DAY – 42 : Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2026 : MODERN INDIA

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

• Pair I – Madras (1887): Correct
  The Madras session (President: Badruddin Tyabji) did witness steps towards organisational consolidation, including movement towards framing rules/constitution for the Congress. It also marked an important appeal for broader participation, especially of Muslims.
• Pair II – Allahabad (1888): Correct
  The Allahabad session (President: George Yule) faced clear hostility from the British authorities, including administrative obstruction in venue arrangements. This reflects early bureaucratic opposition to the Congress.
• Pair III – Lucknow (1899): Incorrect
  The session (President: R.C. Dutt) is associated with economic critique and land revenue issues, not “Purna Swaraj.”
  The Purna Swaraj resolution was adopted at the Lahore session (1929).
• Pair IV – Karachi (1931): Correct
  The Karachi session (President: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) adopted the landmark Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme, a crucial precursor to constitutional ideals.

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

• Statement I: Correct
  The Aitchison Committee (1886–87) recommended the reorganisation of civil services into three categories: Imperial, Provincial, and Subordinate services, laying the foundation for a structured administrative hierarchy.
• Statement II: Correct
  The Lee Commission (1924) recommended progressive Indianisation of the civil services, suggesting that about 50% of direct recruits to the ICS should be Indians within a period of 15 years.
• Statement III: Incorrect
  Lord Wellesley established the College of Fort William (1800) in Calcutta for training Company civil servants; however, its focus was primarily on Indian languages, customs, and administrative practices, not specifically on European law and administration.

Thus, only Statements I and II are correct.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement I is incorrect. Warren Hastings’ judicial plan of 1772 (Adalat System) did establish Diwani and Faujdari Adalats, but there was no separation between revenue and judicial functions. The District Collector continued to exercise both roles, especially in civil (Diwani) cases. The clear institutional separation of judiciary from revenue administration was introduced later under Lord Cornwallis (1793).

Statement II is correct. The Cornwallis Code (1793) introduced significant judicial reforms such as separation of powers, codification of procedures, and accountability of officials before courts. While it did not establish modern constitutional supremacy of law, it is correctly understood in historical terms as laying the foundation of the rule of law in colonial administration, which is what the statement captures.

Statement III is correct. The Indian High Courts Act, 1861 abolished the dual judicial system of Supreme Courts and Sadar Adalats and replaced them with High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras (established in 1862), thereby creating a more unified judicial structure.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement I:
The 1907 Surat Session is often interpreted as undermining the “safety valve” theory, which viewed the Indian National Congress as a controlled platform for moderating nationalist aspirations. The open conflict and eventual split between Moderates and Extremists demonstrated that the Congress had evolved into a forum of genuine political contestation. Hence, the statement is correct.

Statement II: Correct
The immediate causes of the split included disagreement over the extension of the Swadeshi and Boycott movement beyond Bengal and the choice of the Congress President (Rash Behari Ghosh vs. Tilak/Lajpat Rai group). These were central triggers of the conflict.

Statement III: Correct
After the Surat split, the Moderates retained control of the Congress, and the Extremists remained effectively outside the organisation until their re-entry around the Lucknow session (1916).

Statement II explains Statement I, as the ideological and organisational conflict reflected in these disagreements undermined the notion of the Congress as a mere “safety valve.” However, Statement III, while factually correct, pertains to the aftermath of the split and does not explain the reasoning behind Statement I.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Pair I – Sudharak : Gopal Krishna Gokhale — Incorrect
Sudharak was a well-known Marathi journal of social reform. It was founded and edited by Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, not Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Agarkar used it as a platform to advocate rationalism, widow remarriage, women’s education, and criticism of social orthodoxy. Gokhale was a major Moderate leader, but he is not the correct name linked to Sudharak. Hence, this pair is incorrect.

