Which one of the following statements about the English Education Act of 1835 is NOT correct ?
- A.It was proposed by Governor General William Bentinck on the advice of Macaulay
- B.It made English the language of instruction in Indian education system
- C.With the formal institutionalization of English as the language of instruction, the stage was set for a new direction to Indian education
- D.To the existing Oriental Institutions fresh awards of stipends to students and the publication of classical texts were to continue
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D. The 1835 resolution did the opposite: it stopped fresh stipends to students of Oriental institutions and stopped spending on printing Oriental texts.
On 2 February 1835 Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote his Minute on Indian Education, arguing that government funds should promote Western learning through English. Governor-General Lord William Bentinck accepted it in the resolution of 7 March 1835. It declared that the great object of the government should be the promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India, and that education funds were best spent on English education alone. Existing Oriental colleges were not abolished, but no new stipends were to be granted and no money was to be spent on publishing Oriental works.
A is wrong to pick: Bentinck did issue the measure on Macaulay's advice.
B is wrong to pick: it made English the medium of instruction in government-funded education.
C is wrong to pick: historians agree it set a new, Western direction for Indian education.
Exam tip: Macaulay's Minute, 2 February 1835; Bentinck's English Education Act, 7 March 1835.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following created the first All India Trade Union Congress in 1920?
- A.B. P. Wadia
- B.S. A. Dange
- C.N. M. Joshi
- D.B. T. Ranadive
Show answer
Narayan Malhar Joshi was the main organiser behind the founding of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in Bombay in October 1920.
Read the full explanation →The khuntkatti tenure was prevalent in which one of the following regions of India during the British Colonial Rule ?
- A.Bundelkhand
- B.Karnataka
- C.Chota Nagpur
- D.Madras Presidency
Show answer
Khuntkatti was the traditional land system of the Munda tribe of the Chota Nagpur plateau, in present-day Jharkhand. Under khuntkatti, land belonged jointly to the lineage (khunt) of the families who first cleared the forest and settled the village.
Read the full explanation →With whom did Subhas Chandra Bose form an alliance to destroy the Holwell Monument in Calcutta during 1939-40?
- A.The Communist Party of India
- B.The Muslim League
- C.The Hindu Mahasabha
- D.The Unionist Party
Show answer
In 1940 Subhas Chandra Bose joined hands with the Muslim League in Bengal and led the campaign to remove the Holwell Monument from Calcutta.
Read the full explanation →The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to
- A.Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
- B.Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
- C.Impose censorship on national press.
- D.Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Show answer
The Butler Committee was set up to examine the ties between the British paramount power and the princely states. The Indian States Committee was appointed in 1927 under Sir Harcourt Butler, with its report coming in 1929.
Read the full explanation →Which among the following Acts provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court of Justice at Calcutta for Europeans, their employees and the citizens of India?
- A.The Regulating Act of 1773
- B.The Charter Act of 1793
- C.The Charter Act of 1813
- D.Government of India Act of 1858
Show answer
This first act of the British Parliament to control the East India Company provided for a Supreme Court of Judicature at Calcutta.
Read the full explanation →