1. In which year did Macaulay present his famous Minute on Indian Education?
A. 1813
B. 1835
C. 1854
D. 1882
Answer: B. 1835
Explanation: Thomas Babington Macaulay presented his Minute on Indian Education in 1835, marking a turning point in colonial education policy.
2. What was the main objective of Macaulay’s Minute?
A. Promote indigenous education
B. Encourage vernacular languages
C. Promote English education to create a class of intermediaries
D. Provide universal education
Answer: C. Promote English education to create a class of intermediaries
Explanation: Macaulay aimed to produce a class of Indians who would be “Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, opinions, morals and intellect.”
3. Who was the Governor-General of India when Macaulay’s Minute was accepted?
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord William Bentinck
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: C. Lord William Bentinck
Explanation: Lord Bentinck supported and approved Macaulay’s Minute and passed a resolution in 1835 endorsing English as the medium of instruction.
4. According to Macaulay, what was the status of Indian classical literature?
A. Equal to Western texts
B. Superior to European works
C. Inferior and lacking value
D. Better for scientific knowledge
Answer: C. Inferior and lacking value
Explanation: Macaulay harshly criticized Indian literature, calling it of little use compared to Western knowledge.
5. What kind of education did Macaulay advocate for in India?
A. Mass education
B. Traditional Indian education
C. Orientalist education
D. Western liberal education through English
Answer: D. Western liberal education through English
Explanation: Macaulay promoted English-medium education focusing on Western science, logic, and literature.
6. What was the language controversy addressed in Macaulay’s Minute?
A. Hindi vs Urdu
B. Sanskrit and Arabic vs English
C. Persian vs Bengali
D. Tamil vs English
Answer: B. Sanskrit and Arabic vs English
Explanation: Macaulay dismissed the orientalist preference for Sanskrit and Arabic, favoring English as the medium of higher education.
7. What term best describes the educational class Macaulay intended to create?
A. Clerical officers
B. Hybrid elite
C. Cultural brokers
D. Educated intermediaries
Answer: D. Educated intermediaries
Explanation: The goal was to create a class of Indians who would serve as intermediaries between the British rulers and Indian masses.
8. What funding change did Macaulay’s Minute recommend?
A. More grants for indigenous schools
B. Withdrawal of funds from oriental institutions
C. Grants for village schools
D. Loans to missionaries
Answer: B. Withdrawal of funds from oriental institutions
Explanation: Macaulay recommended cutting funds from institutions that promoted Sanskrit and Arabic learning.
9. Which British policy document formalized Macaulay’s suggestions?
A. Charter Act of 1813
B. Wood’s Despatch of 1854
C. Bentinck’s Resolution of 1835
D. Hunter Commission of 1882
Answer: C. Bentinck’s Resolution of 1835
Explanation: Bentinck’s Resolution on March 7, 1835, accepted Macaulay’s Minute and made English the official medium of higher education.
10. Which system of education declined as a result of Macaulay’s policy?
A. Gurukula system
B. Madrasah education
C. Oriental learning system
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Macaulay’s policy marginalized traditional Indian systems, including gurukulas, madrasahs, and pathshalas.
11. What was Macaulay’s view on vernacular languages for education?
A. Best suited for all levels
B. Suitable for rural masses only
C. Not fit for higher education
D. Should be replaced by Persian
Answer: C. Not fit for higher education
Explanation: Macaulay believed vernacular languages lacked the vocabulary needed for science and literature and hence could not support higher education.
12. Which ideological perspective did Macaulay represent in the education debate?
A. Orientalist
B. Utilitarian
C. Nationalist
D. Idealist
Answer: B. Utilitarian
Explanation: Macaulay’s approach was utilitarian, aiming for maximum utility by preparing Indians to assist in colonial governance.
13. How did Macaulay describe Indian literature in his Minute?
A. Enriching and spiritual
B. Superior in poetry
C. Worthy of preservation
D. Less valuable than a single shelf of European books
Answer: D. Less valuable than a single shelf of European books
Explanation: Macaulay claimed that a single shelf of Western literature was worth more than all Indian and Arabic writings combined.
