Economic Policies of the British: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
3 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Economic Policies of the British (Modern History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–3 of 3 questions
UPSC 2017Modern History · Economic Policies of the British
Q1. Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British Rule? 1. Lord Cornwallis 2. Alexander Read 3. Thomas Munro Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Option (c) is correct:
Permanent Settlement Started by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. Prevalent in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Varanasi (United Provinces), and Northern Karnataka. Covered 19% of British India. A new section of Zamindars was appointed who would provide 10/11th part of the revenue collected to the British while keeping the remaining. Ryotwari System Started by Thomas Munro and Alexander Reed in 1820. Started in the Baramahal district of Tamil Nadu and later spread to Madras, parts of Bombay, East Bengal, Assam and Coorg (Karnataka). Covered 51% of British India. Ryots (farmers) were given ownership and other rights over the land and were required to pay the revenue directly to the government. Involved high taxes and strict collection. Mahalwari System The Mahalwari system was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822. Prevalent in United Provinces, Central Provinces and Punjab. Covered 30% of British India. The village or mahal served as the unit for collecting revenue. Village land belonged to the community and it was the responsibility of the entire community to pay the land revenue.
UPSC 2017Modern History · Economic Policies of the British
Q2. The Trade Disputes Act of 1929 provided for:
Explanation
The Trade Disputes Act 1929 was a British Act of Parliament passed to regulate industrial disputes in India. The main objective of the Act was to make provisions for the establishment of Courts of Inquiry(tribunals) and Boards of Conciliation with a view to investigate and settle trade disputes. Strikes and lockouts in public utility services were prohibited without prior notice. Such strikes were illegal and punishable under the Act. Motilal Nehru called it " The slavery of India Bill".
UPSC 2017Modern History · Economic Policies of the British
Q3. Consider the following statements: 1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions. 2. N. M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labor movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Factory Act of 1881, passed during Lord Ripon’s tenure, aimed to improve working conditions in factories using mechanical power and employing at least 100 workers. It prohibited the employment of children under 7, limited children aged 7-12 to 9-hour workdays, and required dangerous machinery to be properly fenced. However, it did not address the formation of trade unions.
Statement 2 is correct: Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (1848-1897) is regarded as the father of the trade union movement in India. He worked to improve the conditions of textile mill workers and took courageous stands on caste and communal issues. He played a key role in reducing daily working hours from 16 to 10 hours in mills.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2017
(c) 2 and 3 only
2
2017
(d) a system of tribunals and a ban on strikes.
3
2017
(b) 2 only
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Economic Policies of the British?
This page covers 3 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Economic Policies of the British (Modern History), asked from 1996 to 2024. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Economic Policies of the British?
Questions on Economic Policies of the British (Modern History) are available for 12 years, from 1996 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
