SSC
Sir Charles Wood's Despatch of 1854 was related to:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Education
Detailed Solution
Sir Charles Wood's Despatch of 1854, sent by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control, to the Government of India, was a comprehensive plan for education in India.
About Wood's Despatch:
It is often called the "Magna Carta of English Education in India".
Its main recommendations:
- The government should take responsibility for the education of the masses.
- A department of education (Department of Public Instruction) should be set up in each province.
- Universities should be set up in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, on the model of the University of London.
- A graded system of schools should be set up: primary schools in villages, Anglo-vernacular high schools and colleges in district towns, and universities at the top.
- English should be the medium of higher education, while the vernacular (Indian) languages should be used at the school level.
- A system of grants-in-aid should be introduced, to encourage private schools.
- Teacher training institutions should be set up.
- Women's education should be encouraged.
- Vocational and technical education should be promoted.
NCERT on Wood's Despatch:
- NCERT notes that Wood's Despatch emphasised the practical benefits of a system of European learning, as opposed to Oriental knowledge.
- It argued that European learning would enable Indians to recognise the advantages of the expansion of trade and commerce, and make them see the importance of developing the resources of the country.
- It also argued that education would improve the moral character of Indians, and make them truthful and honest, and so supply the Company with civil servants who could be trusted.
Results:
Following the Despatch, education departments were set up, and the universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were established in 1857.
Later developments:
Later commissions reviewed the progress of education, and later laws reorganised the universities.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Railways, land revenue and civil services were dealt with by other measures.
Quick tip
Remember: Wood's Despatch (1854) = education ("Magna Carta of English Education in India"; universities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras in 1857; grants-in-aid; vernacular at school level).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore British Acts & Policies Questions
View all ›- Q1.Under the Regulating Act of 1773, the Supreme Court was established at:
- Q2.Pitt's India Act was passed in the year:
- Q3.The Government of India Act, 1935 came into effect (for the provinces) in:
- Q4.The English Education Act of 1835 made English the medium of instruction for:
- Q5.The Vernacular Press Act and the Arms Act, both of 1878, were passed during the time of:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.