Historical Background & Colonial Rule MCQ Questions and Answers

Statement 1 is incorrect: Indian Councils Act, 1861 was the first time that a legislative council was formed in British India. Its powers were limited and it could not raise questions, let alone vote on administrative or financial matters to the executive.

Statement 2 is correct: The Indian Councils Act of 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) further expanded the powers and functions of the British Indian legislature. Th e members could interpellate and further question the executive for their acts through supplementary questions (allowed for the fi rst time).

Statement 3 is correct: Government of India Act, 1919 (Montague-Chelmsford reforms) substantially increased the powers of legislatures in British India. Unlike the beginning when the legislature could not even question the executive, now the members of legislature could bring an adjournment motion (important tool for censure of executive) to disrupt the normal business to discuss urgent matters of public interest.

Option a is incorrect. Cornwallis (and not Wellesley) was the first to bring into existence and organize the civil services in India. He tried to check corruption through raising the civil servants’ salary, enforcing promotions through seniority etc.

Option b is incorrect. In 1800, Wellesley (and not Cornwallis) set up the Fort William college for training of new recruits. In 1806, Wellesley’s college was disapproved by the court of directors and instead the East India College was set up at Haileybury in England.

Option c is incorrect. Lee Commission (and not Aitchison committee) recommended for a Public Service Commission to be immediately established as laid down in the Government of India Act, 1919.

Option d is correct. Lee commission (1924) recommended direct recruitment to ICS on basis of
50:50 parity between the Europeans and the Indians be reached in 15 years.

Statement 1 is correct. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 initiated the process of decentralisation by restoring the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. It thus reversed the centralising tendency that started from the Regulating Act of 1773 and reached its climax under the Charter Act of 1833.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It was the Charter Act of 1853 (and not the Indian Councils Act of 1861) which, for the first time, separated the legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General’s council. It provided for addition of six new members called legislative councillors to the council. This council, which came to be known as the Indian (Central) Legislative Council, functioned as a mini-parliament.

Statement 3 is correct. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinances, without the concurrence of the legislative council, during an emergency. The life of such an ordinance was six months.

Statement 1 is correct. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 made the Constituent Assembly a fully sovereign body, which could frame any Constitution it pleased. The act empowered the Assembly to abrogate or alter any law made by the British Parliament in relation to India.

Statement 2 is correct. The Act also made the Assembly a legislative body. In other words, two separate functions were assigned to the Assembly, that is, making of the Constitution for free India and enacting of ordinary laws for the country. Thus, the Assembly became the first Parliament of free India (Dominion Legislature).

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Act abolished the office of viceroy, but provided for a Governor-General, who was to be appointed by the British King on the advice of the dominion cabinet.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Government of India Act of 1935 provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of provinces and princely states as units. The Act divided the powers between the Centre and units in terms of three lists. Residuary powers were given to the Viceroy. However, the federation never came into being as the princely states did not join it.

Statement 2 is correct. The Act introduced bicameralism in six out of eleven provinces. Thus, the legislatures of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam and the United Provinces were made bicameral.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 (and not the GoI Act, 1935) designated the Governor-General of India and the provincial governors as constitutional (nominal) heads of the states. They were made to act on the advice of the respective council of ministers in all matters.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Regulating Act of 1773 made the governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the governor-general of Bengal. Earlier, the three presidencies were independent of one another.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Act also provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one chief justice and three other judges. The High courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were established by Indian High Courts Act 1861. These High Courts came into existence in 1862.

Statement 3 is correct – The Regulating Act 1773 was the first step by British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the company. The Act for the first time recognized the political and administrative functions of the company.

Statement 1 is correct. The Amending Act of 1781, also known as the Act of Settlement, to rectify the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773. The Act of 1781 exempted the Governor-General, the Council and the servants of the company from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for the acts done by them in their official capacity.

Statement 2 is correct. The Act also excluded the revenuem matters and the matters arising in the collection of revenue from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Act provided that them Supreme Court was to have jurisdiction over all the inhabitants of Calcutta. It also required the court to administer the personal law of the defendants i.e. Hindu law for Hindus and Mohammedan law for Muslims.

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Statement 1 is incorrect – The Pitt’s India Act allowed the commercial affairs were to be managed by Court of Director. It created a new body called Board of Control to manage the political affairs.

Statement 2 is incorrect – It empowered the Board of Control to supervise and direct all operations of the civil and military government or revenues of the British possessions in India. Thus, the act distinguished between the commercial and political functions of the Company.

The Charter Act 1813 renewed the charter issued to the British East India Company, and continued the Company’s rule in India. The constitutional position of British territories in India was explicitly defined in the Act. It asserted the sovereignty of British crown over the company’s territories in India.

