Exp) Statements 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

After the second world war, there a change in the British Government's Attitude, because

1. The end of the war resulted in a change in the balance of global power—the UK was no more a big power while the USA and USSR emerged as superpowers, both of which favoured freedom for India. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

2. The new Labour government was more sympathetic to Indian demands.

3. Throughout Europe, there was a wave of socialist radical governments.

4. British soldiers were weary and tired and the British economy lay shattered. (By 1945 the British government in London owed India £1.2 billion and was being drained by the US Lend-Lease agreement, which was finally paid off only in 2006.)

5. There was an anti-imperialist wave in South-East Asia—in Vietnam and Indonesia—resisting efforts to replant French and Dutch rule there.

6. Officials feared another Congress revolt, a revival of the 1942 situation but much more dangerous because of

a likely combination of attacks on communications, agrarian revolts, labour trouble, army disaffection joined by government officials and the police in the presence of INA men with some military experience.

7. Elections were inevitable once the war ended since the last elections had been held in 1934 for the Centre and in 1937 for the provinces.

The British would have had to retreat; the Labour government only quickened the process somewhat.

Source)

Chapter 24; page number 519

Exp) Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Congress was willing to accept dominion status despite its being against the Lahore Congress (1929) spirit because

(i) it would ensure a peaceful and quick transfer of power;

(ii) it was more important for the Indian National Congress to assume the authority to check the explosive situation; hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

(iii) it would allow for some much-needed continuity in the bureaucracy and the army.

Source)

Chapter 25; page number 554

Exp) Both the statements are incorrect. The Act provided for the creation of two independent dominions of India and Pakistan with effect from August 15, 1947. Each dominion was to have a governor-general to be responsible for the effective operation of the Act.

The constituent assembly of each new dominion was to exercise the powers of the legislature of that dominion, and the existing Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of States were to be automatically dissolved.

For the transitional period, i.e., till a new constitution was adopted by each dominion, the governments of the two dominions were to be carried on in accordance with the Government of India Act, 1935.

Source) Chapter 25; page number 555

Exp) The Pitt's India Act gave the British government a large measure of control over the Company's affairs. The Company became a subordinate department of the State. The Company's territories in India were termed 'British possessions'.

Source) Chapter 26; page number 565

Exp) Statement 1 is incorrect. Through the Charter Act of 1813, the Company's monopoly over trade in India ended, but the Company retained the trade with China and the trade-in tea.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Company's shareholders were given a 10.5 percent dividend on the revenue of India.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The powers of the Board of Control were further enlarged.

The constitutional position of the British territories in India was defined explicitly for the first time. The Company was to retain the possession of territories and the revenue for 20 years more, without prejudice to the sovereignty of the Crown.

Source) Chapter 26; page number 566

Exp) All the statements are correct.

• The Indian Councils Act, 1909 is known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, the Act made the first attempt to bring in a representative and popular element in the governance of the country.
• The strength of the Imperial Legislative Council was increased.
• With regard to the central government, an Indian member was taken for the first time in the Executive Council of the Governor-General (Satyendra Prasad Sinha was the first Indian to join the Governor-General’s—or Viceroy’s—Executive Council, as law member.)
• The members of the Provincial Executive Council were increased.
• Besides separate electorates for the Muslims, representation in excess of their population strength was accorded to the Muslims. Also, the income qualification for Muslim voters was kept lower than that for Hindus.

Source) Chapter 26; page number 571

Exp) The freedom-with-partition formula was coming to be widely accepted well before Mountbatten arrived in India. It is also known as the 3rd June Plan.

The important points of the plan were as follows:

Punjab and Bengal Legislative Assemblies would meet in two groups, Hindus and Muslims, to vote for partition. If a simple majority of either group voted for partition, then these provinces would be partitioned.

In the case of partition, two dominions and two constituent assemblies would be created.

