BPSC CCE Prelims
Education, Press and Cultural Awakening Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Showing solved Previous Year Questions for Chapter: Education, Press and Cultural Awakening
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Fort William College at Calcutta was established in
Detailed Explanation:
Fort William College was established in 1800 CE by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta to train British civil servants in Indian languages like Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Marathi for effective colonial administration.
The college was not founded in 1802 CE, and its primary purpose was practical language training for governance, not historical research or cultural understanding.
The Vernacular Press Act allowed
Detailed Explanation:
The Vernacular Press Act, 1878 was enacted by Viceroy Lord Lytton to suppress criticism in Indian-language newspapers.
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Act allowed confiscation of newspaper assets if objectionable content was published.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Confiscation occurred when content was objectionable, not when it was "not objectionable".
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The Act allowed confiscation of printing presses for publishing objectionable material.
Both Statements 1 and 3 are correct, making Option 4 (More than one of the above) the right answer.
When did Macaulay issue his famous minute on Indian Education?
Detailed Explanation:
Lord Macaulay's Minute on Indian Education was issued on 2 February 1835, advocating for English as the medium of instruction over Persian and Sanskrit.
This led to the English Education Act, 1835 by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, marking the shift from the Orientalist approach to Western education.
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Which newspaper wrote the following about the possible future role of the Indian National Congress is the nucleus of a future Parliament of our country and will lead to the good of inconceivable magnitude for our countrymen'?
Detailed Explanation:
The Indian Mirror, founded by Keshub Chandra Sen in 1861 from Calcutta, was a nationalist newspaper that strongly supported the Indian National Congress (INC).
The newspaper predicted that the INC would become the nucleus of India's future Parliament and bring immense good to the country, a vision that materialized when the INC led India's freedom struggle and became the dominant political force post-1947.
Who wrote "New Lamps For The Old"?
Detailed Explanation:
Aurobindo Ghosh wrote "New Lamps for Old" as a series of articles in the newspaper Indu Prakash starting in 1893.
The articles strongly criticized the Indian National Congress's moderate methods and advocated for a more aggressive and direct approach towards achieving independence, marking his early shift towards revolutionary nationalism.
Match the following and choose the correct answer:
| Newspaper | Editor |
| I. Free Hindustan | a. Mahatma Gandhi |
| II. Indian Opinion | b. Dadabhai Naoroji |
| III. Voice of India | c. Surendranath Banerjee |
| IV. Bengalee | d. Taraknath Das |
Detailed Explanation:
I. Free Hindustan – Taraknath Das (d): Revolutionary newspaper published from Vancouver, Canada (1907–1910) advocating Indian independence.
II. Indian Opinion – Mahatma Gandhi (a): Started in South Africa (1903) to voice concerns of the Indian community and propagate Satyagraha.
III. Voice of India – Dadabhai Naoroji (b): Published from London to highlight Indian grievances and the Drain of Wealth theory.
IV. Bengalee – Surendranath Banerjee (c): Founded in 1879 in Calcutta, became a leading voice for moderate nationalism and Indian National Congress activities.
Correct Match: I – d, II – a, III – b, IV – c
Which one of the following was a journal brought out by Abul Kalam Azad?
Detailed Explanation:
Al-Hilal was an Urdu weekly journal founded and edited by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1912 from Calcutta.
Zamindar was published by Zafar Ali Khan from Lahore, and The Comrade was started by Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar in 1911.
Who started the journal, Bahishkrita Bharat?
Detailed Explanation:
Babasaheb Ambedkar started the journal Bahishkrita Bharat (Excluded India) in 1927 to voice the concerns and struggles of the Dalit community and advocate for their social and political rights.
Jyotiba Phule published Deenbandhu and Satsar, Karsandas Mulji edited Satya Prakash, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak founded Kesari and Mahratta—none launched Bahishkrita Bharat.
Therefore, Ambedkar's pioneering role in Dalit journalism makes Option 4 the correct answer.
Who has written the book, Unhappy India?
Detailed Explanation:
Unhappy India (1928) was authored by Lala Lajpat Rai as a response to Katherine Mayo's controversial book Mother India, which portrayed India negatively. Lajpat Rai's work defended Indian society and critiqued British colonial rule.
The book exposed the economic exploitation and political repression under British imperialism, becoming an important nationalist text during the freedom struggle.
Therefore, Lala Lajpat Rai authored Unhappy India, making Option 3 the correct answer.
In Anandamath of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, which revolt is mentioned?
Detailed Explanation:
Anandamath (1882) by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is based on the Sannyasi Rebellion (1770s) in Bengal, where wandering monks (sannyasis) and fakirs revolted against British colonial oppression and local zamindars during the devastating famine.
The novel introduced Vande Mataram, India's national song, and romanticized the sannyasis' armed resistance as a patriotic struggle, making it a seminal work in Indian nationalist literature.
Therefore, the Sannyasi revolt is mentioned in Anandamath, making Option 1 the correct answer.