2020 GS Paper I, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I
Question 34: History and Culture
Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because
ahe was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
bhe wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
che wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment
dhe wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
Wellesley founded Fort William College in 1800 to train young British civil servants of the Company in Indian languages, law, history and customs for their administrative work. The Court of Directors disapproved of the scheme and later cut it back, so it was not set up at their request. Reviving oriental learning and employing William Carey as a teacher were by-products.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: the Directors disapproved of it.
- (b) Wrong: reviving oriental learning was not the purpose; training civil servants was.
- (c) Wrong: Carey and others were employed as teachers, but that was not the reason.
- (d) Right: to train British civilians for administration.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.