Option b is incorrect. The Regulating act of 1773 strengthened the control of British government over the company by requiring the court of directors to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India.

Option c is incorrect. The Pitts India act of 1784 mentioned the that the company’s territories were British possessions in India.

Option d is incorrect. The charter act of 1833 provided that the company’s territories in India were held by it ‘in trust for his Majesty, his heirs and successors’.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Charter Act of 1813 abolished the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India i.e., the Indian trade was thrown open to all British merchants. However, it continued the monopoly of the company over trade in tea and trade with China. Charter Act of 1833 ended the activities of the East India Company as a commercial body, which became a purely administrative body.

Statement 2 is correct. Charter Act of 1833 created Government of India having authority over the entire territorial area possessed by the British in India. It made the Governor-General of Bengal as the GovernorGeneral of India and vested in him all civil and military powers. Lord William Bentick was the first  GovernorGeneral of India.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Charter Act of 1853 separated, for the first time, the legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General’s council. It established a separate Governor General’s legislative council called the Indian (Central) Legislative Council.

Statement 1 is correct. The charter Act of 1853 introduced, for the first time, local representation in the Indian (Central) Legislative Council. Of the six new legislative members of the Governor General’s council, four members were appointed by the local (provincial) governments of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The charter Act of 1813 (not the Charter Act of 1853) authorized the Local Governments in India to impose taxes on persons. They could also punish the persons for not paying taxes.

Statement 3 is correct. The Act provided for an open competition system(including Indians) of selection and recruitment of civil servants. Accordingly, the Macaulay Committee (the Committee on the Indian Civil Service) was appointed in 1854.

Option d is correct.

Indian Councils Act of 1861 initiated the process of decentralization by restoring the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. It reversed the centralizing tendency that started from the Regulating Act of 1773. Indian Councils Act of 1861 made a beginning of the representative institutions by associating Indians with the law-making process. Th e Act also empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinances, without the concurrence of the legislative council, during an emergency.

Statement 1 and 3 are correct. Government of India Act of 1919 introduced, for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the country. Th e Indian legislative council was replaced by a bicameral legislature consisting of a Council of State and a Legislative Assembly. The majority of members of both the Houses were directly elected. Similar practices were adopted by the Constitution of independent India which made provisions for direct elections and Upper and Lower Houses.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Government of India Act of 1935 (and not Government of India Act of 1919) divided the powers between the Centre and units in terms of three lists – Federal List, Provincial List and the Concurrent List. Residuary powers were given to the Viceroy.

Statement 4 is incorrect Th e Government of India Act of 1935 provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the Centre, i.e., the federal subjects were divided into reserved subjects and transferred subjects.

Statement 1 is correct – The Act provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the Centre. However, this provision of the Act did not come into operation at all.

Statement 2 is correct – It also abolished the Council of India, established by the Government of India Act of 1858. The Council of India with 15 members was established in order to assist the Secretary of State for India. With its abolition the Secretary of State for India provided with a team of advisors.

Statement 3 is correct – The Act extended the provision for the separate electorate to depressed classes, women and labour.

Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution resembles the Instrument of Instructions
included in the Government of India Act 1935.

The Government of India Act 1935 provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of the British India Provinces and other Indian states. The Governor General was given the residuary powers. But the Governor-General was empowered to authorize, either the Federal or the Provincial Legislature to enact a law with respect to any residuary matter.

Statement 1 is correct – The members of the interim Government were members of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. The Viceroy continued to be the head of the Council.

Statement 2 is incorrect – Viceroy was the head of the Council whereas Jawaharlal Nehru was designated as the Vice-President of the Council.

Statement 1 is correct. The Government of India Act of 1919 is also known as Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms. It separated, for the first time, provincial budgets from the Central budget and authorised the provincial legislatures to enact their budgets.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Government of India Act 1919 (and not Government of India Act 1935)
introduced, for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the country.

Statement 3 is correct. The Government of India Act 1919 provided for the adoption of ‘dyarchy’ in the
provinces. The provincial subjects were divided into two parts– transferred and reserved. Th is dual scheme of governance was known as ‘dyarchy’.

The Government of India Act of 1935 provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the Centre, i.e., the federal subjects were divided into reserved subjects and transferred subjects. However, this provision of the Act did not come into operation at all.

Statement 1 is incorrect. It was the Indian Councils Act of 1861 which initiated the process of decentralization by restoring the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. It made a beginning of the representative institutions by associating Indians with the law-making process. It, thus, provided that the Viceroy should nominate some Indians as non-offi cial members
of his expanded council.

