Test: Historical Background - UPSC MCQ

ANSWER: Only 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:
In 1765, the East India Company, which till now had purely trading functions obtained the ‘Diwani’ (i.e., rights over revenue and civil justice) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

• Regulating Act of 1773 is of great constitutional importance as it was the first step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India.
• Also, it recognized, the political and administrative functions of the Company.
• And it laid the foundations of central administration in India.


• Features of the Act are -
  
  1. It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’. First Governor-General was Lord Warren Hastings.
  2. It created an Executive Council of four members to assist him.
  3. It made the governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the Governor General of Bengal (earlier the 3 presidencies were independent of one another).
  4. It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) having one chief justice and three other judges.
  5. It prohibited any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the ‘natives’ for the servants of the Company.
  6. The Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) were to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India to the British Government, thus strengthening the control of the British Government over the Company.

 

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:
The first cabinet was as follows -

The Constitution of India was adopted on 26th November, 1949 by the Constituent Assembly. However, it came into effect on 26th January, 1950, marking the day when India became a republic. Therefore, the statement is incorrect because it mistakenly states the adoption date as 26th January 1950 instead of 26th November 1949.
Therefore, Correct Answer - Option B

Statement 1 is true.
The Simon Commission was appointed in 1927 and arrived in India in 1928. It submitted its report in 1930. One of its key recommendations was the abolition of dyarchy in the provinces and the establishment of responsible government.

Statement 2 is false.
The Poona Pact was signed in 1932 between Dr. B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. It was related to the issue of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes and was a response to the Communal Award of 1932, not the Simon Commission or its report.

Therfore, Correct Answer - Option C

The Cabinet Mission Plan was a statement made by the Cabinet Mission and the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, on May 16, 1946, that contained proposals regarding the constitutional future of India in the wake of Indian political parties and representatives not coming to an agreement.
The recommendations of the Cabinet Mission Plan regarding Princely States were that they would not be under the direct control of the Union and they would themselves decide as to what powers they were to surrender.
 

An idea for a Constituent Assembly was proposed in 1934 by M. N. Roy, a pioneer of the Communist movement in India and an advocate of radical democracy. It became an official demand of the Indian National Congress in 1935, C. Rajagopalachari voiced the demand for a Constituent Assembly on 15 November 1939 based on adult franchise, and was accepted by the British in August 1940.

A is the correct option.The Constituent Assembly appointed a total of 22 committees to deal with different tasks of constitution-making. Out of these, eight were major committees and the others were minor committees. JB Kriplani was appointed as the chairman of the subcommittee on fundamental rights in the Constituent Assembly of India.
Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani, popularly known as Acharya Kripalani, was an Indian politician, noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National Congress during the transfer of power in 1947 and the husband of Sucheta Kripalani.

Explanation:
The correct statements regarding the Cripps Mission are:
- (ii) It provided provinces the option to stay out of the Union of India.
- (iii) It provided India with membership of Commonwealth Nations.
Reasoning:
- Statement (i) is incorrect because the Cripps Mission did not provide complete independence to India. Instead, it proposed the formation of an executive council with a majority of Indians and the possibility of Dominion status after the war.
- Statement (ii) is correct. The Cripps Mission offered the provinces the choice to either join the proposed Union of India or remain outside it.
- Statement (iii) is correct. The Cripps Mission offered India membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, allowing it to maintain a relationship with the British Empire.
- Statement (iv) is not mentioned in the given information, so we cannot determine its correctness.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C: (ii) and (iii).

• Committee for Negotiating with States was chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru (i).
• Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas was chaired by Vallabhbhai Patel (ii).
• Steering Committee was chaired by Rajendra Prasad (iii).
• Language Committee was chaired by Moturi Satyanarayana (iv).

Therefore, Correct Answer - Option A

a) It provided dominion status to India- This is the incorrect statement.
The August Offer did not provide dominion status to India. Instead, it proposed to expand the Executive Council to include more Indians, establish a war advisory council, and promised that Indians would be allowed to frame their own Constitution after the war. However, it only reiterated the promise of dominion status as a long-term goal, not an immediate provision.

Other options:

b) It was accepted by the Muslim League – Correct. The Muslim League accepted the August Offer, unlike the Indian National Congress, which rejected it.
c) It accepted the demand of Indians to draft their own Constitution – Correct. The offer promised that Indians would be allowed to frame their own Constitution after the war.
d) promised to set up a War Advisory Council with the participation of Indians – Correct. This was one of the provisions of the August Offer.

Therefore, Correct Answer - Option A