Colonial Rule & Administration

The Government of India Act 1919 introduced the system of dyarchy in the provinces. Under this system, the provincial subjects of administration were divided into two categories 'Reserved' and 'Transferred'. The 'Reserved' subjects were administered by the Governor of the province with the help of his executive council of bureaucrats. These subjects were considered more crucial and included areas such as law and order, finance, land revenue, and irrigation. The 'Transferred' subjects were administered by the Governor with the help of Indian ministers. These subjects were considered less critical and included areas such as education, public health, and local self-government. Therefore, among the options provided, Administration of Justice, Land Revenue, and Police were treated as 'Reserved' subjects, while Local Self-Government was a 'Transferred' subject.

The statements given refer to the proposals of the Cripps Mission, which was a mission sent to India in 1942 by the British government during World War II to negotiate with Indian leaders regarding constitutional reforms. Statement 1 is incorrect: The Cripps Mission proposed setting up a Constitution-making body for India after the War, whose members would be elected by the Provincial Assemblies and nominated by the rulers in the case of the Princely States. Statement 2 is correct: One of the proposals of the Cripps Mission was that provinces unwilling to join the proposed Constituent Assembly or accept the new constitution would have the option to negotiate separate agreements with Britain regarding their future status. Therefore, the correct answer is (b) 2 only.

Statement 1 is correct: St. Francis Xavier was a Spanish Jesuit who lived as a Roman Catholic missionary in the 1500s. He was one of the first seven members of the Jesuit order. Statement 2 is incorrect: He did not die in Goa but at Sachian, an island off the coast of China. A church in memory of St. Xavier called the Church of Bom Jesus, is located in Goa with his mortal remains. Statement 3 is correct: A feast in honor of St. Xavier is celebrated annually in Goa.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 did not recommend granting voting rights to all women above the age of 21. While the reforms introduced some limited electoral reforms, including the extension of the franchise to a larger section of the Indian population, they did not grant universal suffrage to women. Statement 2 is correct. The Government of India Act of 1935 introduced reserved seats for women in the legislatures at both the central and provincial levels. These reserved seats were aimed at ensuring representation for women in the political process. Government of India, Act 1919 - Introduced limited self-government and increased Indian participation - Introduced Dyarchy (Dual Government) in provinces:
1. Transferred subjects → Administered by Indian ministers
2. Reserved subjects → Administered by British officials
- Bicameral Legislature at the Central Level
- Separate Electorates Continued - High Commissioner for India in London was created to represent Indian affairs in Britain. - Subjects divided into Central and Provincial lists
- Voting rights were restricted based on property, income, and education. Government of India, Act 1935 - Created an All-India Federation consisting of British Indian Provinces and Princely States. (Never Implemented) - Bicameralism extended to six provinces (Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam, and United Provinces)
- Abolished Dyarchy at the provincial level, Introduced Provincial Autonomy → Governors had to act on ministers' advice (except in special cases)
- Three lists introduced:
1. Federal List (Centre)
2. Provincial List (Provinces)
3. Concurrent List (Both Centre & Provinces)
- Ministers had full control over provincial subjects (except during emergencies)
- Established the Federal Court of India (precursor to the Supreme Court)
- Communal and separate electorates were retained and extended to groups such as Anglo-Indians and Indo-Christians.
- Women were given reservations in Provincial and central legislature.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - He was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School. As the secretary of the Bethune School established in 1849, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar did important work in the field of higher education for women in India. - Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's most significant contribution was his advocacy for widow remarriage and girls' education, leading to the enactment of the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. Annie Besant: - In September 1916, Annie Besant along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak established the All-India Home Rule League. - In 1917, Annie Besant was elected the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) Calcutta session, becoming the first woman to hold this position. - In 1898, she founded the Central Hindu College in Benares. Theosophists from abroad assisted in this effort, and the institution eventually became the foundation for Banaras Hindu University. - She also established the Central Hindu School for Girls in Varanasi, advancing female education in India. Debendranath Tagore: - He founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha and Adi Brahmo Samaj. Sarojini Naidu: - In recognition of her service during the plague epidemic in India, the British government honored her with the ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ Medal.
- In 1925, she became the first Indian woman to be elected president of the Indian National Congress (INC) during its Kanpur Session and held the position until 1928. - In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi chose her to lead the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British monopoly on salt production. - She also accompanied Gandhi to London for the second session of the Round Table Conference in 1931, which ultimately remained inconclusive.