Pair II – Bande Mataram : Aurobindo Ghosh — Correct
Bande Mataram was one of the most important nationalist newspapers of the early twentieth century. It is strongly associated with Aurobindo Ghosh, who edited it and used it to articulate assertive nationalism, passive resistance, boycott, and self-reliance. It became an ideological voice of the Extremist trend in Indian nationalism. Therefore, this pair is correct.

Pair III – Kavivachan Sudha : Bhartendu Harishchandra — Correct
Kavivachan Sudha was a prominent Hindi literary journal founded by Bhartendu Harishchandra, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Hindi literature. The journal played an important role in literary revival, cultural awakening, and the spread of modern prose and public discourse in Hindi. Hence, this pair is correctly matched.

Pair IV – Indian Mirror : Bipin Chandra Pal — Incorrect
This pair is incorrect. Indian Mirror was originally founded by Devendranath Tagore and later became closely associated with Keshab Chandra Sen. It was linked to the reformist and intellectual currents of the Brahmo Samaj. Bipin Chandra Pal was associated with nationalist journalism, but not with Indian Mirror in this founder/editor sense. Therefore, this pair is incorrect.

Pair V – The Hitavada : Bal Gangadhar Tilak — Incorrect
The Hitavada was founded in 1911 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale from Nagpur. It represented Moderate nationalist opinion and aimed at political education and responsible public discussion. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, on the other hand, was associated with Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English), not The Hitavada. So this pair is also incorrect.

Answer : (c)

Explanation:

Statement I is correct.
The Forward Policy is most prominently associated with Lord Lytton (1876–80). It aimed at extending British strategic control beyond the north-west frontier to counter Russian influence and to secure what the British called a “scientific frontier” in relation to Afghanistan.

Statement II is correct.
The aggressive implementation of this policy led to the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80). The first phase of the war culminated in the Treaty of Gandamak (1879), through which Afghanistan accepted British control over its foreign affairs and allowed the presence of a British Resident.

Statement III is correct.
With the arrival of Lord Ripon (1880–84), the Forward Policy was reversed. Ripon withdrew from the aggressive expansionist approach and adopted a policy of non-interference, restoring Afghanistan as a buffer state rather than attempting direct control.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement I – Incorrect
Although Lord Dalhousie discontinued certain titles and pensions in specific instances—such as refusing to recognise the titles of the Nawab of Carnatic and the Raja of Tanjore, and stopping the pension of Nana Saheb—these were case-specific administrative actions linked to annexation policies and political considerations. There was no general or uniform policy for the abolition of titles

Statement II – Correct
The Wood’s Despatch (1854), issued during Dalhousie’s tenure, laid the foundation of modern education in India. It advocated a structured system of education, including universities, vernacular education at the primary level, and English at higher levels—hence termed the “Magna Carta of English Education in India.”

Statement III – Incorrect
The annexation of Awadh (1856) was not under the Doctrine of Lapse. It was annexed on the grounds of “misgovernance” (maladministration). The Doctrine of Lapse applied to states like Satara, Jhansi, and Nagpur.

Statement IV – Correct
The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856 was passed during Dalhousie’s tenure (though enacted under Lord Canning shortly after his departure, the initiative belonged to this period and reform climate). It legalized widow remarriage and marked a major social reform.

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Statement I – Correct
The Thuggee and Dacoity Department was established during the tenure of Lord William Bentinck (1830s) to suppress organized bands of Thugs involved in highway robbery and ritual killings. It was headed by officers like William Sleeman and became an important early policing initiative.

Statement II – Incorrect
The Indian Police Act of 1861 did establish a structured police system with the Inspector General (IG) as the head of police in a province. However, the IG was directly responsible to the provincial government, not subordinate to the Divisional Commissioner. Hence, the statement is incorrect due to this hierarchical inaccuracy.

Statement III – Correct
During Lord Curzon’s tenure (1899–1905), police reforms were introduced following the Indian Police Commission (1902–03). These reforms led to the creation of the Provincial Police Service, enabling recruitment of Indians at the officer level below the superior (European-dominated) ranks.

