Which of the following viceroys announced the historic 'August Declaration' of 1917, promising the gradual development of self-governing institutions in India?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Edwin Montagu, serving as the Secretary of State for India, presented the historic August Declaration in the British Parliament in 1917, promising progressive realization of responsible governance in India. This declaration aimed to pacify nationalist demands raised during the First World War and directly shaped the subsequent Government of India Act of 1919. It marked a formal policy shift away from absolute bureaucratic control toward representative legislative institutions.