Modern History (Part-III)

Total Questions: 28

1. Which among the following events happened earliest? [2018-1]

Correct Answer: (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
Solution:

1859: Neeldarpan was written

1863: Satyendranath cleared CSE.

1875: Arya Samaj was founde(d)

1882: Anandmath was written.

2. With reference to educational institutes during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs of Institution vs Founder: [2018-1]

1. Sanskrit College at Benaras: William Jones

2. Calcutta Madarsa: Warren Hastings

3. Fort William College: Arthur Wellesley

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Solution:

1. In 1791 due to the sincere efforts of the British resident, Jonathan Duncan, a Sanskrit College was established to promote the study of Hindu laws and philosophy in Banaras. And Sir William Jones is associated with Asiatic Society of Bengal (NCERT themes-II page 232). So, #1 is wrong. A and C eliminate(d).

2. Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley (1798) for the training of civil servants. But, Arthur Wellesley was the brother of Lord Wellesley who fought the 4th Anglo-Mysore war against Tipu Sultan. Arthur Wellesley, forced Tipu to retreat to his capital Srirangapattinam.

3. Thus by elimination, we are left with B: only 2.

3. Regarding Wood's Dispatch, which of the following statements are true? [2018-1]

1. Grants-in-Aid system was introduce(d)

2. Establishment of universities was recommende(d)

3. English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommende(d)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Solution:Wood's dispatch recommended that Primary and secondary education should be in Vernacular language.*" so statement#3 is wrong, and by elimination we are left with Answer A: only 1 and 2.

4. Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India? [2018-1]

1. Charter Act of 1813

2. General Committee of Public Instruction, 1823

3. Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy

Select the correct answer using the code given below

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:All three were responsible for the introduction of English education in India. Charte Act of 1813 ordered the EUC to spend 1 lakh an education of Indians. General Committee of Public instruction, 1823 and orientalist and anglicist controversy were also related to spread of english education in India.

5. Who among the following were the founders of the "Hind Mazdoor Sabha" established in 1948? [2018-1]

Correct Answer: (d) Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta
Solution:The Founding Conference elected Com. Ashok Mehta as the General Secretary and Com. G.G. Mehta and V.S. Mathur as Secretaries. Ms. Maniben Kara and Com. T.S. Ramanujam were elected as Vice-Presidents of HMS. So, D is most fitting.

6. Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India? [2018-1]

Correct Answer: (b) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Solution:
  • Jean-Baptiste Tavernier: was a French traveler who visited India between 1640 and 1667. Being a diamond merchant, he was particularly interested in diamonds and visited various diamond mines in India, especially those of the Deccan.
  • Jean De Thevenot (1626): one of the first French travellers, graphically describes the cultivation of indigo and the extent of its cultivation in his book Remonstrantie.
  • Frenchman, Francois Bernier (1656-58). His book Travels in the Mughal Empire mentioned the life of the peasantry, their poor conditions, towns, industries, life in the countryside and the urban culture and, above all, the major manufactures of Indi(a).
  • Abbe Carre also a Frenchman, visited Mughal India between 1672 and 1674 and recorded his information in The travels of Abbe Carre in India and the Near East. He wrote about the port towns and the role of the newly formed French East India Company.

7. Consider the following events: [2018-1]

1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India

2. India's then largest bank, 'Imperial Bank of India', was renamed 'State Bank of India'.

3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.

4. Goa became a part of independent India

Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?

Correct Answer: (b)3-2-1-4
Solution:
  • As early as in 1957, the Congress party had the bitter taste of defeat in Keral(a) In the assembly elections held in March 1957, the Communist Party won the largest number of seats to the Kerala legislature.... The governor invited E. M. S. Namboodiripad, the leader of the Communist legislature party, to form the ministry. For the first time in the world, a Communist party government had come to power through democratic elections.
  • This means 1 comes in between 2 (SBI-1955) and 4 (Goa-60s). Correct option should have this pattern: -2--1--4. Only Option B fits this pattern. # Answerkey-Prelims-2018: Science.

8. With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct? [2019-1]

Correct Answer: (b) The major aim of land reforms was providing agriculture land to all the landless.
Solution:

In most states, initially, the ceilings were imposed on individual and not family holdings, enabling landowners to divide up their holdings 'notionally' in the names of relatives merely to avoid the ceiling. So, (a) is wrong.

  • A large number of exemptions to the ceiling limits were permitted by most states following the Second Plan recommendations that certain categories of land could be exempted from ceilings. These were tea, coffee and rubber plantations, orchards, specialized farms etc. So, (d) is wrong.
  • C is a 'hyperbole' wrong statement. Land reform is not responsible for cash crop cultivation becoming predominant in India. Besides, majority of India's area under cultivation is foodgrains and cereals. (and not cash crops) as per Table3, page 101 of Economic Survey 2017-18.
  • Thus, (b) is the most suitable answer.

9. Consider the following statements about 'the Charter Act of 1813': [2019-1]

1. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.

2. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.

3. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Solution:
  • The Company's monopoly over trade in India ended, but the Company retained the trade with China and the trade in tea. So #1 is right.
  • The Company was to retain the possession of territories and the revenue for 20 years more, without prejudice to the sovereignty of the Crown. So, #2 is right but #3 is wrong. Hence answer (a): 1 and 2 only.

10. Consider the following pairs: [2019-1]

Movement: Organization Leader

1. All India Anti-Untouchability League: Mahatma Gandhi

2. All India Kisan Sabha: Swami Sahajanad Saraswati

3. Self Respect Movement: E.V. Ramaswami Naicker

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:
  • While in jail, Gandhi set up the All India Anti-Untouchability League in September 19323 All India Kisan Congress/Sabha: This sabha was founded in Lucknow in April 1936 with Swami Sahjanand Saraswati as the president and N.G. Ranga as the general secretary. During the 1920s in South India, the non-brahmins organised the Self-Respect Movement led by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker.
  • So, (d): all three are correct.