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Why did the early Indian National Congress seek simultaneous Indian Civil Service examinations in India and Britain?

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Mahatma Gandhi, holding a walking stick, walks beside Sarojini Naidu during the Salt March protest in 1930, with several men following behind them. — Indian National Congress Indian National Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Sarojini Naidu (right) on the Salt March in western India, March 1930.

The early Indian National Congress advocated for simultaneous Indian Civil Service (ICS) examinations in India and Britain to secure real equality of opportunity for Indians to enter the service.1

Although Queen Victoria’s 1858 proclamation theoretically opened the ICS to qualified Indians, the examinations were held exclusively in Britain. This requirement created significant barriers for Indian candidates, as they were forced to travel abroad and compete under restrictive age limits—which were reduced to 19 years in 1878—to qualify for positions. Consequently, very few Indians were able to overcome these logistical and financial hurdles to enter the civil service. By demanding simultaneous examinations, the Congress sought to dismantle these exclusionary practices and ensure that Indians could compete for administrative roles on a fair and accessible basis.231