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 121–130 of 488 questions
Browse Modern Indian History chapters
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q121. Arrange the following colonial press regulations in the correct chronological order: I. Metcalfe Act (Liberation of the Indian Press) II. Licensing Regulations by John Adams III. Vernacular Press Act IV. Censorship of Press Act by Lord Wellesley Select the correct order:
Explanation
Wellesley’s press censorship came in 1799, John Adams’s licensing regulations in 1823, the Metcalfe Act in 1835 and the Vernacular Press Act in 1878. The order is IV, II, I, III.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q122. Which of the following pairs concerning the Civil Services in British India is correctly matched?
Explanation
The Lee Commission recommended setting up a Public Service Commission. Simultaneous ICS exams began in 1922, the Aitchison Commission raised the age limit and the Islington Commission did not recommend abolishing the ICS.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q123. Consider the following statements regarding the 1905 partition policy: I. It was officially justified as a necessity due to the unwieldy size of the Bengal presidency. II. It sought to merge parts of eastern Bengal with Assam to create a new province. III. The policy was enthusiastically welcomed by the Indian National Congress as a step towards regional autonomy. IV. It successfully implemented the partition of the Punjab to manage agricultural administration. V. The partition was ultimately annulled in 1911 due to intense political opposition. Which of the following combinations of statements is incorrect?
Explanation
The 1905 partition was justified by the size of Bengal, merged eastern Bengal with Assam and was annulled in 1911. The Congress opposed it and the Punjab was not partitioned, so III and IV are incorrect.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q124. The codification of laws under British rule, spearheaded by the Macaulay Commission, was most fundamentally intended to:
Explanation
Codification under Macaulay was meant to create a uniform legal system that suited colonial administration and commerce.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q125. 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.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q126. 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.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q127. 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:
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.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q128. 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.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q129. 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.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · British Political and Administrative Policies
Q130. 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?
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.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
121
(a) IV, II, I, III
122
(d) Lee Commission - Recommended the establishment of a Public Service Commission
123
(b) III and IV only
124
(c) Establishing a uniform legal system to facilitate colonial administration and commercial exploitation
125
(a) A-iii, B-i, C-ii, D-iv
126
(b) Satyendranath Tagore
127
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
128
(d) The right to discuss the annual budget and address questions to the executive members
129
(a) It completely eradicated the varna system by replacing it with economic classes
130
(c) I and III only
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.
