The first serious attempt to introduce a representative and popular element into the governance of British India was made through which act?

Introduction / Context:
Before independence, British rule in India went through several constitutional reforms. Over time, limited elements of representation and popular participation were introduced into legislative bodies. This question asks which act is generally regarded as the first serious attempt to introduce a representative and popular element into the governance of India, a common theme in modern Indian history and polity sections of examinations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

Four acts are provided as options: Indian Councils Acts of 1861, 1892, 1909, and the Government of India Act, 1935.
The question asks specifically about the first serious attempt to introduce a representative and popular element.
The learner is assumed to be familiar with the evolution of legislative councils and electoral features under British rule.
The question is conceptual and historical with no numeric calculations required.

Concept / Approach:
The Indian Councils Act, 1861 allowed limited association of Indians with legislative work but mainly through nomination by the government. The Indian Councils Act, 1892 enlarged the councils and introduced an indirect method of recommendation that had some elective character but was still quite restricted. The Indian Councils Act, 1909, known as the Morley Minto reforms, is widely recognised as the first serious attempt to introduce a representative and popular element by providing for elections of Indian members to legislative councils and separate electorates for certain communities. The Government of India Act, 1935 came much later and provided a more advanced scheme, but it was not the first attempt. Thus, the act of 1909 best fits the description in the question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Arrange the acts chronologically: 1861, 1892, 1909, and 1935. Step 2: Recall that the 1861 act mainly reintroduced legislative councils and permitted a few nominated Indian members without significant representative character. Step 3: Understand that the 1892 act expanded councils and allowed certain bodies to recommend members, giving a small hint of representation, but still with weak popular involvement. Step 4: Recognise that the 1909 act introduced a clearer system of elections to legislative councils and separate electorates for different communities, increasing Indian participation in governance. Step 5: Remember that the 1935 act offered a more sophisticated system including provincial autonomy, but since the question asks for first serious attempt, the focus is on the earliest significant measure. Step 6: Conclude that the Indian Councils Act, 1909 best matches the description of first serious attempt at introducing a representative and popular element.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by consulting standard modern Indian history texts, which nearly always describe the Morley Minto reforms of 1909 as the first serious step towards introducing a representative element, due to the provision for elected Indian members. They describe the 1892 act as a more modest and indirect step that did not satisfy rising political demands. The 1935 act is covered later as a major but subsequent development. This consistent narrative across sources supports selection of the 1909 act as the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Indian Councils Act, 1861: Reintroduced councils and nominated members, but did not provide a significant representative and popular element.
Indian Councils Act, 1892: Offered limited and indirect representation but is generally not described as the first serious attempt in the same sense as the 1909 reforms.
Government of India Act, 1935: A much later and more comprehensive reform, important but not the first step in this direction.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to equate any reform involving Indian members with a serious representative system, leading some candidates to choose 1892. Others may be drawn to the famous 1935 act because of its importance, forgetting that the question is about the first attempt. To avoid these errors, learners should clearly link each act with its main feature: 1861 for reintroducing councils, 1892 for limited expansion, 1909 for systematic representation and separate electorates, and 1935 for provincial autonomy and proposed federation. This timeline makes the correct choice much easier.

Final Answer:
The first serious attempt to introduce a representative and popular element in the governance of British India was made through the Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley Minto reforms).