Which of the following statements about the first Indian Factory Act passed in 1881 is/are correct ? 1. The Act dealt primarily with the problem of child labour. 2. The Act laid down that children between 7 years and 12 years of age would not work for more than 9 hours a day. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Both 1 and 2. The Indian Factories Act of 1881, passed under Viceroy Lord Ripon, was mainly about child labour and capped the working day of children aged 7 to 12 at nine hours.
The Act banned the employment of children below 7 years in factories, limited children between 7 and 12 to nine hours of work a day, required one hour of rest during the day and gave them four holidays a month. It also asked for dangerous machinery to be fenced. It applied only to factories using power and employing at least 100 workers. The Factories Act of 1891 then raised the minimum age to 9 and gave women workers an 11-hour limit.
A is wrong because statement 1 is also correct.
B is wrong because statement 2 is also correct.
D is wrong because both statements describe the 1881 Act accurately.
Exam tip: Factories Act 1881 (Ripon) – children 7–12, nine hours; Factories Act 1891 – minimum age 9, women 11 hours.
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