Which commission came to India in 1928 to examine and recommend reforms in the constitutional system of British India?

Introduction / Context:
Between the two World Wars, the British Government appointed several commissions and committees to review and suggest changes to the constitutional structure of British India. One of the most famous among them visited India in 1928 and became a major focus of nationalist protest because it did not include a single Indian member. This question asks you to identify that commission.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The year is 1928. - The commission was concerned with reforming the constitutional system of British India. - The options refer to commissions or acts: Rowlatt, Pitts India Act, Partition of Bengal, and Simon Commission.

Concept / Approach:
The Simon Commission was appointed in 1927 and arrived in India in 1928 to examine the working of the Government of India Act of 1919 and suggest constitutional reforms. It became notorious because all its members were British, leading to the widespread slogan that it was a body with no Indian representation. The Rowlatt inquiry and act belong to 1919, Pitts India Act is an eighteenth century law, and Partition of Bengal dates to 1905. Therefore, the only option that correctly matches the year 1928 and the description of a constitutional reforms commission is the Simon Commission.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Simon Commission, headed by Sir John Simon, was set up to review the 1919 reforms and arrived in India in 1928. Step 2: Recognise that the commission sparked nationwide protests with the slogan that it lacked Indian members. Step 3: Check the other options: the Rowlatt mechanism relates to repressive legislation in 1919, not to a constitutional review in 1928. Step 4: Pitts India Act is an act of 1784 and predates the twentieth century nationalist movement. Step 5: Partition of Bengal in 1905 was an administrative decision, not a commission arriving in 1928. Step 6: Therefore, Simon Commission is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Modern Indian history books consistently emphasise the Simon Commission episode as a turning point that intensified nationalist unity, leading to the Nehru Report and later developments. Its arrival in 1928 and the widespread boycott by the Congress and many other groups are widely recorded. The details in the question match this event exactly and do not correspond to any of the other options, confirming the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rowlatt Commission: Connected to the repressive Rowlatt Act and surveillance of revolutionary activities around 1918 to 1919, not to constitutional reform in 1928.
Pitts India Act: A late eighteenth century statute that reorganised the East India Company’s administration, not a twentieth century commission sent to India.
Partition of Bengal: A 1905 decision to divide Bengal, later reversed in 1911, not a commission visiting India in 1928.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse various British acts, commissions, and reforms because many names sound similar. Another mistake is to link the word Rowlatt or Pitt with any major controversy without checking the date. A good exam strategy is to remember Simon Commission as the no Indian member body of 1928 and associate its protests with the slogan of complete independence emerging soon after.

Final Answer:
The commission that came to India in 1928 to recommend constitutional reforms was the Simon Commission.