UPSC 2017 Modern History Questions with Answers

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".

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.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Raja Radhakanta Deb was the first President of the British Indian Association while Debendranath Tagore was its secretary. The British Indian Association was one of the earliest political organizations in India, formed by merging the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty (1806-1868) was a merchant, social reformer, and political leader from Madras. However, he did not found the Madras Mahajan Sabha. The Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884) was founded by M. Veeraraghavachari, P. Rangaiah Naidu, G. Subramania Iyer and others.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: Surendranath Banerjee (1848-1925) was a nationalist leader and one of the early political activists in India. He founded the Indian Association in 1876 in Calcutta. The Indian Association played a crucial role in mobilizing Indians against British policies and was a precursor to the Indian National Congress.