Statement 2 is correct. It was the Indian Councils Act of 1892 which increased the functions of legislative councils and gave them the power of discussing the budget and addressing questions to the executive.

Statement 3 is correct. The Simon commission submitted its report in 1930 and recommended the abolition of dyarchy, extension of responsible Government in the provinces, establishment of a federation of British India and princely states, continuation of communal electorate and so on.

The Constituent Assembly was composed roughly along the lines suggested by the committee of British cabinet known as the cabinet mission. According to this plan, each province and princely states were allotted seats in the ratio of 1 to 1 lakh. Thus, the provinces were to elect 292 members while the Princely states were allotted a minimum of 93 states and 4 seats were allotted to the chief commissioners provinces. The seats in Province were distributed among Muslims, Sikhs and general in proportion to their populations.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 deprived the British Monarch of all the rights over any bills. And all the legislative powers were delegated to the respective constituent assemblies. It abolished the office of Viceroy of India and appointed GovernorGeneral for each dominion.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 proclaimed the lapse of British paramountcy over the Indian princely states and treaty relations with tribal areas from August 15, 1947. It allowed the princely states either to join India or Pakistan but it also provided that they can remain independent.

Statement 3 is correct. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 discontinued the appointment to civil services and reservation of posts by the secretary of state for India. Th e members of the civil services appointed before August 15, 1947 would continue to enjoy all benefits that they were entitled to till that time.

Statement 4 is correct. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 abolished the office of secretary of state for India and transferred its functions to the secretary of state for the Commonwealth affairs.

A significant strand of the Indian freedom movement was centered around demands for universal adult franchise. the Constitution of India Bill 1895, the Nehru report 1928 and Sapru Report 1945 advocated for universal adult franchise in pre independence period in India.

Option 1 is correct. Earliest of effort which advocated for universal adult franchise was the Constitution of India Bill 1895 that gave every citizen ‘a right to give one vote for electing a member to the Parliament of India and one local Legislative Council.

Option 2 is correct. The Nehru Report 1928 stated that ‘Every person of either sex who has attained the age of 21, and is not disqualified by law, shall be entitled to vote’. In the years leading up to the setting up of the Constituent Assembly, more Indian historical constitutions like the Gandhian Constitution of Free India 1946, Ambedkar’s States and Minorities 1945, provided for universal adult franchise.

Option 3 is correct. The Constitutional Proposals of the Sapru Committee commonly referred to as the Sapru Committee Report was published in 1945 to resolve issues pertaining to minorities that had plagued Indian political and constitutional discourse. It was prepared by a committee appointed by the Non-Party Conference in November 1944. It advocated for the Union Assembly there shall be adult franchise, for seats other than those reserved for special interests.

Option 4 is incorrect. Government of India act 1919, did not provide for adult suffrage. The voting right then was confined to certain eligibility criteria like property ownership, land ownership, payment of income and municipal tax. The Government of India Act of 1919 allowed the provincial council to decide whether women could vote provided they met stringent property, income of educational criteria.

Option 5 is incorrect. Lucknow Pact 1916, authored jointly by the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, called for ‘as broad a franchise as possible’. It did not call for universal adult franchise.

In 1858, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, transferring British power over India from the East India Company.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The local government were not completely excluded from exercising governance under East India Company rule. For example: The Charter Act of 1813 authorised the Local Governments in India to impose taxes on persons. Lord Ripon brought the Resolution of 1882, which gave Indians the right to local self-government. The scheme of local self-government would develop the municipal institutions which had been under the direct control of the British Crown.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Charter Act of 1853 introduced an open competition system of selection and recruitment of civil servants. The covenanted civil service was, thus, thrown open to the Indians also. Thus, Indians were brought into administration under East India Company rule itself. Aft er 1886 the Civil service came to be called the Imperial Civil Service. In 1886, the Aitchison Commission
recommended that Indians also get employed in public service.

Charter Act 1813 was passed by the British Parliament to renew the charter of British East India Company. It ended the activities of the East India Company as a commercial body and provided that the company’s territories in India were held by government ‘in trust for His Majesty, His heirs and successors’

Statement 1 is correct. The Charter Act of 1813 granted permission to the Christian missionaries to come to India and engage in religious proselytization.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Charter Act of 1793 (and not the Charter Act of 1813) extended the trade monopoly of the Company in India for another period of twenty years. The Charter Act of 1813 abolished the trade monopoly of the company in India. However, it continued the monopoly of the company over trade in tea and trade with China.

Statement 3 is correct. There was also a provision under the Act of 1813, that the Company should invest Rs. 1 Lakh every year on the education of Indians.