Under the Government of India Act of 1919, the first Central Legislative Assembly of British India was constituted in which year?

Introduction / Context:
The evolution of the legislative bodies during British rule is an important theme in Indian history and polity. Before Independence, various Government of India Acts gradually introduced representative elements into governance. The Government of India Act of 1919 created a new bicameral legislature with a Central Legislative Assembly as the lower house. This question checks whether you can recall the specific year in which the first Central Legislative Assembly was actually constituted, which forms a crucial link between colonial law making and the later Parliament of independent India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers to the first Central Legislative Assembly under British rule.
• The relevant statute is the Government of India Act of 1919.
• The options provide four possible years in the early twentieth century.
• We assume that you know the difference between the year of the Act and the year when elections and constitution of the body took place.

Concept / Approach:
The Government of India Act of 1919, also known as the Montagu Chelmsford Reforms, was passed in 1919 but needed time for rules to be framed and elections to be conducted. The first elections to the new Central Legislative Assembly and the reformed provincial legislatures were held in late 1920, and the Assembly began functioning thereafter. Therefore, the correct year for the constitution of the first Central Legislative Assembly is 1920. The approach is to differentiate between the date of the Act and the actual operational start date of the Assembly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Government of India Act which introduced a more representative legislature was passed in 1919. Step 2: Understand that after the Act, there had to be a period for administrative preparation and for holding elections. Step 3: Elections to the newly created Central Legislative Assembly took place around late 1920. Step 4: Examine the options given. Among 1909, 1917, 1920 and 1925, only 1920 fits the historical timeline following the 1919 Act. Step 5: Eliminate 1909, which is associated with the earlier Morley Minto reforms, not the 1919 Act. Step 6: Eliminate 1917, which predates the Act and refers to the announcement of gradual self government but not the creation of the Assembly. Step 7: Eliminate 1925, which is too late and does not correspond to the first constitution of the Assembly. Step 8: Conclude that 1920 is the correct year for the first Central Legislative Assembly.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative check is to link this with other events of that period. The Non Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi was launched in 1920, partly in reaction to dissatisfaction with the limited reforms of the 1919 Act. Knowing that political activity and elections were taking place around that time helps fix the date. Standard history and polity reference books list 1920 as the year when the first elections to the Central Legislative Assembly under the 1919 Act were held. This confirms that the Assembly was constituted in 1920 and supports option C as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: 1909 is associated with the Morley Minto reforms and an earlier Indian Councils Act, not with the first Central Legislative Assembly under the 1919 Act.
Option B: 1917 marks the famous Montagu declaration promising gradual self government but not the actual constitution of the Assembly.
Option D: 1925 is well after the Assembly had already been formed and functioning, so it cannot be the year of first constitution.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students confuse the year in which a law was enacted with the year in which institutions created by that law actually started functioning. It is important to recognise that legislative reforms often require time for implementation, framing of rules, and conduct of elections. Another pitfall is to mix up the different Government of India Acts and their associated dates, such as the Acts of 1909, 1919 and 1935. Careful chronological revision and the use of simple timelines can help avoid such errors. Always connect the 1919 Act with dyarchy in provinces and the creation of the Central Legislative Assembly around 1920.

Final Answer:
1920