IAS pre 2010

1. By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation?

1. Lord Cornwallis felt that the District Collector’s efficiency of revenue collection would enormously increase without the burden of other work
2. Lord Cornwallis felt that judicial power should compulsorily be in the hands of Europeans while Indians can be given the job of revenue collection in the districts
3. Lord Cornwallis was alarmed at the extent of power concentrated in the District Collector and felt that such absolute power was undesirable in one person.
4. The judicial work demanded a deep knowledge of India and a good training in law and’ Lord Cornwallis felt that District Collector should be only a revenue collector

Obviously concentration of power in one hand wasn’t good

Learning – Reforms by Lord Cornwallis, Administrtative reform, Judicial reforms, commercial reforms, Cornwallis code

2. With reference to Simon Commission’s recommendations, which one of the following statements is correct?

1. It recommended the replacement of diarchy with responsible government in the provinces.
2. It proposed the setting up of interprovincial council under the Home Department.
3. It suggested the abolition of bicameral legislature at the Centre.
4. In recommended the creation of Indian Police Service with a provision for increased pay and allowances for British recruits as compared to Indian recruits.

• Simon commission came to investigate workings of govt of India act 1919 and Govt of India act 1935 was enacted on the recommendation of Simon commission
• GOI act 1935 abolished dyarchy in provinces and gave them autonomy
• Answer is clear

Learning – boycott of Simon commission, assassination of Saunders, Nehru report, RTCs  

3. Four resolutions were passed at the famous Calcutta session of Indian National Congress in 1906. The question of either retention OR of rejection of these four resolutions became the cause of a split in Congress at the next Congress session held in Surat in 1907. Which one of the following was not one of these resolutions?

1. Annulment of partition of Bengal.
2. Boycott.
3. National education
4. Swadeshi

• Repeat
• 4th resolution would obviously be on partition of Bengal not annulment

Learning – politics played by moderates in this session, immediate cause of split in congress, Delhi durbar and annulment of partition

4. After Quit India Movement, C. Rajagopalachari issued a pamphlet entitled “The Way Out”. Which one of the following was a proposal in this pamphlet?

1. The establishment of a “War Advisory Council” composed of representatives of British India and the Indian States.
2. Reconstitution of the Central Executive Council in such a way that all its members, except the Governor General and the Commander-in- Chief should be Indian leaders.
3. Fresh elections to the Central and Provincial Legislatures to be held at the end of 1945 and the Constitution making body to be convened as soon as possible.
4. A solution for the constitutional deadlock.

• Way out would be way out of deadlock i.e constitutional deadlock as congress and Muslims leagues did not agree to Cripps proposals,  also k/as rajgopalachari formula
• It was rejected by congress though Gandhi did talk to Jinnah based on this formula

Learning – points of contention on Cripps proposals and Wavell plan, Rajgopalachari formula / CR formula

5. Who among the following Governor Generals created the Covenanted Civil Service of India which later came to be known as the Indian Civil Service?

1. Warren Hastings
2. Wellesley
3. Cornwallis
4. William Bentinck

Cornwallis – father of civil services

Learning – Evolution of civil services, Macaulay committee

6.With reference to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), consider the following statements:

1. The first European power to occupy Pondicherry were the Portuguese.
2. The second European power to occupy Pondicherry were the French.
3. The English never occupied Pondicherry.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

3 is clearly wrong as Britain did occupy Pondicherry but returned it back, NCERT British – French conflict

Learning – Carnatic Wars and treaties,

7. For the Karachi session of Indian National Congress in 1931 presided over by Sardar Patel, who drafted the Resolution on Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme?

1. Mahatma Gandhi
2. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
4. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

• Repeat, covered in titbit
• In this, congress told in concrete terms what Swaraj would mean in real terms to people. Provinces based on language were also announced

Learning – imp points of this programme and differences with fundamental rights of independent India, Bombay Manifesto

8.Who among the following were official Congress negotiators with Cripps Mission?

1. Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel
2. Acharya J. B. Kripalani and C. Rajagopalachari
3. Pandit Nehru and Maulana Azad
4. Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai

• Gandhiji stopped negotiating after RTC. Obviously tallest leaders would be the negotiators in such important proposals.
• Others were Patel and Rajgopalachari
• Both Congress and leagure rejected the propsal

Learning – point of contention b/w league and congress over Cripps proposals, why did congress reject Cripps, Cripps offer an improvement over August offer

9. What was the immediate cause for the launch of the Swadeshi movement?

1. The partition of Bengal done by Lord Curzon
2. A sentence of 18 months rigorous imprisonment imposed on Lokmanya Tilak
3. The arrest and deportation of Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh; and passing of the Punjab Colonization Bill
4. Death sentence pronounced on the Chapekar brothers

Repeat, very imp.

Learning – Sequence of events in Swadeshi movement, Resolutions passed in Calcutta session, Politics played, Formation of Muslim League, Split in congress, annulment of partion, reunification

10..Consider the following statements:

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to come to Champaran to investigate the problem of peasants.
2. Acharya J. B. Kriplani was one of Mahatma Gandhi’s colleagues in his Champaran investigation.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

• A farmer Rajkumar Shukla not Dr. Rajendra Prasad persuaded Gandhiji
• Gandhiji was accompanied by Babu Rajendra Prasad, J. B. Kripalani, Mahadev Desai Gandhijee

Learning – Gandhiji’s first three satyagrahas and associated leaders

11..Consider the following statements:

1. The “Bombay Manifesto” signed in 1936 openly opposed the preaching of socialist ideals.
2. It evoked support from a large section of business community from all across India.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

• Bombay plan and Bombay manifesto are different
• Bombay plan was during WW 2
• In Bomaby Manifesto, they actually opposed Nehru’s socialist ideas / cooperative ideas
• I am not sure about support from a large section but as it was proposed by leading Businessmen, might be true

Learning – Freedom movement and capitalist class, Bombay plan