Q141. Who was the first Viceroy of India following the enactment of the Government of India Act 1858?
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 141–150 of 488 questions
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Q142. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The colonial government extensively used sedition laws (IPC Section 124A) to suppress nationalist journalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Reason (R): Nationalist newspapers were successfully creating widespread political awakening and disaffection against British rule among the Indian masses.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The colonial government extensively used sedition laws (IPC Section 124A) to suppress nationalist journalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Reason (R): Nationalist newspapers were successfully creating widespread political awakening and disaffection against British rule among the Indian masses.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Explanation
The government used Section 124A widely against nationalist journalism because nationalist papers were creating political awakening and disaffection. R explains A.
Q143. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the colonial judicial system established by the British?
Explanation
The British system introduced the idea of the Rule of Law, a hierarchy of civil and criminal courts and codified law. It did not remove racial discrimination in the trial of Europeans, so B is not a feature.
Q144. Identify the odd one out concerning the constitutional development of British India:
Explanation
The Councils Acts of 1861 and 1892 and the Morley-Minto Reforms were constitutional steps. The Vernacular Press Act was a press law, so it is the odd one out.
Q145. Match List I with List II:
| Commission | Primary Subject |
|---|---|
| A. Aitchison Commission | i. Superior Civil Services in India (1924) |
| B. Frazer Commission | ii. Public Services in India (1886) |
| C. Lee Commission | iii. Police Reforms (1902) |
| D. Macaulay Commission | iv. Codification of Indian Laws (1834) |
Explanation
The Aitchison Commission (1886) dealt with public services, the Frazer Commission (1902) with police, the Lee Commission (1924) with superior civil services and the Macaulay Commission (1834) with codification of laws. This gives A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv.
Q146. Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of the police system established under the Indian Police Act of 1861?
Explanation
The Police Act of 1861 created a paramilitary-style force to keep colonial order and suppress dissent, under the District Magistrate. It was not made for community policing.
Q147. The British introduced the theoretical concept of the ‘Rule of Law’ in India. However, in practice, this was heavily compromised by which of the following colonial policies?
Explanation
The Rule of Law was weakened in practice by sweeping sedition laws and racially unequal trial procedures.
Q148. What was the long-term political effect of the introduction of communal electorates by the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909?
Explanation
The separate electorates of 1909 made religious identity the basis of political rights, which led to deep communal divisions in the long term.
Q149. Consider the following statements:
Statement I: The Government of India Act 1858 created a 15-member Council of India to assist the Secretary of State for India.
Statement II: The members of this Council were exclusively elected by the Indian legislative councils.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Statement I: The Government of India Act 1858 created a 15-member Council of India to assist the Secretary of State for India.
Statement II: The members of this Council were exclusively elected by the Indian legislative councils.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The Government of India Act 1858 created a 15-member Council of India to assist the Secretary of State, so Statement I is true. Its members were not elected by Indian councils, so Statement II is false.
Q150. Which constitutional reform was preceded by the historic August Declaration of 1917, which promised "the increasing association of Indians in every branch of the administration"?
Explanation
The August Declaration of 1917 promised increasing association of Indians in administration and was followed by the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 141 | (c) Lord Canning |
| 142 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 143 | (b) Elimination of racial discrimination in the trial of European subjects |
| 144 | (b) Vernacular Press Act 1878 |
| 145 | (a) A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv |
| 146 | (c) It was designed as a paramilitary force to maintain colonial order and suppress political dissent. |
| 147 | (d) The enactment of sweeping sedition laws and racially discriminatory trial procedures |
| 148 | (c) It institutionalized religious identities as the basis for political rights, leading to deep divisions |
| 149 | (c) Statement I is true but Statement II is false. |
| 150 | (a) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919 |
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.