Question 54 from UPSC CSE 2023 - Modern History

Question

By which one of the following Acts was the Governor General of Bengal designated as the Governor General of India?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. The Charter Act of 1833

Strategy: Focus on the phrase 'Governor General of Bengal designated as the Governor General of India.' The Charter Act of 1833 is the only act that made this definitive transition. Other acts (Regulating Act, Pitt's India Act, Charter Act of 1793) did not create the post of Governor General of India; they were either earlier or did not centralize power in this way. Identifying the timing and function of each act rules out all alternatives.

Key Info: The Charter Act of 1833 marked a significant phase in British Indian administration. It redesignated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India, centralizing authority previously distributed among various presidencies.

This act conferred upon the Governor-General all civil and military powers for the British territories in India, signaling full legislative centralization. Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India under this act. The Charter Act of 1833 also stripped the Governors of Bombay and Madras of independent legislative powers, further consolidating authority in the hands of the Governor-General of India.

Previous acts, such as the Regulating Act (1773), had created the post of Governor-General of Bengal. Pitt's India Act (1784) established dual control frameworks, but neither created the post of Governor-General of India. The Charter Act of 1793 made minor administrative changes but did not alter the central executive hierarchy.

The Charter Act of 1833 represents the culmination of administrative centralization and the establishment of a unified Government of India under the East India Company.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: The Regulating Act

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: The Pitt's India Act

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: The Charter Act of 1793