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Pitt's India Act was passed in the year:
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Answer: Option D — 1784
Detailed Solution
Pitt's India Act, officially the East India Company Act, 1784, was passed by the British Parliament when William Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister. It was meant to correct the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773 and to bring the East India Company's Indian affairs firmly under the control of the British government.
The main feature of the Act was a system of dual control, or double government:
The Court of Directors of the Company continued to manage its commercial affairs.
A new body, the Board of Control, was created to supervise and control the political affairs, that is, the civil, military and revenue administration of the Company's territories in India. The Board had six members, including a Secretary of State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
For the first time, the Company's territories in India were called "British possessions in India". The Governor-General's council was reduced to three members, and the Bombay and Madras Presidencies were brought more firmly under the control of the Governor-General of Bengal.
The dual system of government set up by this Act continued until 1858. After the Revolt of 1857, the Government of India Act, 1858 abolished both the Court of Directors and the Board of Control and transferred the government of India directly to the British Crown. Their powers were given to a Secretary of State for India, assisted by the Council of India.
In 1786, an amending Act gave the Governor-General the power to override his council in special cases; Lord Cornwallis insisted on this power before accepting the post.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1773 is the year of the Regulating Act.
- ✗1793 is the year of the Charter Act that renewed the Company's charter, and of the Permanent Settlement of Bengal.
- ✗1813 is the year of the Charter Act that ended the Company's trade monopoly in India, except for tea and trade with China.
Quick tip
Remember: Pitt's India Act 1784 = Board of Control, dual government (until 1858) and "British possessions in India". Regulating Act = 1773.
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British Acts & Policies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of British Acts & Policies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the constitutional and administrative acts passed during British rule, from the Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt's India Act of 1784 to the Charter Acts, the Indian Councils Acts, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act of 1947, along with British economic, land revenue and education policies. Exam questions usually ask what a particular act introduced: the Indian Councils Act 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims, the Government of India Act 1919 brought dyarchy to the provinces, and the 1935 Act provided for a federation and provincial autonomy. Land revenue systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari and Mahalwari) and education milestones such as Wood's Despatch (1854) are also tested. Practise the British acts and policies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.