UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 33
Consider the following assertion:
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
- Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
- Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
- Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below:
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Correct Option: D
Explanation: The 1919 constitutional reforms extended communal representation through separate electorates, reinforcing political organisation around group identities.
Statement-wise Analysis:
Statement 1: Correct - The reforms retained and enlarged separate-electorate arrangements.
Statement 2: Correct - Separate electorates were used as a colonial counterweight to increasingly assertive Indian nationalism.
Statement 3: Correct - Group-based electoral entitlements encouraged some disadvantaged/community groups to seek protected political representation.
Option-wise Analysis:
A: Incorrect - Omits supported item(s) 2, 3.
B: Incorrect - Omits supported item(s) 1.
C: Incorrect - Omits supported item(s) 3.
D: Correct - This option includes the supported item(s) and excludes the unsupported ones.
Review note: Nuance: political motivations of “deprived classes” were varied; separate electorates were not a universal electoral entitlement for them in 1919.