Constitutional Development of India

21. Which among the following was NOT the recommendation of the Nehru Repo

Which among the following was NOT the recommendation of the Nehru Report ?

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Dominion Status
Separate Electorate
Unitary and Democratic Centre
Adult Suffrage
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UPSC CAPF – 2017
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Separate Electorate was NOT a recommendation of the Nehru Report.
The Nehru Report (1928) advocated for Joint Electorates with reservation of seats for minorities in proportion to the population, wherever they were in a minority. It was a key demand of the Indian National Congress to move away from communal electorates introduced by the British. The report explicitly rejected the principle of separate electorates.
The Nehru Report recommended Dominion Status for India within the British Commonwealth. It proposed a federal system with a strong centre and a responsible government. It also included provisions for Fundamental Rights and Universal Adult Suffrage. The report was significant as it was the first attempt by Indians to draft their own constitution. However, it was not accepted by all political factions, particularly Muslim League leaders like Jinnah who put forth his ‘Fourteen Points’ in response, advocating for separate electorates among other demands.

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22. Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The British legal sc

Consider the following statements:

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  • Statement-I: The British legal scholars relied on Indian Pandits and Maulavis for understanding of canons of authoritative texts
  • Statement-II: British codified the Hindu Laws in 1783 and the Muslim Laws in 1785

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements and the code?

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Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is NOT the correct explanation of Statement I
Statement I is true but Statement II is false
Statement I is false but Statement II is true
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UPSC CAPF – 2017
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Statement I is true; during the early period of British rule, especially under figures like Warren Hastings, British judges and administrators often relied on the expertise of local legal scholars (Pandits for Hindu law, Maulavis for Muslim law) to understand and apply the personal laws and customs of the Indian population. Statement II is false; while efforts were made to compile and understand Indian personal laws early on (e.g., Halhed’s Gentoo Code in 1776 for Hindu law), the systematic codification of laws, including procedural and penal codes, occurred much later in the 19th century (like the Indian Penal Code 1860). There was no formal codification of Hindu Laws in 1783 and Muslim Laws in 1785 as standalone legal codes akin to modern statutes.
British relied on Indian legal experts initially, but did not codify Hindu and Muslim personal laws in comprehensive codes in the 1780s.
The reliance on pandits and maulavis led to issues of interpretation, corruption, and inconsistency, prompting later efforts towards more standardized legal procedures and, eventually, formal codification of certain areas of law in the 19th century. Personal laws continued to be administered largely based on scriptural interpretation and custom, with limited codification in specific areas much later.

23. Between the 15th August 1947 when India became free and the 26th Janua

Between the 15th August 1947 when India became free and the 26th January 1950 when she declared herself a democratic sovereign republic, the Government of India functioned under the provisions of:

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The Government of India Act 1935
The Indian Independence Act 1947
The Indian (Provisional Constitution) Order 1947
None of the above
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UPSC CAPF – 2014
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Upon gaining independence on August 15, 1947, India did not immediately adopt its new constitution. The Indian Independence Act, 1947, stipulated that until the new constitution was framed and came into effect, the Government of India would be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Government of India Act, 1935, with necessary adaptations. The Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949, and came into force on January 26, 1950. Thus, the 1935 Act served as the transitional constitutional framework.
The question tests knowledge of the legal framework governing India during the interim period between achieving independence and the commencement of its own constitution.
The Government of India Act, 1935, was a significant piece of legislation passed by the British Parliament. It introduced provincial autonomy and laid the groundwork for a federal structure, elements of which were later incorporated into the Constitution of India. The Indian Independence Act, 1947, formally ended British rule and granted sovereignty to India and Pakistan, enabling them to adopt their own constitutions.

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24. Which one among the following was not a provision of the Regulating Ac

Which one among the following was not a provision of the Regulating Act of 1773 ?

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It introduced Parliamentary supervision over the East India Company
The Government of Bengal was vested in a Governor General and the Council of four members
It changed the power of vote in the Court of Proprietors by removing all restrictions on qualifications
The Governor General was vested with a casting vote
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UPSC CAPF – 2014
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The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first step by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India, thereby introducing parliamentary supervision (A). It reorganized the administration in Bengal by appointing a Governor-General (Warren Hastings) and a Council of four members (B). The Act also granted the Governor-General a casting vote in case of a tie in the Council (D). However, concerning the Court of Proprietors (shareholders of the Company), the Act *raised* the voting qualification from £500 to £1000 shareholding, effectively *restricting* the franchise and reducing the number of eligible voters, rather than removing restrictions (C).
– Key provisions of Regulating Act 1773: Governor-General of Bengal with a Council, casting vote for Governor-General, establishment of Supreme Court in Calcutta, ban on private trade by company servants, raising voting qualification for Court of Proprietors.
– Aim: To control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company.
The Regulating Act was a response to the financial difficulties of the East India Company and the growing concerns in Britain about its misrule and corruption. While it attempted to bring some order and accountability, it had several drawbacks, such as the limited powers of the Governor-General and conflicts between the Supreme Court and the Council.

