UPSC Prelims 2007 · General Studies
Question 56: History and Culture
Which one of the following aroused a wave of popular indignation that led to the massacre by the British at Jallianwala Bagh?
AnswerThe answer is (c).
The Rowlatt Act of March 1919 allowed detention without trial, and it caused a wave of protest across Punjab. On 13 April 1919, during the Baisakhi gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, General Dyer ordered troops to fire on a crowd that included people who had come to protest it. The Arms Act, Public Safety Act and Vernacular Press Act were not the trigger.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) The Arms Act (1878) disarmed Indians but was not the trigger.
- (b) The Public Safety Act was not the trigger.
- (c) Correct: the Rowlatt Act caused the indignation.
- (d) The Vernacular Press Act (1878) targeted Indian-language papers.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2007, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.