Colonial Rule & Administration

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Article 393 of the Constitution explicitly specifies its short title. It states verbatim, "This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India." Statement 2 is Incorrect: Article 395 of the Constitution contains a specific provision repealing foundational colonial-era laws. It explicitly states that the Indian Independence Act, 1947, and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act (excluding the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949), are repealed. Statement 3 is Incorrect: Article 394 of the Constitution explicitly mentions its commencement date. It lists specific articles (such as those related to citizenship and elections) that came into force immediately upon adoption, and then states that the remaining provisions "shall come into force on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950, which day is referred to in this Constitution as the commencement of this Constitution." Since all three statements are incorrect, there is no correct statement. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that there is no correct statement.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Prior to the annexation, Awadh's landed aristocracy (taluqdars) maintained private armies and forts. Immediately after the British took over in 1856, they were systematically dispossessed of their estates, disarmed, and their forts were completely destroyed. Statement 2 is Correct: The first British land revenue settlement in Awadh was the Summary Settlement of 1856. It was explicitly based on the assumption that the taluqdars were "interlopers" (outsiders) who had no permanent or hereditary stakes in the land, having allegedly seized control through force and fraud. Statement 3 is Correct: The primary objective of the Summary Settlement was to bypass the taluqdars and settle land revenue directly with the actual cultivators (peasants/ryots). British land revenue officers believed that removing the taluqdars would reduce peasant exploitation and increase the state's revenue streams. Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act, 1919) not only retained the separate electorates for Muslims (first introduced by the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909) but explicitly extended them to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans. This institutionalized community-based representation, directly fostering political alliances based on community. Statement 2 is Correct: The British utilized separate electorates as a strategic tool of "Divide and Rule." By institutionalizing communal and class divisions, the colonial government aimed to fragment and weaken the increasingly unified Indian nationalist movement, which was growing stronger at the time. Statement 3 is Correct: The 1919 constitutional framework tied political representation, legislative power, and administrative favors directly to communal and class identities. Consequently, various minority groups and deprived classes began organizing politically around these specific identities to secure concessions and representation, which laid the genesis for community-based political alliances in India. Therefore, all three statements support the assertion, making the correct option D.

The Hilton-Young Commission (1926), officially known as the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance, recommended fixing the rupee-sterling exchange rate at an artificially high ratio of 1s 6d (1 shilling 6 pence) per rupee, instead of the pre-war rate of 1s 4d. Option A is correct: The colonial administration adopted this artificially high rate primarily to ease the burden of "Home Charges." These were massive, mandatory sterling-denominated remittances sent from India to Britain to cover administrative costs, pensions, military expenses, and interest on public debt. By keeping the rupee artificially strong against the sterling, the Government of India had to extract fewer rupees from the domestic economy to purchase the sterling required for these remittances. This facilitated the steady flow of funds to Britain and ensured India could easily service its sterling debt, thereby maintaining its financial creditworthiness in London. Option B is incorrect: While an overvalued rupee did make imports cheaper (benefiting British manufacturers like Lancashire textiles), the primary motive of the British Government was to manage its own fiscal burden regarding remittances, not to provide support to Indian importers. Option C is incorrect: The artificially high exchange rate actually harmed Indian exports. It made Indian goods, such as cotton produce, more expensive and uncompetitive in the international market, which sparked intense opposition from Indian nationalists and businessmen during the "Ratio Controversy." Option D is incorrect: The primary objective of fixing the exchange rate at 1s 6d was to facilitate the transfer of sterling remittances (Home Charges) to Britain and manage the colonial government's budget, rather than merely preventing the depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold. Therefore, the correct option is A.

Option A is Incorrect: The Eka Movement was initially supported by Congress and Khilafat leaders, but the Congress withdrew its support when the movement adopted militant tactics under the leadership of Madari Pasi. Conversely, the Bardoli Satyagraha was deeply integrated with Congress leadership from its inception and was spearheaded by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Option B is Incorrect: The Eka Movement was a grassroots peasant movement directed *against* oppressive taluqdars and zamindars, led by Madari Pasi, a low-caste peasant leader. The Bardoli Satyagraha was primarily a movement of landowning peasants (such as the Patidars) facing economic hardship, rather than a movement of landless labourers. Option C is Correct: The Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was a direct campaign against an arbitrary 22% enhancement of land revenue by the British Bombay Presidency government. The Eka Movement (1921–1922) was primarily a protest against the excessive and illegal extraction of rents (often exceeding 50% of the recorded rent) and the oppression by *thekedars* (contractors) and landlords. Option D is Incorrect: The Eka Movement took place in the Awadh region of the United Provinces, specifically in districts like Hardoi, Bahraich, Barabanki, Sitapur, and Lucknow, not Varanasi or Mirzapur. The Bardoli Satyagraha occurred in the Bardoli taluka of the Surat district in Gujarat, not Saurashtra. Therefore, Option C is the correct answer.

The phrase "Sedition has become my religion" was declared by Gandhiji during the Salt Satyagraha, symbolizing his open defiance of British authority through non-violent means. ✅ B. Publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi – Correct * Gandhi made this powerful statement during the Salt March (1930) after breaking the Salt Law at Dandi.

Papaya, pineapple, and guava are all non-native fruits to India, originally from the Americas, and were introduced during European colonial expansion, particularly by the Portuguese. ✅ I. Papaya – Correct
* Native to Central America, introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 16th century. ✅ II. Pineapple – Correct
* Originates from South America, brought to India by Portuguese explorers. ✅ III. Guava – Correct
* Native to Central America, introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 17th century.

After the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922, many people were arrested and faced severe punishment, including death sentences. Legal intervention helped reduce this. ✅ B. Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant – Correct * Madan Mohan Malaviya and his son Krishna Kant provided legal defence to the accused.
* Their efforts led to major sentence reductions, saving many from execution.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: Introduced primarily in Madras (now Tamil Nadu) and Bombay (now Mumbai) presidencies by Alexander Reed and Thomas Munro. Ryotwari System, while aiming to establish direct contact with the cultivators (ryots), did not offer blanket exemption from revenue payment during bad harvests or calamities. While some provisions for remission existed, they were not automatic or guaranteed. * Statement 2 is correct: Introduced in Bengal, Bihar, and parts of Odisha by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. A key feature of the Permanent Settlement was the strict revenue collection timeline. Zamindars were obligated to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the British by a specific date. Failure to do so could result in the auctioning of their Zamindari to recover the dues. _Note: UPSC dropped this question from the final answer key._

* Statement 1 is correct. The Government of India Act, 1935, proposed an All India Federation that would encompass both the British Indian Provinces and the Princely States. However, this federation never fully materialized due to the reluctance of many Princely States to join. * Statement 2 is incorrect. The Act reserved key subjects like Defence and Foreign Affairs under the control of the Governor General, representing the British Crown, and not the federal legislature. This ensured British dominance in these crucial areas.