How many of the following statements about the people’s communes of C…

How many of the following statements about the people’s communes of China are correct?

(A) They were the highest of the three administrative levels in rural areas.
(B) They existed from 1958 until 1982-85.
(C) They were divided into township and village enterprises.
(D) They had governmental, political and economic functions.
(E) Under the commune system, people collectively cultivated lands.

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Four

Communes were large collective units in rural China. Check each statement:

(A) They were the highest of the three administrative levels in rural areas. — Correct. Communes were the highest of the three levels.

(B) They existed from 1958 until 1982-85. — Correct. They lasted from 1958 to 1982-85, when townships replaced them.

(C) They were divided into township and village enterprises. — Incorrect. Communes were divided into production brigades and production teams. Township and village enterprises were firms run by local collectives under the later reforms.

(D) They had governmental, political and economic functions. — Correct. Communes did all three kinds of work.

(E) Under the commune system, people collectively cultivated lands. — Correct. People farmed the land together.

NCERT (2026-27): Glossary: “Communes – Known as people’s communes, or renmin gongshe in China, were formerly the highest of three administrative levels in rural areas in the period from 1958 to 1982-85, when they were replaced by townships. Communes, the largest collective units, were divided in turn into production brigades and production teams. The communes had governmental, political, and economic functions.”

“8.2 Developmental Path—a Snapshot View … The Great Leap Forward (GLF) campaign initiated in 1958 aimed at industrialising the country on a massive scale. People were encouraged to set up industries in their backyards. In rural areas, communes were started. Under the Commune system, people collectively cultivated lands. In 1958, there were 26,000 communes covering almost all the farm population. …”