SSC
The Defence of India Act, which gave the government wide powers of arrest and detention during the First World War, was enacted in:
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Answer: Option B — 1915
Detailed Solution
The Defence of India Act, also known as the Defence of India (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, was enacted in March 1915, during the First World War.
About the Act:
- It was an emergency law meant to protect the British government in India during the war.
- It gave the government wide powers to arrest and detain people without trial, on suspicion of revolutionary or anti-government activities.
- It allowed special tribunals to try cases, with no right of appeal in many cases.
- It restricted the movement of people, the publication of newspapers, and public meetings.
Why it was passed:
- During the war, the British feared revolutionary activities in India, especially by the Ghadar Party, which tried to start an armed uprising among Indian soldiers with German help.
- There were also fears of revolutionary activities in Bengal and Punjab.
Its use:
- The Act was used to crush the Ghadar movement; many Ghadarites were tried in the Lahore conspiracy cases, and many were hanged or transported for life.
- It was also used against other nationalist leaders and revolutionaries.
- Annie Besant was detained under similar powers in 1917, which made the Home Rule movement even more popular.
After the war:
- The Act was due to expire after the war.
- To continue these powers in peacetime, the government passed the Rowlatt Act in 1919, which caused widespread protests.
Similar laws:
- The Defence of India Act was revived during the Second World War (1939), and was used against Congress leaders during the Quit India Movement.
- In independent India, the Defence of India Act (1962) was passed during the war with China.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1910 was the year of the Indian Press Act.
- ✗1919 was the year of the Rowlatt Act.
- ✗1935 was the year of the Government of India Act.
Quick tip
Remember: Defence of India Act = 1915 (First World War; used against the Ghadar movement; Lahore conspiracy cases); its powers were continued by the Rowlatt Act (1919).
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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.