UPSC Prelims 2019 · GS Paper I
Question 4: History and Culture
Consider the following statements about ‘the Charter Act of 1813’ :
- 1.It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.
- 2.It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.
- 3.The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).
The Charter Act of 1813 ended the East India Company's trade monopoly in India, except for tea and the China trade, and it asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Company's Indian territories. It did not give Parliament control of India's revenues: the Company kept administering territory and revenue until the Crown took over directly in 1858. Remember the sequence: 1813 ended the Indian trade monopoly, 1833 ended the Company's commercial functions altogether.
- 1. The Indian trade monopoly ended, with tea and China trade excepted.
- 2. The Act asserted the Crown's sovereignty over the Company's territories.
- 3. The Company continued to control revenue; the Crown took over in 1858.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (b), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 3.
What you needed to know: The Company continued to control revenue; the Crown took over in 1858.
Only (a) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 2.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Correct: statements 1 and 2 hold, and statement 3 does not.
- (b) Wrong: it includes statement 3 and leaves out statement 1.
- (c) Wrong: it includes statement 3 and leaves out statement 2.
- (d) Wrong: statement 3 is false.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.