14. What effect did Macaulay’s Minute have on higher education in India?
A. Boosted Sanskrit universities
B. Diminished colonial control
C. Shifted focus to English-medium higher education
D. Encouraged bilingual instruction
Answer: C. Shifted focus to English-medium higher education
Explanation: The policy centralized English as the language of higher learning, replacing earlier oriental education initiatives.
15. Why did Macaulay reject funding Sanskrit and Arabic colleges?
A. Budget constraints
B. Political opposition
C. Belief they were useless
D. Demand from Indian elites
Answer: C. Belief they were useless
Explanation: Macaulay argued that funding classical Indian education was a waste, as it lacked utility for modern governance and science.
16. Macaulay’s Minute was part of which broader colonial educational trend?
A. Islamic education reform
B. Orientalism
C. Anglicism
D. Vocational training movement
Answer: C. Anglicism
Explanation: The Anglicist-Orientalist debate culminated with the Anglicist victory, supported by Macaulay’s English-centered views.
17. What long-term impact did Macaulay’s policy have on Indian society?
A. Preservation of Indian heritage
B. Emergence of an English-educated elite
C. Decentralization of education
D. Universal education for women
Answer: B. Emergence of an English-educated elite
Explanation: Macaulay’s Minute led to the rise of a Westernized Indian elite, who often took administrative and clerical roles under British rule.
18. What was the Indian response to Macaulay’s Minute?
A. Complete rejection
B. Welcomed by reformers and elites
C. Accepted by religious heads
D. Ignored completely
Answer: B. Welcomed by reformers and elites
Explanation: Some Indian elites and reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy supported English education as a path to modernity.
19. Which colonial policy document superseded Macaulay’s approach with a more structured education plan?
A. Wood’s Despatch of 1854
B. Indian Education Act of 1904
C. Charter Act of 1793
D. Hunter Commission
Answer: A. Wood’s Despatch of 1854
Explanation: While Macaulay’s Minute laid the foundation, the Wood’s Despatch provided a more detailed framework for Indian education.
20. What was one criticism of Macaulay’s educational policy?
A. It promoted scientific thinking
B. It empowered rural masses
C. It ignored Indian culture and indigenous knowledge
D. It increased literacy across all classes
Answer: C. It ignored Indian culture and indigenous knowledge
Explanation: The policy devalued India’s rich educational heritage and imposed a foreign system, often criticized for promoting cultural alienation.
21. When was the General Committee of Public Instruction (GCPI) established in India?
A. 1813
B. 1823
C. 1835
D. 1854
Answer: B. 1823
Explanation: The GCPI was formed in 1823 to manage the British East India Company’s educational policies and expenditure in India.
22. The main purpose of the GCPI was to:
A. Promote industrial education
B. Manage and supervise public instruction in British India
C. Train Indian clerks for government jobs
D. Implement the Wood’s Despatch
Answer: B. Manage and supervise public instruction in British India
Explanation: The GCPI advised on the allocation of educational funds and curriculum decisions for Indian education.
23. The GCPI initially supported which type of education?
A. Western secular education
B. Technical education
C. Oriental education (Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic)
D. Vernacular education
Answer: C. Oriental education (Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic)
Explanation: The committee was dominated by Orientalists who wanted to promote traditional Indian learning.
24. Which Governor-General created the GCPI?
A. Lord William Bentinck
B. Lord Moira
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: B. Lord Moira
Explanation: Lord Moira, the Governor-General in 1823, approved the formation of the GCPI.
25. Who were the members of the GCPI?
A. Indian educators
B. British Orientalists and administrators
C. Missionary teachers
D. Zamindars
Answer: B. British Orientalists and administrators
Explanation: The committee consisted mainly of British officials with scholarly interest in Indian culture and languages.
26. What major debate took place within the GCPI?
A. Urban vs. rural education
B. Public vs. private funding
C. Orientalist vs. Anglicist approach
D. Primary vs. Secondary education
Answer: C. Orientalist vs. Anglicist approach
Explanation: The GCPI was divided between those who supported traditional Indian education (Orientalists) and those who advocated for English education (Anglicists).
27. Who represented the Anglicist viewpoint and challenged the GCPI’s Orientalist policy?
A. Raja Rammohan Roy
B. T.B. Macaulay
C. Charles Wood
D. William Jones
Answer: B. T.B. Macaulay
Explanation: Macaulay’s 1835 Minute strongly opposed Oriental education and supported English as the medium of instruction.