Statement 1 is correct: Broach (Bharuch, Gujarat) was among the early factories of the English East India Company in the first quarter of the 17th century, soon after Surat. Statement 2 is incorrect: Chicacole was not an English factory during this period; the Company’s early eastern base was at Masulipatnam. Statement 3 is incorrect: Trichinopoly was not an early trading post; it gained importance only in the 18th century during the Carnatic Wars.

On 8th August 1942, the Quit India Resolution was adopted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). This was a significant event in the Indian freedom struggle as it marked the launch of the Quit India Movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, demanding an end to British Rule in India. The other options are not related to this specific date. - The Viceroy’s Executive council was indeed expanded to include more Indians, but this was part of the August Offer in 1940, not on 8th August 1942. - The Congress ministries did resign in seven provinces, but this happened in 1939, not in 1942. - Lastly, Cripps did propose an Indian Union with full Dominion Status, but this was part of the Cripps Mission, which also did not occur on 8th August 1942. Therefore, the correct answer is that the Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC on this date.

Officers of the Indian Army: Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were senior officers of the Indian National Army (INA), which was led by Subhas Chandra Bose. They are remembered for their significant roles in the INA and their court-martial by the British at Red Fort in 1945. Members of the Interim Government: The Interim Government of 1946 was formed on 2nd September 1946, as a transitional government before India's independence. Congress Members - Jawaharlal Nehru – Vice President & External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – Home, Information & Broadcasting
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad – Food & Agriculture
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – Education
- Asaf Ali – Railways & Transport
- C. Rajagopalachari – Industry & Supplies
- Jagjivan Ram – Labour
- John Mathai – Finance
- Sarat Chandra Bose – Works, Mines & Power Muslim League Members - Liaquat Ali Khan – Finance
- I.I. Chundrigar – Commerce
- Abdur Rab Nishtar – Posts & Air
- Ghazanfar Ali Khan – Health
- Jogendra Nath Mandal – Law Members of the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – Chairman (Law expert and key architect of the Indian Constitution)
- N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar - K.M. Munshi
- Mohammad Saadullah
- N. Madhava Rao - T.T. Krishnamachari - Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer

Indigo, also known as "Blue Gold", was a highly profitable commodity in the European market during the 19th century. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, its cultivation in India declined significantly. The main reason for the decline in indigo cultivation was its unprofitability in the world market due to new inventions. Synthetic dyes were invented in the late 19th century, which were cheaper and easier to produce than natural indigo. This led to a drop in the demand for natural indigo, making its cultivation unprofitable. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Statement A is correct. Deindustrialisation of Indian traditional cottage and handicraft industry was a direct consequence of the industrial revolution in England along with colonization of India. Statement B is incorrect. Machines were not introduced in the Indian textile industry in large numbers in the first half of the 19th century. Rather, the modern textile mills with imported machinery started taking baby steps in the 1850s in Bombay, Ahmedabad, and Calcutta. It was only after the first world war that Indian industrialization started taking fast steps. Statement C is incorrect. The first railway line in India was laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853. Railway expansion was relatively slow even till mid-1860. It was only in the latter half of the 19th century that Railway expansion gathered pace in India. Statement D is incorrect. Heavy duties were not imposed on the imports of British manufactures. In fact, the British goods were given duty-free trade permits, which further disadvantaged the Indian industries.