In 1923 he was attached to the Royal Commission on surperior civil services. Two years later he became private secretary to the new Liberal Viceroy, the Marquess of Reading. In 1926 he was appointed secretary of the home department in India. His record of service, fifteen years at the top of the Indian service was only equalled by Sir Malcolm Hailey. Haig became expert in policing and home affairs. He was resolved to prevent Gandhi's non-cooperation movement from breaking up British rule, and yet knew how alarmist tactics could ignite an orgy of violence. Recommending a new Intelligence-led police operation to track rebels, Gandhi made a personal plea to end the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) feared for its rigorous methods of arrest and detention. By 1933 the civil disobedience movement had calmed down, its leaders in prison or disarmed. Gandhi was sentenced to six years in prison. In 1929 Haig was instrumental in the defeat of the Communist-inspired Meerut Conspiracy Case case, in which violent revolutionaries aimed to disrupt Congress peaceful demonstrations, yet they were far from that, as Haig found out from the Nainital proceedings in his capacity as Secretary to the government. Leaving the British India leaders to cajole Gandhi into attending the Second Round Table Conference in London. Haig attended both conferences in 1930-31. he was in the chair of the committee that expanded the jurisdiction of the North-West Frontier Province with full governor and provincial legislature powers. Emergency powers were in full operation throughout India invoking martial law in a region where many Muslims and Sikhs joined the British Indian Army. When Sir James Crerar retired in 1932 he was asked to become home member on Lord Willingdon's Council and appointed Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire. Haig encouraged the London drafters of Government of India bill in 1934 to make special constituency reserved seats in the North-West for Muslims and the other minorities that predominated in the province. He recognised the security and safety issues by pursuance of a dual policy during the negotiations with Gandhi-Dr. Ambedkar. At once the home department deployed a tough policy of detention against the Congress while being on the telegraph hotline to London in conversation with the cabinet. Gandhi was an old man incapable of defeating the British forces, so they were happy for the policy to be to decline his position. Gandhi would later praise Haig's "rearguard action" which was conducted with firmness but fairness. Britain pursued a managed withdrawal from the 1930s onwards, offering concessions for "responsive government" within the Imperial federation.