Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Modern India: Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist movement

Question:

Read the passage and answer the questions:

The Making and Unmaking of the Non-Cooperation

During the Great War of 1914-18, the British had instituted censorship of the press and permitted detention without trial. Now, on the recommendation of a committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, these tough measures were continued. In response, Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the "Rowlatt Act". In towns across North and West India, life came to a standstill, as shops shut down and schools closed in response to the bandh call. The protests were particularly intense in the Punjab, where many men had served on the British side in the War - expecting to be rewarded for their service. Instead they were given the Rowlatt Act. Gandhiji was detained while proceeding to the Punjab. The situation in the province grew progressively more tense, reaching a bloody climax in Amritsar in 1919, when a British Brigadier ordered his troops to open fire on a nationalist meeting. More than four hundred people were killed in what is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was the Rowlatt satyagraha that made Gandhiji a truly national leader. Emboldened by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of "non-cooperation" with British rule. Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges and law courts, and not pay taxes. In sum, they were asked to adhere to a "renunciation of (all) voluntary association with the (British) Government". If non-cooperation was effectively carried out, said Gandhiji, India would win swaraj within a year. 

The main institutional feature of the 'Rowlatt Act' introduced by the British was:

Options:

Reward for Services

Censorship of Press

Bandh Call

Public Welfare

Correct Answer:

Censorship of Press

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) → Censorship of Press

The Rowlatt Act, based on the recommendations of Sir Sidney Rowlatt's committee, allowed the British government to continue wartime measures such as censorship of the press and detention without trial, even after the First World War had ended. This act was seen as repressive and triggered widespread protests led by Gandhiji.