry under dyarchy in Madras Presidency, taking charge of transferred subjects such as education and local government while the Governor retained finance and police.

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