Indian Writing in English and Development

Correct Answer: 2. Charles Grant

Detailed Explanation:

Charles Grant (1746–1823) was a Scottish official with the British East India Company and a strong advocate of introducing Western education and Christian values in colonial India. In 1792, he authored a document titled:

"Observations on the State of Society among the Asiatic Subjects of Great Britain, particularly with respect to Morals, and on the Means of Improving it."

This influential report is considered the first formal blueprint for promoting English education in India, even before Macaulay’s infamous Minute on Indian Education (1835). Grant argued that moral and spiritual reform in India could be achieved through Christian missionary education and the English language. Though he cloaked his plan in moralistic tones, it was clearly designed to impose European cultural values.

His ideas later influenced the Charter Act of 1813, which allowed Christian missionaries to enter India and laid early groundwork for English-medium education.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. William Carey –

A missionary who arrived in India in 1793, Carey promoted vernacular education and Bible translation, but did not prepare the first blueprint for English education.

3. Lord Minto –

Governor-General of India (1807–1813), Minto did encourage education and oriental studies, but the structured push for English education came later, under Lord Macaulay and others.

4. William Pitt –

As the British Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger was involved in administrative reforms (e.g., Pitt’s India Act of 1784) but had no direct role in framing educational blueprints for India.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question is important for understanding the historical foundation of English education in colonial India, a key area in postcolonial literary studies. For UGC NET English aspirants, knowing figures like Charles Grant helps contextualize how language, power, and pedagogy intersected in colonial policy. His blueprint is a precursor to the more widely discussed Macaulay's Minute and is often cited in postcolonial theory to trace the ideological roots of Anglicized education systems in India.

Correct Answer: 3. William Bentinck

Detailed Explanation:

Lord William Bentinck (Governor-General of India from 1828 to 1835) played a pivotal role in the introduction of English education in India. He wrote to the Committee of Public Instruction supporting the promotion of English as the medium of instruction and as the official language of governance and education.

This move led to the creation of Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education (1835), which aligned with Bentinck’s views. Based on Macaulay's recommendations, Bentinck issued the English Education Act of 1835, officially promoting:

English over Persian as the administrative language,

Western literature and science over traditional Indian knowledge systems,

A policy of creating a class of Indians “Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste.”





Though Thomas Babington Macaulay penned the Minute, Bentinck authorized and implemented the language shift at a policy level.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Robert Clive –

Clive established early British political control in India (Battle of Plassey, 1757) but had no role in educational reform or language policy.

2. Warren Hastings –

Governor-General before Bentinck (1773–1785), Hastings supported Orientalist approaches and vernacular education, not English-medium instruction.

4. Zachary Macaulay –

Father of Thomas Babington Macaulay, Zachary was a British anti-slavery campaigner and had no direct role in Indian education policy.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question directly links to the colonial educational policy and is highly relevant for UGC NET English, especially within postcolonial studies, language policy, and the history of English education in India. Lord William Bentinck's role in institutionalizing English as the official medium of instruction marks a turning point in the formation of colonial discourse, which later influenced the rise of Indian Writing in English and debates on linguistic imperialism. Recognizing key historical figures and policy shifts deepens your understanding of how literature and power intersect in colonial contexts.

Correct Answer: 4. centralize school education under a Director-General of Education.

Detailed Explanation:

Lord Curzon, who served as the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905, implemented sweeping educational reforms based on the findings of the Indian Universities Commission of 1902. These recommendations culminated in the Indian Universities Act of 1904, which had the primary aim of centralizing and tightening state control over higher education in India.

One of the key measures was the creation of the post of a Director-General of Education, which brought school and university education under central administrative oversight. The Act:

Reduced the autonomy of universities.

Gave the government control over university senates and finances.

Imposed stricter affiliation standards for colleges.

Regulated curricula and examinations.





Curzon believed Indian universities had become politically influenced and lacked discipline, hence this top-down model of administration was intended to restore “order and efficiency” but was widely criticized for its authoritarian and colonialist approach.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Decentralize school education – Curzon’s reforms did the opposite: they centralized education by consolidating authority under the government.

2. Give representation to Indians in policymaking – While some Indians served in educational bodies, the 1904 Act restricted Indian representation and increased British governmental control, causing nationalist backlash.

3. Withdraw Indian Universities Act of 1904 – On the contrary, Lord Curzon introduced and enforced the Act, not withdrew it.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question reflects the intersection of colonial policy and the development of modern education in India, an essential area of study in UGC NET English, particularly under postcolonial theory and cultural studies. Understanding how figures like Lord Curzon used education as a tool of imperial control helps explain the roots of institutional and linguistic dominance that shaped Indian literary and intellectual traditions. These historical shifts also laid the groundwork for English becoming the primary medium of higher education, influencing generations of Indian writers, educators, and reformers.

Correct Answer: 2. 18

Detailed Explanation:

:

According to the 1991 Census of India, 18 languages were officially recognized as Scheduled Languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution at that time.

These 18 languages included:

Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Sindhi (added in 1967), Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali (the last three added via the 71st Constitutional Amendment in 1992, reflected in the 1991 census data).

The term "Scheduled Languages" refers to the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. These languages receive official recognition and are used in education, administration, and cultural promotion.

❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. 17 – This number was accurate before Sindhi was added in 1967 to the Eighth Schedule, but by 1991, 18 languages were officially listed.

3. 20 – India never officially had 20 Scheduled Languages at any recorded point. This number is inaccurate for any census year.

4. 22 – This reflects the current total after the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003, which added Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, and Dogri, but this change came after the 1991 Census.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question highlights the importance of understanding constitutional, linguistic, and cultural policy in India, particularly how it relates to language planning and politics. For UGC NET English aspirants, awareness of Scheduled Languages is crucial for tackling questions in Language and Linguistics, English in India, and Multilingualism. The changing number of Scheduled Languages over time also reflects India's evolving linguistic diversity, making it a significant topic for both objective and analytical components of the exam.

Correct Answer: 1. Rabindranath Tagore

Detailed Explanation:

Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate poet and philosopher, described Raja Rammohun Roy as “the inauguration of the modern age in India.” Tagore recognized Roy's role as a pioneer of social reform, modern education, rational thinking, and religious liberalism in colonial India.

Rammohun Roy (1772–1833), often regarded as the “Father of the Indian Renaissance,” was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against social evils like sati, polygamy, child marriage, and caste discrimination. He promoted English education, scientific learning, and interfaith dialogue, making him a foundational figure in the shaping of modern Indian consciousness.

Tagore’s tribute reflects the continuity of modern thought in Bengal and beyond, bridging enlightenment rationalism and Indian cultural revival.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

2. Cavelly Venkata Boriah – An early Indian writer who documented South Indian customs, but not known for any significant commentary on Raja Rammohun Roy.

3. Mahatma Gandhi – While Gandhi admired Roy’s reformist spirit, he did not coin or popularize the specific phrase identifying Roy with the "inauguration of the modern age in India."

4. Jyotiba Phule – A major social reformer from Maharashtra who worked against caste oppression and for women's rights, but his work and writings focused more on the non-Brahmin movement and did not involve this particular attribution to Roy.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question bridges literary, historical, and cultural awareness, key components in the UGC NET English syllabus. Recognizing Raja Rammohun Roy’s influence as the harbinger of modernity and Tagore’s acknowledgment of this legacy helps connect Indian Renaissance thought with the rise of reformist and nationalist literature. Such intertextual references are vital for exam preparation, especially in areas like Indian Writing in English, Cultural Studies, and Modern Indian Thought, all of which frequently feature in both objective questions and essay-based answers.