Q31. The codification of laws under British rule, spearheaded by the Macaulay Commission, was most fundamentally intended to:
British Political and Administrative Policies: RAS Prelims MCQs
64 RAS Prelims MCQs on British political and administrative policies cover the constitutional Acts, the civil services, the police and the judiciary, press laws, sedition and divide and rule. The Government of India Act 1858, the Councils Acts of 1861 and 1892, the 1909 and 1919 reforms and the Partition of Bengal are asked with their provisions and dates.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 31–40 of 64 questions
Q32. Match List I with List II:
| Colonial Urban Term | Description |
|---|---|
| A. Cantonment | i. Residential areas for civilian European officials |
| B. Civil Lines | ii. Areas inhabited by the native Indian population |
| C. Black Town | iii. Military garrison areas established for the British army |
| D. Hill Station | iv. Sanatoria and summer retreats for European officials |
Explanation
A Cantonment was a military garrison area, Civil Lines housed civilian European officials, the Black Town was where Indians lived and a Hill Station was a retreat for European officials. This gives A-iii, B-i, C-ii, D-iv.
Q33. Who was the first Indian to successfully clear the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination?
Explanation
Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to clear the ICS examination, in 1863.
Q34. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The British administrative policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ heavily relied on the institutionalization of communal electorates.
Reason (R): Communal electorates ensured that communities voted exclusively for their own religious leaders, thereby crystallizing religious identities into rigid political factions.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The British administrative policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ heavily relied on the institutionalization of communal electorates.
Reason (R): Communal electorates ensured that communities voted exclusively for their own religious leaders, thereby crystallizing religious identities into rigid political factions.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Explanation
Communal electorates made communities vote for their own religious representatives, which hardened religious identities into rigid political groups. This was at the heart of divide and rule, so R explains A.
Q35. Under the Indian Councils Act of 1892, what critical power was granted to the members of the legislative councils for the first time?
Explanation
The Indian Councils Act of 1892 let the members of the legislative councils discuss the annual budget and ask questions of the executive for the first time.
Q36. Which of the following was NOT a way in which the colonial Census affected Indian society?
Explanation
The colonial census ranked castes, mapped religious populations in detail and gave a basis for separate electorates. It did not eradicate the varna system, so A is not a way it affected society.
Q37. Consider the following statements regarding the Indian Police Act of 1861:
I. It established a unified police force in each province under an Inspector General.
II. It made the police force highly decentralized, placing control entirely in the hands of village headmen.
III. It structurally subordinated the police to the civilian administrative authority, notably the District Magistrate.
Which of the given statement(s) is/are correct?
I. It established a unified police force in each province under an Inspector General.
II. It made the police force highly decentralized, placing control entirely in the hands of village headmen.
III. It structurally subordinated the police to the civilian administrative authority, notably the District Magistrate.
Which of the given statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The Police Act of 1861 set up a unified provincial force under an Inspector General and put it under the District Magistrate. It did not place control in the hands of village headmen, so II is wrong.
Q38. In the context of British constitutional development, the shift from ‘Subordinate Isolation’ to ‘Subordinate Union’ primarily characterized the relationship between the British Crown and:
Explanation
The shift from Subordinate Isolation to Subordinate Union described the changing relationship of the British Crown with the princely states.
Q39. Identify the odd one out among the following laws/regulations aimed at suppressing political dissent:
Explanation
The Vernacular Press Act, the Rowlatt Act and Section 124A were tools of repression. The Ilbert Bill was about judicial equality for Indian magistrates, so it is the odd one out.
Q40. Select the correct hierarchical order of the colonial judicial courts established under the British system (from lowest to highest):
Explanation
From lowest to highest the courts were the Munsiff’s Court, the District Judge’s Court, the Sadar Diwani Adalat and the Privy Council.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 31 | (c) Establishing a uniform legal system to facilitate colonial administration and commercial exploitation |
| 32 | (a) A-iii, B-i, C-ii, D-iv |
| 33 | (b) Satyendranath Tagore |
| 34 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 35 | (d) The right to discuss the annual budget and address questions to the executive members |
| 36 | (a) It completely eradicated the varna system by replacing it with economic classes |
| 37 | (c) I and III only |
| 38 | (b) The Princely States |
| 39 | (c) The Ilbert Bill, 1883 |
| 40 | (a) Munsiff’s Court, District Judge’s Court, Sadar Diwani Adalat, Privy Council |
Key facts from British Political and Administrative Policies
- The Government of India Act 1858 transferred power from the Company to the Crown and created the Secretary of State and the India Council.
- Section 124A (sedition) was inserted into the IPC in 1870; the Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 under Lytton and repealed by Ripon.
- The Indian Councils Act 1861 introduced the portfolio system; the Act of 1892 let members discuss the budget and ask questions.
- The Morley-Minto Reforms 1909 introduced communal electorates; Dyarchy came with the 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms.
- The Frazer Commission (1902) reviewed police; the Indian Police Act of 1861 placed the police under the District Magistrate.
- Curzon’s 1905 Partition of Bengal aimed at weakening nationalism and was annulled in 1911.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on British Political and Administrative Policies?
This page has 64 practice MCQs on British Political and Administrative Policies (Modern Indian History). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
What did the Government of India Act 1858 do?
It transferred the government of India from the East India Company to the British Crown, abolished the Board of Control and the Court of Directors and created the Secretary of State for India, helped by a Council of India.
What did the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 introduce?
Separate (communal) electorates for Muslims in the legislative councils, along with some expansion of Indian representation. The communal electorate hardened religious identities in politics and is seen as a key step in divide and rule.
Who was the first Indian to clear the ICS?
Satyendranath Tagore, in 1863. The ICS examination was held in England, and the Lytton-era reduction of the age limit to 19 later made it even harder for Indians to compete.