Edwin Montagu became Secretary of State for India in June 1917 after Austen

Chamberlain resigned following the capture of Kut by the Turks in 1916 and the
capture of an Indian army staged there. He put before the British Cabinet a proposed
statement regarding his intention to work towards the gradual development of free
institutions in India with a view to ultimate self-government. Lord Curzon thought that
this gave Montagu too much emphasis on working towards self-government and
suggested that he work towards increasing association of Indians in every branch of
the administration and the gradual development of self-governing institutions with a
view to the progressive realization of responsible government in India as an integral
part of the British Empire. The Cabinet approved the statement with Curzon's
amendment incorporated in place of Montagu's original statement.[1 The Montagu–
Chelmsford Reforms or more briefly known as Mont-Ford Reforms were reforms
introduced by the colonial government in British India to introduce self-governing
institutions gradually to India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Samuel
Montagu, the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I
and Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921. The reforms were
outlined in the Montagu-Chelmsford Report prepared in 1918 and formed the basis
of the Government of India Act 1919.These are related to constitutional reforms.
Indian nationalists considered that the reforms did not go far enough while British
conservatives were critical of them.The important features of this act were as follows:
1.The Central Legislative Council was now to consist of two houses- The Imperial
Legislative and the Council of States.
2.The provinces were to follow the Dual Government System or Dyarchy.