POL India

Which of the following is true of the 1935 Government of India Act? A. It created a federal structure and decentralized control of crucial areas of the administration. B. It supported the establishment of the Indian National Congress (INC). C. It enabled the employment of Indian officers in the British army. D. It created three major universities at Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta. E. It allowed the colony complete autonomy in the administrative functions of law and order, agriculture, and local taxation.

A

Which of the following is true of the civilian control established over Indian military authorities after independence? A. Congress downgraded the army commander-in-chief from his previous cabinet-level status. B. Congress made sure that new units were open only to martial classes from the north and west that had dominated the Indian Army under the British. C. The order of precedence at state dinners was changed by the Congress to make sure that the generals came before the cabinet ministers, senior judges, and other important political leaders. D. Prime Minister Nehru declared that in matters of disagreement between the Army and the government, the decision taken by the Army would prevail. E. The martial classes form majority of the Indian army, and therefore, pose a threat to the stability of the country.

A

Which of the following is true with regard to federalism in India? A. The central government appoints a governor to each state which has an elected state assembly and sometimes also an upper house. B. The central government maintains the right to impose emergency Prime Minister's Rule. C. A centrally appointed governor is not given the right to dissolve the state government. D. The imposition of President's rule promotes the democratic and federal spirit of the Constitution. E. The President of India serves as the head of the government

A

Which of the following led the British rulers to adapt local law and order institutions in India, rather than demolishing the indigenous state that existed? A. The British East India Company wanted to easily and cheaply establish its own control and raise revenue. B. The British rulers wanted to primarily fulfill the interests of the local people in India. C. The British Empire in India began as one directed by the crown rather than an explicitly commercial and private enterprise. D. The British rulers believed in learning the ideals and practices of other nations. E. The British Empire in India was unable to make the local people cater to the needs of the British through cooperative or coercive means.

A

In the bicameral parliamentary system, the ________ is the lower house which is elected for a term of no more than five years. A. Rajya Sabha B. Lok Sabha C. House of the States D. Supreme Court E. Council of States

B

Which of the following caused a phenomenal economic change in India in the year 1991? A. establishment of new sectors such as computers and telecommunications B. a major balance of payments crisis C. building of heavy industries under state ownership D. regulation of state and private industries under License Raj E. attempts at liberalization

B

Which of the following explains the success of democracy in India? A. the Congress Party's decision to rely on the emergency clauses in the constitution to crush difference of opinions B. the willingness of the Congress Party to amend the 1950 Constitution and compromise when faced by regional and social opposition C. the absence of a written constitution gives the government in power a lot of freedom to implement radically democratic policies D. the use of a semi-presidential hybrid system enables India to ensure high visibility of smaller parties and their interests E. the establishment of policies that permit only the Central Government to control areas such as defense, foreign affairs, and currency

B

Which of the following is true of India as a country? A. India has been outperformed by Pakistan in terms of raising literacy rates. B. Unlike Pakistan, India refused the inheritance of the legal and governmental institutions established by the British. C. India is characterized by a tricameral parliamentary system. D. India's political institutions enjoy wide legitimacy among the population. E. India has a unicameral parliamentary system.

D

Which of the following holds true regarding the British rule in India in the multi-ethnic context? A. They established an ethnic group that combined elements of different groups and regions. B. They retained control of the Indians by pitting different groups and regions against each other. C. They strengthened the modernization and secularization efforts with the primary aim of alleviating poverty and caste discrimination in India. D. They promoted national identity by recruiting soldiers proportionately from all ethnic groups, states, and religions.

B

Which of the following is true of the Lok Sabha? A. The Lok Sabha does not have the power to initiate and amend the all-important money bills. B. Only a vote of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha can force the government to resign. C. The Lok Sabha has a third of members up for re-election every two years. D. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected indirectly for six years by the state assemblies and union territory assemblies. E. The members of the Lok Sabha are appointed by the staff of the Indian Administrative Service.