28. Macaulay’s Minute led to:
A. Strengthening of Oriental studies
B. Dissolution of the GCPI
C. Adoption of English education as state policy
D. Introduction of the Wardha Scheme
Answer: C. Adoption of English education as state policy
Explanation: Macaulay’s Minute reversed the Orientalist policy and laid the foundation for English-medium education.
29. What language did the Orientalists of the GCPI primarily want to promote?
A. French
B. English
C. Sanskrit and Persian
D. Hindi
Answer: C. Sanskrit and Persian
Explanation: Orientalists believed in preserving and promoting traditional Indian languages and literature.
30. What role did the GCPI play in the education grant of ₹1 lakh in 1813?
A. It implemented the grant
B. It opposed the grant
C. It was formed in response to the grant
D. It was dissolved because of the grant
Answer: C. It was formed in response to the grant
Explanation: After the Charter Act of 1813 set aside ₹1 lakh for education, the GCPI was created in 1823 to decide how to use these funds.
31. Which of the following best describes the GCPI’s educational outlook before 1835?
A. Liberal arts education in English
B. Mass literacy campaign
C. Classical education in Indian languages
D. Commercial and vocational training
Answer: C. Classical education in Indian languages
Explanation: The committee focused on promoting Indian classical texts and languages.
32. How did Macaulay criticize the Orientalist approach of the GCPI?
A. As being too expensive
B. As irrelevant and unscientific
C. As politically dangerous
D. As popular among Indians
Answer: B. As irrelevant and unscientific
Explanation: Macaulay believed that Indian classical literature lacked modern scientific and rational knowledge.
33. The GCPI functioned under which administrative body?
A. Indian National Congress
B. The Court of Directors of the East India Company
C. Governor-General’s Council
D. Supreme Court of Calcutta
Answer: C. Governor-General’s Council
Explanation: The GCPI was under the direct authority of the Governor-General’s Council in India.
34. After 1835, what was the fate of the GCPI?
A. Became stronger
B. Took charge of technical education
C. Lost influence to English educational policy
D. Transformed into UGC
Answer: C. Lost influence to English educational policy
Explanation: With the adoption of English-medium instruction, the GCPI’s original Orientalist vision became less relevant.
35. The GCPI opposed missionary interference in education because:
A. It wanted to promote Islam
B. It was strictly secular
C. It aimed to preserve Indian culture
D. It supported only vocational training
Answer: C. It aimed to preserve Indian culture
Explanation: Orientalists in the GCPI feared that missionaries would disrupt Indian traditions and religious harmony.
36. Who was a prominent Orientalist member of the GCPI?
A. T.B. Macaulay
B. William Bentinck
C. H.H. Wilson
D. Charles Wood
Answer: C. H.H. Wilson
Explanation: H.H. Wilson was a Sanskrit scholar and strong supporter of Oriental education within the GCPI.
37. Which act officially allocated funds for education, preceding the GCPI?
A. Charter Act of 1813
B. Indian Councils Act, 1861
C. Government of India Act, 1858
D. Wood’s Despatch
Answer: A. Charter Act of 1813
Explanation: The Act reserved ₹1 lakh for education, creating the need for a body like the GCPI to manage it.
38. What was one of the early functions of the GCPI?
A. Founding of universities
B. Setting up Sanskrit Colleges
C. Providing scholarships abroad
D. Promoting technical schools
Answer: B. Setting up Sanskrit Colleges
Explanation: The GCPI helped establish institutions like the Sanskrit College in Calcutta.
39. In which year did Macaulay submit his Minute that undermined GCPI’s original direction?
A. 1833
B. 1835
C. 1840
D. 1854
Answer: B. 1835
Explanation: Macaulay’s Minute was submitted in 1835, which led to a shift from Orientalist to Anglicist education.
40. Which phrase is most associated with Macaulay’s Minute and reflects the shift from GCPI’s orientation?
A. “Education for all”
B. “A class of persons, Indian in blood and colour…”
C. “Science is the basis of progress”
D. “Make education vocational”
Answer: B. “A class of persons, Indian in blood and colour…”
Explanation: Macaulay wanted to create a loyal group of Indians trained in English, which contrasted with the GCPI’s aim of cultural preservation.