Question

British Policy Development and Contributions (Education, Health, Social Welfare, and Others)

1. Education:

• Charter Act of 1813: Allowed Christian missionaries to spread education and granted Rs. 1 lakh for education.
• Macaulay’s Minute (1835): Introduced English as the medium of education.
• Wood’s Despatch (1854): Blueprint for modern education in India; emphasized vernacular languages at the primary level, English at higher levels, and establishment of universities in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.
• Hunter Commission (1882): Focused on primary education and called for the improvement of women’s education.
• Indian Universities Act (1904): Gave more control to the British government over Indian universities.
• Sadler Commission (1917-1919): Recommended reforms in secondary and university education.

2. Health:

• Vaccine Introduction (1802): Smallpox vaccine introduced by the British government in India.
• Public Health Act of 1885: First public health initiatives, sanitation and disease control measures.
• Plague Commission (1898): Set up to investigate and control the plague epidemic.
• Bhore Committee (1946): Recommended the establishment of a primary health care system and public health initiatives.

3. Social Welfare:

• Abolition of Sati (1829): Lord William Bentinck, with the support of reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, abolished the practice of Sati.
• Widow Remarriage Act (1856): Legalized widow remarriage under Lord Dalhousie’s tenure.
• Age of Consent Act (1891): Raised the age of consent for marriage to prevent child marriage.
• Female Infanticide Prevention Act (1870): Aimed at eradicating the practice of female infanticide.
• Child Marriage Restraint Act (1929): Also known as the Sarda Act, it aimed to curb child marriage.

4. Agricultural Policies:

• Permanent Settlement (1793): Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, creating a system of zamindars and fixed land revenue.
• Ryotwari System: Introduced in Madras by Thomas Munro, focused on direct settlement with cultivators.
• Mahalwari System: Introduced in Punjab, aimed at collective land revenue settlements with village communities.

5. Industrial and Trade Policies:

• Railway Development: Railways introduced in 1853 for trade, administrative control, and military movement.
• Factories Act (1881, 1891): Enacted to improve the working conditions in factories.
• De-industrialization: Policies led to the decline of traditional industries like textiles due to the imposition of British goods.

6. Political and Administrative Reforms:

• Pitt's India Act (1784): Established British control over the East India Company and brought Indian administration under British government oversight.
• Indian Councils Act (1861, 1892): Expanded participation of Indians in the legislative process.
• Government of India Act (1919): Introduced the dyarchy system, dividing powers between central and provincial governments.
• Government of India Act (1935): Established provincial autonomy and introduced the federal structure for India.

7. Judicial Reforms:

• Cornwallis Code (1793): Introduced a more structured judicial system in India.
• Indian Penal Code (1860): Framed by Lord Macaulay, it remains the foundation of criminal law in India.
• Criminal Procedure Code (1861): Regulated the judicial and legal processes in India.

8. Labour and Industrial Welfare:

• Indian Factory Act (1881, 1891): Improved the working conditions of laborers in factories.
• Trade Union Act (1926): Legalized trade unions in India.

9. Women’s Welfare:

• Abolition of Devadasi System (1929): Targeted the social evil of devadasis, who were dedicated to temples and exploited.
• Female Education Initiatives: Promoted through the Hunter Commission and various missionary efforts.

10. Economic Policies:

• Drain of Wealth Theory: British policies that led to the economic exploitation of India, transferring resources to Britain.
• Famine Commissions: Several commissions formed after recurring famines, like the Famine Commission of 1880, to introduce famine relief measures.
• Irrigation Policies: Development of irrigation systems, such as the canals in Punjab, for agricultural expansion.

Answer 1

List of British Policy Developments and Contributions

1. Charter Act of 1813
2. Macaulay’s Minute (1835)
3. Wood’s Despatch (1854)
4. Hunter Commission (1882)
5. Indian Universities Act (1904)
6. Sadler Commission (1917-1919)
7. Vaccine Introduction (1802)
8. Public Health Act of 1885
9. Plague Commission (1898)
10. Bhore Committee (1946)
11. Abolition of Sati (1829)
12. Widow Remarriage Act (1856)
13. Age of Consent Act (1891)
14. Female Infanticide Prevention Act (1870)
15. Child Marriage Restraint Act (1929)
16. Permanent Settlement (1793)
17. Ryotwari System
18. Mahalwari System
19. Railway Development (1853)
20. Factories Act (1881, 1891)
21. Pitt's India Act (1784)
22. Indian Councils Act (1861, 1892)
23. Government of India Act (1919)
24. Government of India Act (1935)
25. Cornwallis Code (1793)
26. Indian Penal Code (1860)
27. Criminal Procedure Code (1861)
28. Indian Factory Act (1881, 1891)
29. Trade Union Act (1926)
30. Abolition of Devadasi System (1929)
31. Drain of Wealth Theory
32. Famine Commissions (1880 onwards)
33. Irrigation Policies