Sindh would take its own decision. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Referendums in NWFP and Sylhet district of Bengal would decide the fate of these areas. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

The League’s demand was conceded to the extent that Pakistan would be created and the Congress’ position on unity was taken into account to make Pakistan as small as possible. Mountbatten’s formula was to divide India but retain maximum unity. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Source)

Chapter 25; page number 553

Exp) Through the Charter Act of 1833, all restrictions on European immigration and the acquisition of property in India were lifted. Thus, the way was paved for the wholesale European colonization of India.

Source) chapter 26; page number 566

Explanation:

• Provisions of 1773 Regulating Act:
  • This act permitted the company to retain its territorial possessions in India but sought to regulate the activities and functioning of the company. It did not take over power completely, hence called ‘regulating’.
  • The act provided for the appointment of a Governor-General along with four Councillors in the Presidency of Fort William (Calcutta), jointly called the Governor-General in Council.
  • As per this, Warren Hastings was appointed as the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William.
  • The Governors in Councils at Madras and Bombay were brought under the control of Bengal, especially in matters of foreign policy. Now, they could not wage war against Indian states without Bengal’s approval.
  • The company directors were elected for a period of five years and one-fourth of them were to retire every year. Also, they could not be re-elected.
  • The company directors were directed to make public all correspondence on revenue, civil and military matters with Indian authorities before the British authorities.
  • A Supreme Court of Judicature was established at Calcutta with Sir Elijah Impey as the first Chief Justice. Judges were to come from England. It had civil and criminal jurisdiction over the British subjects and not Indian natives.

Explanation:

• The Vernacular Press Act introduced by Lord Lytton in 1878.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 and 3 is Correct:  The Government of India Act, 1919 divided the provincial subjects into two parts—transferred and reserved. The transferred subjects were to be administered by the governor with the aid of ministers responsible to the Legislative Council. The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered by the governor and his executive council without being responsible to the Legislative Council. This dual scheme of governance was known as ‘dyarchy’—a term derived from the Greek word di-arche which means a double rule.
• Statement 2 is Incorrect: It extended the principle of communal representation by providing separate electorates for Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans.

Explanation:

• Lord Cornwallis is usually known as the Father of civil services in India. He had introduced the Covenanted Civil Services and the Uncovenanted Civil Services. The Covenanted Civil Services was created out of the Law of the Company. It was the higher civil services and comprised, almost exclusively, of Europeans who were paid very high salaries. The Uncovenanted Civil Services were the lower civil services and comprised mostly of native-born Indians, and to some extent, Europeans too. They were not paid as high as the Covenanted Civil Services.

Explanation:

• Option A is the Correct Answer.
  • Lord Dalhousie(1848-1856)
  • Lord Mayo(1869-1872)
  • Lord Ripon(1880-1884)
  • Lord Dufferin(1884-1888)
  • Lord Irwin(1926-1931)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: Lord Cornwallis organised a regular police force to maintain law and order by going back to and modernising the old Indian system of thanas (circles) in a district under a daroga (an Indian) and a superintendent of police (SP) at the head of a district.

• Statement 2 is Correct: A Supreme Court of Judicature was established at Calcutta with Sir Elijah Impey as the first Chief Justice by the Regulating Act, 1773.

• Statement 3 is Correct: The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is the official criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The code was drafted in 1860 on the recommendations of first law commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the Chairmanship of Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Explanation:

• All of the pairs given above are correct.
  • Lord Hardinge II(1910-1916):
    • Creation of Bengal presidency in 1911.
    • Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi(1911).
    • Establishment of Hindu Mahasabha(1915) by Madan Mohan           Malviya.
    • Coronation Durbar of King George V held in Delhi(1911) known as ‘Delhi Durbar’.
  • Lord Irwin(1926-1931):
    • Visit of Simon Commission to India(1928) and the boycott of the commission by the Indians.
    • Appointment of Harcourt Butler Indian States commission(1927).
    • Dandi March(March 12, 1930) by Gandhi.
  • Lord Willingdon(1931-1936):
    • Second Round Table Conference(1931)
    • Announcement of Communal Award(1932)
    • Fast unto death by Gandhi in Yerwada jail, broken after the Poona Pact(1932).
    • Third Round Table Conference(1932).