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Statement I – Correct
Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was first published in the journal Bangadarshan (founded by Bankim himself) before it was later incorporated into his novel Anandamath (1882).

Statement II – Correct
The novel Anandamath was inspired by historical events such as the Sanyasi Rebellion (late 18th century) and the backdrop of the Bengal famine of 1770. These events shaped the novel’s theme of ascetic warriors resisting oppression.

Statement III – Correct
The English translation of Vande Mataram by Aurobindo Ghosh was published in his nationalist newspaper Karmayogin, helping popularize the song among English-educated Indians and the wider nationalist discourse.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement I: Correct

The scheme specifically targets 100 “Aspirational Agricultural Districts.” These were selected because they lagged behind in three core areas: yields per hectare, cropping intensity (how often the land is used), and access to institutional credit (KCC).

Statement II: Incorrect

The PMDDKY is built on a Convergence and Cooperative Federalism model.

• It does not bypass state programs. Instead, it integrates both Central and State schemes into a single District Action Plan.
• Furthermore, since Agriculture is a State Subject (List II of the Seventh Schedule), the scheme relies on a Centrally Sponsored funding pattern for many components, requiring the states to be active partners in implementation and funding.

Statement III: Correct

Accountability is maintained through the Champions of Change Dashboard. It tracks 117 KPIs in real-time, allowing the Prime Minister’s Office and NITI Aayog to see exactly which districts are improving in areas like soil health, irrigation coverage, and crop insurance

Answer: (a) 175

Detailed Solution:
First, observe the differences between consecutive terms:

5 − 1 = 4
15 − 5 = 10
34 − 15 = 19
65 − 34 = 31
111 − 65 = 46

Now, take the second-level differences:

10 − 4 = 6
19 − 10 = 9
31 − 19 = 12
46 − 31 = 15

These follow a clear pattern:
6, 9, 12, 15 → increasing by +3

So, the next second-level difference = 15 + 3 = 18

Now move back to first-level differences:
Next difference = 46 + 18 = 64

Finally:
Next term = 111 + 64 = 175

Answer: (b) 50

Detailed Solution:
Observe alternating pattern:

1² + 1 = 2
2² − 1 = 3
3² + 1 = 10
4² − 1 = 15
5² + 1 = 26
6² − 1 = 35

So the rule alternates between:
+1, −1, +1, −1, …

Next term follows:
7² + 1 = 49 + 1 = 50

Answer: (a) 336

Detailed Solution:
Each term follows a consistent pattern:

1³ − 1 = 0
2³ − 2 = 6
3³ − 3 = 24
4³ − 4 = 60
5³ − 5 = 120
6³ − 6 = 210

So, the next term is:

7³ − 7 = 343 − 7 = 336

Answer: (a) 258

Detailed Solution:
Step 1: First-level differences

14 − 3 = 11
39 − 14 = 25
84 − 39 = 45
155 − 84 = 71

Step 2: Second-level differences

25 − 11 = 14
45 − 25 = 20
71 − 45 = 26

Step 3: Third-level differences

20 − 14 = 6
26 − 20 = 6

Now we see a constant difference of 6

Step 4: Extend pattern

Next second-level difference = 26 + 6 = 32
Next first-level difference = 71 + 32 = 103

Step 5: Final term

155 + 103 = 258

Answer: (c)

Solution:

(a) is incorrect because the passage explicitly states the divide is “no longer just about access to hardware or the internet.”

(b) is incorrect because the passage says literacy must “move beyond” functional skills, not that they are obsolete.

(c) is the correct answer. The passage emphasizes the need for “algorithmic literacy” and a “critical understanding” of how algorithms shape reality and perception.

(d) is incorrect as the passage discusses the risks to democracy but does not declare institutions “incapable” of regulation; it focuses on the necessity of user literacy.