Q111. In which year was Section 124A (Sedition) formally inserted into the Indian Penal Code (IPC) through an amendment to curb political dissent?
Modern Indian History: RAS Prelims MCQs
488 RAS Prelims practice MCQs on modern Indian history are on this page, in 12 chapters. They cover British expansion and early resistance, the Anglo-Sikh wars, the Revolt of 1857, colonial policies, reform movements, the rise of nationalism, the Gandhian era, revolutionary movements and Partition, and nation-building up to 2000. Each question has an answer and an explanation, in the formats the exam uses.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 111–120 of 488 questions
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Q112. Consider the following statements:
Statement I: The colonial census required individuals to rigidly define their caste and religious identities, often hardening previously fluid social boundaries.
Statement II: Herbert Hope Risley used the 1901 census to officially rank castes in an order of social precedence, which was widely accepted without protest by Indian social groups.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Statement I: The colonial census required individuals to rigidly define their caste and religious identities, often hardening previously fluid social boundaries.
Statement II: Herbert Hope Risley used the 1901 census to officially rank castes in an order of social precedence, which was widely accepted without protest by Indian social groups.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The colonial census made people state their caste and religion, which hardened social boundaries, so Statement I is true. Risley’s caste ranking in 1901 was not accepted without protest, so Statement II is false.
Q113. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The lowering of the maximum age limit for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination from 21 to 19 years by Lord Lytton was a deliberate policy of racial discrimination.
Reason (R): The primary intention was to make it virtually impossible for Indian candidates to travel to England and compete successfully against British candidates.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The lowering of the maximum age limit for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination from 21 to 19 years by Lord Lytton was a deliberate policy of racial discrimination.
Reason (R): The primary intention was to make it virtually impossible for Indian candidates to travel to England and compete successfully against British candidates.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Explanation
Lord Lytton lowered the ICS age limit from 21 to 19, which made it very hard for Indians to travel to England and compete. This was a deliberate act of racial discrimination, so R explains A.
Q114. The concept of building ‘Cantonments’ during colonial rule was primarily driven by the need for:
Explanation
Cantonments were built to give European military and civilian residents isolated and defensible spaces.
Q115. Consider the following statements regarding the British policy of ‘Divide and Rule’:
I. The partition of Bengal in 1905 was a geographic manifestation of this policy, aiming to create a Muslim-majority province in the east.
II. The introduction of separate electorates in 1909 was strongly opposed by British administrators but forced upon them by unified Indian leaders.
III. This policy exploited regional and communal divisions to prevent the emergence of a unified nationalist movement.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
I. The partition of Bengal in 1905 was a geographic manifestation of this policy, aiming to create a Muslim-majority province in the east.
II. The introduction of separate electorates in 1909 was strongly opposed by British administrators but forced upon them by unified Indian leaders.
III. This policy exploited regional and communal divisions to prevent the emergence of a unified nationalist movement.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
Explanation
The 1905 Partition of Bengal created a Muslim-majority province in the east and divide and rule exploited communal splits. The separate electorates of 1909 were not forced on the British by Indian leaders, so II is incorrect.
Q116. The Frazer Commission (1902) was appointed by Lord Curzon primarily to review and recommend reforms in which of the following areas of colonial administration?
Explanation
The Frazer Commission of 1902, appointed by Lord Curzon, reviewed and recommended reforms in police administration.
Q117. Match List I with List II:
| Legal Code/Act | Year of Enactment |
|---|---|
| A. Indian Penal Code | i. 1859 |
| B. Code of Criminal Procedure (first enactment) | ii. 1860 |
| C. Code of Civil Procedure | iii. 1861 |
| D. Indian Evidence Act | iv. 1872 |
Explanation
The Indian Penal Code dates from 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure from 1861, the Code of Civil Procedure from 1859 and the Indian Evidence Act from 1872. This gives A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv.
Q118. Which of the following statements is correct regarding the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919?
Explanation
The 1919 Reforms brought a bicameral central legislature, with two chambers. They did not abolish separate electorates or fully Indianise the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
Q119. Consider the following statements regarding the use of Sedition laws and political repression in British India:
I. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was convicted under Section 124A for his writings in Kesari.
II. Mahatma Gandhi was tried for sedition in 1922 for articles written in Young India.
III. The colonial government used sedition laws sparingly and only against violent revolutionaries.
IV. Section 124A allowed the government to suppress any critical opinion by equating it with disloyalty.
Which of the given statement(s) is/are correct?
I. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was convicted under Section 124A for his writings in Kesari.
II. Mahatma Gandhi was tried for sedition in 1922 for articles written in Young India.
III. The colonial government used sedition laws sparingly and only against violent revolutionaries.
IV. Section 124A allowed the government to suppress any critical opinion by equating it with disloyalty.
Which of the given statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Tilak was convicted for his writings in Kesari, Gandhi was tried in 1922 for articles in Young India and Section 124A let the government suppress criticism as disloyalty. Sedition laws were not used sparingly, so III is wrong.
Q120. What was a primary consequence of the stringent Press laws, such as the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, on the Indian nationalist movement?
Explanation
Harsh press laws like the Vernacular Press Act pushed nationalist discourse underground and made some newspapers switch to English.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 111 | (b) 1870 |
| 112 | (c) Statement I is true but Statement II is false. |
| 113 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 114 | (c) Creating isolated and defensible urban spaces for European military and civilian residents |
| 115 | (b) II only |
| 116 | (b) Police administration |
| 117 | (b) A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv |
| 118 | (a) It introduced bicameralism at the central level through two legislative chambers |
| 119 | (b) I, II and IV only |
| 120 | (d) It forced nationalist discourse underground and pushed some newspapers to switch to English |
Key facts from Modern Indian History
- The RPSC syllabus covers the period from the early 19th century to 2000: British imperialism, the Revolt of 1857, colonial policies, reform movements, nationalism, the freedom struggle, Partition and nation-building.
- Questions on colonial rule often turn on a single Act or reform and its year, such as the Government of India Act 1858 or the Indian Councils Act 1861.
- Freedom-struggle questions pair a movement with its leader, place and date, for example Champaran in 1917 and the Dandi March in 1930.
- Statement and chronology questions are common in the freedom struggle chapters, so learn events in order.
- The post-independence chapters cover state reorganisation, planning, bank nationalisation and the growth of science and technology.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Modern Indian History?
This page has 488 practice MCQs on Modern Indian History. Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Which chapters does the modern Indian history set cover?
Twelve chapters: British imperialism and early resistance, Anglo-Sikh wars and the Doctrine of Lapse, the Revolt of 1857, political and administrative policies, economic policies, socio-religious reform movements, early nationalism, the Gandhian era, revolutionary and regional movements and Partition, state reorganisation, planning and reforms, and science and technology.
Which period does RAS Prelims modern history cover?
RPSC lists the modern period from the early 19th century to 2000, including British imperialism and resistance, the Revolt of 1857, British policies, nationalism, the freedom struggle, Partition and post-independence nation-building.
How should I prepare modern history for RAS Prelims?
Build a timeline of Acts, movements and leaders first. Then attempt each chapter, read the explanation for every miss and note the leader, place and year. Chronology questions are common, so revise the order of events a few times.