Part of the General Studies-I question bank for OPSC (OAS) Mains.
A comprehensive, topic-wise practice set of 12 questions on Colonial Economy & Deindustrialization for OPSC (OAS) Mains General Studies-I. 6 of them have been set in an actual paper — the years and exams are printed against each (2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2015, 2006). The rest are practice questions on the same syllabus points.
Previous year questions
| No. | Question | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | How far was the Industrial Revolution in England responsible for the decline of handicrafts and cottage industries in India? | UPSC Mains GS-I 2024 15 marks |
| 2 | Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-eighteenth century? Give reasons. | UPSC Mains GS-I 2023 10 marks |
| 3 | What were the causes and consequences of the Odisha Famine of 1866? Discuss in the light of the following: /a/ British policy of forcibly extracting agricultural revenue. /b/ The heavy dependence of agriculture in India on forces of nature. | OPSC OAS Mains 2022 20 marks |
| 4 | Give a brief account of the industrial and agricultural policy of the Government of India between 1858 and 1914. | OPSC OAS Mains 2019 10 marks |
| 5 | What is 'Drain of Wealth' and what were its effects? | OPSC OAS Mains 2015 10 marks |
| 6 | "Economic policy of the British proved fatal to Indian handicrafts." Comment. | OPSC OAS Mains 2006 GS Paper-I Q.2(b) · 10 marks |
Practice questions
| No. | Question | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Trace the reason for the decline of the indigenous handicraft industry in the midst of the 18th Century. | — |
| 8 | Trace the development of land revenue policies within the context of British colonial rule in India. | — |
| 9 | Enumerate the reasons which led to the introduction of the Permanent Settlement system. Discuss how this system fundamentally altered social hierarchies in India. | — |
| 10 | The wealth and profit accumulated by Britishers from the industrial revolution activities is invested in ushering Indian industry to make India to serve the long-term self-interest of EIC or British Empire. Explicate. | — |
| 11 | Scrutinize the intricate dynamics of British economic policies in pre-independent India, conducting an analysis to ascertain whether these policies were predominantly motivated by imperial exploitation or driven by developmental intentions. | — |
| 12 | Analyse the revenue administration policies implemented by the British in India and their far-reaching impact on Indian society. | — |