B

Which of the following was a boon of the development of a civil society in India, consisting of civic improvement organizations and forums? A. It helped to unify the country through a large-scale program of railway and road building. B. It helped in incorporating people from diverse linguistic and caste backgrounds. C. It helped the British colonial government in earning revenues from a government salt tax monopoly. D. It helped the British government in abolishing authority of the East India Company. E. It resulted in the establishment of the Supreme Court.

B

Which of the following was a characteristic of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's regime? A. reduction in taxation and military expenditure B. increased centralization C. development of extensive irrigation and communication systems D. creation of a modern postal system E. increased secularization between Hindus and Muslims

B

Which of the following was a notable event that occurred in India in August 1947? A. The British government helped the Indian Hindus and Muslims unite together. B. The British government granted India its independence. C. The British government succeeded in uniting Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan into one nation. D. India began its first rebellion against its British colonizers. E. India suffered civil war and the resulting secession of half the country as the new country of Bangladesh.

B

Which of the following holds true regarding castes in India? A. Caste system primarily influences the roles and activities of individuals within their families, rather than in the larger society. B. The caste system is constant across India and reflects no local and regional variations. C. Caste plays a role in people's employment chances and in their political preferences D. Caste system continues to impact Indians and almost all Indians still practice their traditional occupations. E. Higher education and reserved government jobs are not affected by caste discrimination.

C

Which of the following holds true regarding the British rule in India? A. The British rule got rid of Indian law and order institutions, and introduced collection practices for tax and land. B. The Indians had a very small role in staffing the colonial administration in India compared to local people in many other colonized areas. C. The British relied on pre-existing state-building capacity and local practices more than most empires. D. The British Empire in India began as one directed by the crown rather than an explicitly commercial and private enterprise. E. The British Empire in India created no new institutions and introduced no technological advancements like it did in the other colonies.

C

Which of the following is true regarding the religious composition and status of the population in India? A. India is primarily a Hindu nation no representation of the other world religions in its population. B. Indian religious strains are restricted to Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. C. India houses the world's last significant community of Zoroastrians, members of an ancient religion originating in Iran. D. India has witnessed even more Hindu-Muslim strife in the modern times than it witnessed in the colonial times. E. India banned all government discrimination on the basis of religion only recently.

C

Which of the following was a consequence of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's regime? A. creation of modern institutions B. reduced taxes C. spread of internal rebellions D. reduced military expenditure E. spread of secularization

C

As per the Indian Constitution, the ________ of India is the constitutional head of the state. A. Prime Minister B. Chief Minister C. general D. President E. monarch

D

Farmers in India are granted many subsidies and exempted from many taxes by the government. Which of the following explains the reason for the steps taken by the government to provide benefits? A. As farmers are not entitled to pensions, they are given benefits by the government. B. The government was forced by the initiators of the Green Revolution to grant subsidies to farmers. C. As a majority of the Indian population relies on agriculture, the government has taken steps to provide benefits to farmers. D. Farmers are an effective pressure group in Indian politics and their huge political influence helps them win a number of concessions. E. The establishment of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) resulted in the provision of benefits by the government.

D

Which of the following is true of the British Empire in India? A. The British Empire in India began as one directed by the crown rather than an explicitly commercial and private enterprise. B. The British employed only Europeans in the colony in order to safeguard their rule. C. The British rule demolished indigenous Indian law and order institutions, land, and tax collection practices. D. The British approach to colonial rule in India resulted in an Indian government largely run by a well-educated and indigenous elite and middle class. E. The British Empire lacked the ability of the Mughal Empire to tax land which left them unable to raise the money to assemble effective armies against its strongest rival Indian state, the Maratha Confederacy.

D

Which of the following is true of the Rajya Sabha? A. The Rajya Sabha is a lower house. B. The Rajya Sabha has more power than the Lok Sabha. C. The Rajya Sabha has the power to send all-important money bills with amendments to the Lok Sabha. D. The Rajya Sabha has a third of members up for re-election every two years. E. The President nominates all the members of the Rajya Sabha on the basis of recommendations from the assemblies of the state and union territories.

