Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

Wood’s Dispatch (1854) is known as the Magna Carta of English Education in India. Under this government was to take up the responsibility for the Education of masses. It provided for hierarchy of Educational Institutions i.e. three tier education system. It also emphasised on Female, Vocational Education and teachers’ training. The Dispatch proposed secular education in Government Institutions.

Statement 1 is correct: The Despatch advocated for the introduction of a Grants-in-Aid system to encourage private and missionary enterprises in education. Under this scheme, financial assistance was provided to educational institutions that met certain standards thereby promoting the expansion and improvement of education.

Statement 2 is correct: It systematised the hierarchy from vernacular primary schools in villages at bottom, followed by Anglo-Vernacular High Schools and an affiliated college at the district level and affiliating universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Woods Dispatch recommended English as the Medium of Instruction in higher studies and vernaculars language in at school level.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The idea of supporting educated Indians and promoting knowledge of contemporary sciences in the country was enshrined into the Charter Act of 1813. The Charter Act of 1813 permitted Christian missionaries to propagate English and preach their religion. It mandated the company to allocate one lakh rupees annually for the revival and improvement of literature and the promotion of science among the inhabitants of British India. The Act emphasized the need to educate Indians in Western sciences and literature which indirectly laid the foundation for English education.

Statement 2 is correct: A "General Committee of Public Instruction" was established by the Governor-General-in-Council in 1823 with the task of allocating one lakh rupees for educational purposes under the Presidentship of Lord Macaulay. Lord Macaulay’s Minute resolved the debate in favor of the Anglicists, directing the limited government resources toward the teaching of Western sciences and literature through the medium of the English language.

Statement 3 is correct: The Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy in the early 19th century centered on the medium and content of education in India. Orientalists led by scholars like H.T. Prinsep advocated for preserving traditional Indian knowledge through Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. Anglicists led by Thomas Babington Macaulay, pushed for English education to create a class of Indians who were culturally English but Indian by birth. The debate culminated in Macaulay’s Minute of 1835 which favored English education. Governor-General Lord William Bentinck endorsed this view thereby officially making English the medium of instruction in higher education.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The Sanskrit College at Benaras was founded in 1791 by Jonathan Duncan (not William Jones). The objective was to promote the study of Hindu law and philosophy among the people of Benaras., Sir William Jones was a renowned philologist and scholar who founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 in Calcutta, aiming to encourage Oriental studies.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Calcutta Madrasah was established by Warren Hastings in 1781 for the study of Muslim law and related subjects to promote the study of Islamic law and jurisprudence among the Muslim population.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Fort William College was set up by Lord Richard Wellesley in 1800 for training of civil servants of the Company in languages and customs of Indians.

Explanation

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), established in 1948, is one of the prominent trade union organizations in India. Founded by notable leaders such as Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam, and G.G. Mehta, HMS aimed to represent the interests of Indian workers and promote their rights and welfare. The organization played a vital role in advocating for labor reforms, improving working conditions, and securing fair wages for workers across various industries.

Explanation

Lala Lajpat Rai was popularly known as Punjab Kesari. He was the INC’s president at the 1920 Calcutta Special Session. In 1921, he founded Servants of the People Society, a non-profit welfare organisation, in Lahore. He also wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji, and Shrikrishna. He led a non-violent march in protest against the Simon Commission and was brutally assaulted by the police. He succumbed to a heart attack later, with the assault likely contributing to his weakened condition.

Explanation

Neeldarpan was a Bengali play written in 1860 by Dinabandhu Mitra. It depicted the plight of indigo farmers under British rule, particularly the oppressive system imposed by British planters. The play was later translated into English by Michael Madhusudan Dutt and became influential in the Indigo Revolt In 1863, Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to clear the Indian Civil Services (ICS) Examination. He was the elder brother of Rabindranath Tagore and worked towards administrative and social reforms. Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 in Bombay. It aimed to promote Vedic knowledge and social reform, rejecting idol worship and advocating for women’s education. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandamath, a Bengali novel in 1882. It featured the famous song Vande Mataram, which later became an important slogan in the Indian freedom movement.

Explanation

The Government of India Act, 1919 introduced dyarchy at the provincial level, dividing executive powers between the Governor and elected ministers. The system increased provincial authority, with the Governor as the chief executive. Subjects were divided into two lists: reserved and transferred. The reserved list (e.g., law and order, finance) was managed by the Governor and his executive council. The transferred list (e.g., education, health) was administered by ministers from the elected legislative council. This dual scheme of governance was known as ‘dyarchy’.

Explanation

The Butler Committee, chaired by Sir Harcourt Butler in 1927, investigated the relationship between British India and the princely states. Its 1929 report reaffirmed the doctrine of paramountcy, clarifying that the British Raj’s control over the princely states was not just contractual but a dynamic, evolving relationship shaped by history and policy. The committee recommended that the financial relationship between the Raj and the states should be fair.

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.

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".