Polity & Governance chapter practice
Practise 65+ Historical Background MCQs for UPSC Prelims in Polity & Governance. The sample set below is shown with correct answers and explanations.
12 sample questions are shown here; sign up free to practise all 65.
The Regulating Act of 1773 designated the Governor of Bengal as the 'Governor-General of Bengal.' Who was the first person to hold this office?
Explanation
Correct. Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1774 under the Regulating Act of 1773. He held office from 1774 to 1785 and was later impeached (though acquitted) by the British Parliament.
Consider the following statements about the Charter Act of 1833: 1. It made the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India. 2. It deprived the Governors of Bombay and Madras of their legislative powers. 3. It ended the commercial activities of the East India Company. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Correct. The Charter Act of 1833 re-designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India (Lord William Bentinck was the first), stripped Bombay and Madras of legislative powers making the Governor-General the sole legislator, and ended the Company's commercial activities entirely.
Which of the following provisions of the Government of India Act of 1935 were later incorporated into the Indian Constitution? 1. Federal scheme 2. Office of the Governor 3. Emergency provisions 4. Three-fold distribution of legislative powers Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Correct. The Government of India Act of 1935 is considered the main source of the Indian Constitution. The federal scheme, office of Governor, emergency provisions, and three-list distribution of legislative powers were all drawn from the 1935 Act and adapted for the Indian Constitution.
The All-India Federation proposed by the Government of India Act of 1935 never came into existence because:
Explanation
Correct. The All-India Federation under the 1935 Act required that the rulers of Princely States accounting for at least half the seats in the Council of State would voluntarily join. The Princely States, fearing loss of sovereignty, refused to sign the Instruments of Accession, and the federation never came into existence.
The first law member of the Governor-General's Council who was an Indian was:
Explanation
Correct. Satyendra Prasad Sinha (later Lord Sinha) became the first Indian to be appointed as a Law Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council in 1909 under the Indian Councils Act of 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms).
The Mountbatten Plan (June 3, 1947) included which of the following provisions? 1. The principle of partition of India was accepted. 2. A referendum would be held in the North-West Frontier Province. 3. Bengal and Punjab would be partitioned. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Correct. The Mountbatten Plan accepted partition, provided for a referendum in NWFP (which voted to join Pakistan), and proposed the partition of Bengal and Punjab. These provisions were later given legal effect by the Indian Independence Act of 1947.
Pitt's India Act of 1784 established which of the following?
Explanation
Correct. Pitt's India Act of 1784 established a Board of Control consisting of six members including the Chancellor of the Exchequer and a Secretary of State. This Board had the power to supervise and control the Company's civil, military, and revenue affairs in India.
Which Act made the Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India for the first time?
Explanation
Correct. The Charter Act of 1833 re-designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India. Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India under this provision, reflecting the expansion of British control across the subcontinent.
The Indian Councils Act of 1892 is significant because:
Explanation
Correct. The Indian Councils Act of 1892 introduced indirect elections for the first time, though the word 'election' was not used in the Act itself. It used the term 'recommendation' or 'nomination.' It also gave members the right to discuss the budget and address questions to the executive.
The Government of India Act of 1858 created which of the following new posts?
Explanation
Correct. The Government of India Act of 1858 created the post of Secretary of State for India, a member of the British Cabinet who was assisted by a 15-member Council of India. The Secretary of State was given complete authority and control over Indian administration.
Consider the following pairs: Constitutional Development — Associated Viceroy/Governor-General 1. Indian Councils Act of 1861 — Lord Canning 2. Indian Councils Act of 1892 — Lord Lansdowne 3. Government of India Act of 1919 — Lord Chelmsford Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Correct. All three pairs are correctly matched. Lord Canning oversaw the 1861 Act, Lord Lansdowne the 1892 Act, and Lord Chelmsford the 1919 Act (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms).
Consider the following statements about separate electorates in British India: 1. Separate electorates were first introduced for Muslims by the Indian Councils Act of 1909. 2. The Government of India Act of 1919 extended separate electorates to Sikhs and Anglo-Indians. 3. The Communal Award of 1932 extended separate electorates to the Depressed Classes. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Correct. Separate electorates evolved through multiple stages: first for Muslims (1909), then extended to Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, and others (1919), and finally to the Depressed Classes through the Communal Award (1932), which was later modified by the Poona Pact.
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