Which of the following statements about the Indian Councils Act of 1861 is/are correct ? 1. It enlarged the Governor General's Council for the purpose of making laws. 2. The Governor General was not authorised to increase the number of members. 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 A, 1 only. The Act of 1861 enlarged the Governor General's Executive Council for law-making by adding extra members, and it was the Governor General who nominated them.
Under the Indian Councils Act, 1861, the Governor General could add not less than six and not more than twelve additional members to his council when it sat to make laws, and at least half of them had to be non-officials. Lord Canning used this power to nominate three Indians in 1862: the Raja of Benares, the Maharaja of Patiala and Sir Dinkar Rao. The Act also restored legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras presidencies and gave the Governor General power to issue ordinances.
B is wrong because statement 2 is false: the Governor General was in fact empowered to add six to twelve members.
C is wrong because only statement 1 is correct.
D is wrong because statement 1 is correct.
Exam tip: the 1861 Act began Indian association with law-making, with 6–12 additional members.
Practice Questions
View allWho amongst the following organized the All India Scheduled Castes Federation?
- A.Jyotiba Phule
- B.Periyar
- C.B. R. Ambedkar
- D.M. K. Karunanidhi
Show answer
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar founded the All India Scheduled Castes Federation at Nagpur in July 1942. The Federation was formed as a political party to fight for the rights of the Scheduled Castes as a separate group.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is/are important markers for the archaeologists to identify an archaeological site as a 'center of craft production'? 1. Evidence of raw materials such as stone nodules, whole shells, etc. 2. Geographical expanse of the site 3. Evidence of unfinished objects, rejects and waste material 4. Evidence of variety of pottery Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.2 and 4 only
- D.3 only
Show answer
Craft centres are recognised by raw material and by the leftovers of making things. Archaeologists studying Harappan sites look for raw materials such as stone nodules, whole shells and copper ore, for tools, and for unfinished objects, rejects and waste.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?
- A.Sharaf Qai was a minister of Allauddin Khalji
- B.Under Giyasuddin Tughluq Muqtis were warned not to ill-treat any of their officials for small amounts taken over and above their salaries
- C.The Arabic work Masalik-i-Absar gives description of the functioning of Iqta system under Muhammad bin Tughluq
- D.Marco Polo has not mentioned about Pearl Fishery of Tuticorin in South India
Show answer
Marco Polo did describe the pearl fishery of the Tuticorin coast, so the statement that he did not is wrong.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was known as 'Lokhitwadi'?
- A.Keshub Chandra Sen
- B.Gopal Hari Deshmukh
- C.M.G. Ranade
- D.Gopal Ganesh Agarkar
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He wrote under the pen name 'Lokhitwadi', meaning one who speaks for the welfare of the people. Gopal Hari Deshmukh (1823–1892) was a Maharashtrian social reformer and writer.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the history of India, the 'Katapayadi system', the 'Parahita system' and the 'Drigganita system' are associated with
- A.astronomy
- B.surgery
- C.chemistry
- D.music and dance
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All three come from the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. Katapayadi is a way of writing numbers with letters, each consonant standing for a digit, so long astronomical tables could be memorised as verses.
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