D

Which of the following is true regarding the institutions of India? A. India has a monarch as the constitutional head of state. B. The Chief Minister is a state's constitutional head of state. C. The governor is the head of a state's government. D. The central government maintains the right to impose emergency President's Rule. E. The presidential electoral system is applied in India under which the Prime Minister has a symbolic role.

D

Which of the following is true with regard to the legacy of British colonialism in India? A. The British made religion an illegitimate political identity in India. B. The British recruited soldiers from all ethnic groups in order to maintain a deep ethnic balance. C. The British encouraged Muslims and Hindus to build strong and secular states so ethnic imbalances may be controlled. D. The British created separate representation for Muslims in new provincial councils. E. The British discouraged the use of the divide and rule policy used by the indigenous leaders in India.

D

Which of the following emergency clauses in the Indian Constitution give the central government the right to suspend state governments and administer states in case of financial or security emergencies? A. Prime Minister's rule B. Chief Minister's rule C. Home Minister's rule D. monarch's rule E. President's rule

E

Which of the following explains the reason for the reduction of Hindu-Muslim strife in India as it had in the colonial period? A. the view of religion as a legitimate identity in politics made by the British colonial empire B. the inability of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to head the nation C. the establishment of alliances such as the UPA alliance headed by Congress and the NDA backed by the BJP D. the establishment of the central Election Commission that is charged with ensuring clean and fair elections E. the view of religion as an illegitimate political identity made by Nehru and other leaders

E

Which of the following is true of the Lok Sabha? A. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected for a term of ten years. B. The Lok Sabha is an upper house. C. The Lok Sabha is also known as the House of the States. D. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected indirectly for six years by the state assemblies and union territory assemblies. E. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected through single-member plurality districts.

E

Which of the following is true regarding the judicial system in India? A. The 28 justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Prime Minister of India. B. Parliament has the most important role in the initial appointment of the justices of the Supreme Court. C. The Supreme Court has provided the central government complete autonomy to interfere with India's federal structure. D. Parliament does not have the authority to remove the justices of the Supreme Court. E. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is appointed directly by the president of India.

E

Which of the following was a characteristic of the Mughal Empire before Aurangzeb's regime? A. peaceful administration marked by few military campaigns B. lack of systematic accounting and administration in the kingdom C. introduction of poll tax on non-Muslims D. creation of a modern postal system E. inclusion of some Hindus in the state's elite

E

Which of the following was achieved by the British in India? A. The British succeeded in leading Indians to make salt independently from seawater. B. The British succeeded in preventing religious conflicts among Indians. C. The British made religion as an illegitimate identity in politics. D. The British government faced no rebellions by the Indians until the 1940s. E. The British unified the country through a large-scale government-backed program of railway and road building.

E

Which of the following was an outstanding outcome of the revenues collected by the Mughal Empire? A. creation of a postal system B. development of organized trade and commerce C. creation of modern communications and irrigation systems D. eradication of poverty E. creation of architectural monuments

E

The British Empire in India began as one directed by the crown, rather than an explicitly commercial and private enterprise.

False

The Indians had a smaller role in staffing the colonial administration in India than did local people in many other colonized areas.

False

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb removed the law of poll tax upon non-Muslims that emphasized a more narrowly Islamic view of the Mughal state, in contrast to previous rulers.

False

The new Indian Constitution of 1950 failed to outlaw government discrimination on the basis of religion.

False

A centrally appointed governor typically acts on the direct instructions of the prime minister and ruling party in Delhi.

True

Illiteracy was not a huge obstacle to democracy in India as the state made efforts to reach out to illiterate and poor voters, such as putting party symbols as well as words on ballots.

True

The 1935 Government of India Act was the last and most substantial decentralization of power by the British administration before Indian independence.

True

The British government granted India its independence by splitting its vast colony people into two new states: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

True

The British had encouraged Muslim-Hindu divisions to undercut opposition to their rule

True

The Green Revolution helped Indian farmers adopt new high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat and more modern methods of production.

True