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25. Separate electorates for representation of Indian Christians and Anglo

Separate electorates for representation of Indian Christians and Anglo-Indians were created under the

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Indian Councils Act, 1861
Government of India Act, 1909
Government of India Act, 1919
Government of India Act, 1935
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UPSC CAPF – 2013
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The correct answer is (C) Government of India Act, 1919.
– The Government of India Act, 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
– The Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) extended the principle of separate electorates to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans.
– The Government of India Act, 1935 further extended this principle, reserving seats for depressed classes (Scheduled Castes), women, and labour, in addition to retaining separate electorates for earlier groups, although the separate electorate for depressed classes was averted by the Poona Pact.
– Separate electorates meant that members of a particular community would elect their representatives through separate polls where only voters from that community could vote. This system was a controversial aspect of British colonial policy, often criticized for promoting communal divisions.
– The Indian Councils Act, 1861 was primarily concerned with restructuring the legislative councils in India.

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26. Which of the following statements about the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Which of the following statements about the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms is/are correct ?

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  • It was approved by King George V.
  • It made the Central Legislature bicameral.
  • The Act explicitly mentioned the appointment of three Indian members to the Council.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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1, 2 and 3
1 and 2 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
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UPSC CAPF – 2010
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Statement 1 is correct: The Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) was passed by the British Parliament and received Royal Assent, meaning it was approved by the King George V.
Statement 2 is correct: The Act made the Central Legislature bicameral, consisting of the Council of State (Upper House) and the Indian Legislative Assembly (Lower House).
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Act did increase Indian representation in the Viceroy’s Executive Council and other bodies, but it did not explicitly mandate the appointment of a fixed number like ‘three’ Indian members to *the* Council (referring to a specific council). While Indians were appointed, the Act’s main structural changes were related to diarchy in provinces and the composition of the central legislature, not a specific number of Indians in a particular council.
Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms introduced Diarchy in the provinces, dividing subjects into ‘transferred’ and ‘reserved’. At the centre, it introduced a bicameral legislature but retained significant powers with the Viceroy and his Executive Council, who were not responsible to the legislature.
The Act was based on the recommendations of Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy. It was seen as a step towards responsible government, but its provisions were criticized by Indian nationalists as inadequate.

27. Which of the following statements about the Law Commission headed by L

Which of the following statements about the Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay is/are correct ?

  • 1. It attempted to codify the laws.
  • 2. It was opposed to uniform system of Courts.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
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UPSC NDA-2 – 2021
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The correct answer is A, only statement 1 is correct. The First Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay attempted to codify laws, but it was not opposed to a uniform system of Courts; rather, its work laid the groundwork for legal uniformity.
The First Law Commission of India was established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833, with Lord Macaulay as its chairman. Its primary objective was to codify Indian laws. This commission is famous for drafting the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on English law but adapted to Indian conditions.
Statement 1 is correct as codification was the main aim of the commission. Statement 2 is incorrect. The commission’s efforts towards codification and introducing uniform laws across British India were a step towards a more uniform legal and judicial system, not against it. While the judicial system’s uniformity evolved over time, the commission’s work facilitated the application of consistent laws, a prerequisite for judicial uniformity.

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28. The principle that the framing of the new Constitution for independent

The principle that the framing of the new Constitution for independent India should be primarily (though not solely) the responsibility of Indians themselves, was for the first time conceded in the

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Government of India Act, 1935
August Offer of Viceroy Linlithgow
Cripps Proposals
Cabinet Mission
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UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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The August Offer of 1940, made by Viceroy Linlithgow, was the first time the British government officially acknowledged that the framing of the future constitution of India should be primarily the responsibility of Indians. The offer proposed the setting up of a representative Indian body after the war to devise a new constitution. While the offer had limitations and was rejected by Indian political parties, it marked a significant shift in British policy regarding India’s constitutional future.
The August Offer was the initial British concession to the Indian demand for a Constituent Assembly composed of Indians.
The Government of India Act, 1935, was enacted by the British Parliament and did not give Indians the right to frame their own constitution. The Cripps Proposals (1942) refined the idea of a constituent assembly but came later. The Cabinet Mission (1946) Plan actually led to the formation of the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Indian Constitution, but the principle was conceded earlier in the August Offer.

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29. In the year 1928, a committee of Congress leaders drafted a Constituti

In the year 1928, a committee of Congress leaders drafted a Constitution for India. The Committee was headed by

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Mahatma Gandhi
T. B. Sapru
Motilal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
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UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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The correct option is (C) Motilal Nehru.
In 1928, an All Parties Conference appointed a committee to draft a Constitution for India. This committee was headed by Motilal Nehru. The report submitted by this committee is known as the Nehru Report.
The Nehru Report was the first major attempt by Indians to draft a constitutional framework for the country. It proposed dominion status, a federal structure, a list of fundamental rights, and a parliamentary system of government. Jawaharlal Nehru, Motilal Nehru’s son, was the secretary of this committee.

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30. Who among the following was the first Indian to qualify for the Indian

Who among the following was the first Indian to qualify for the Indian Civil Service ?

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Satyendranath Tagore
Surendranath Banerjee
R.C. Dutt
Subhas Chandra Bose
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UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
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Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to qualify for the Indian Civil Service (ICS).
He achieved this feat in 1863, breaking the European monopoly on the prestigious service.
The Indian Civil Service was the administrative service of British India. Its entry exam, held in London, was highly competitive and challenging for Indians due to various discriminatory practices, including the age limit and the nature of the syllabus. Other prominent Indians who later joined the ICS included Surendranath Banerjee, Romesh Chunder Dutt, and later, Subhas Chandra Bose (who resigned).

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