SSC
Who is known as the 'Father of Civil Services in India'?
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Answer: Option A — Lord Cornwallis
Detailed Solution
Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) was the Governor-General of Bengal from 1786 to 1793 (and briefly again in 1805). Before coming to India, he had commanded British forces in the American War of Independence, where he surrendered at Yorktown in 1781.
Cornwallis is called the "Father of Civil Services in India" because he reorganised and modernised the Company's administration. When he arrived, many Company servants were corrupt and engaged in private trade, because their salaries were low. Cornwallis:
Strictly enforced the rules against private trade and against accepting presents and bribes.
Raised the salaries of Company servants substantially, so they would not need to be corrupt.
Introduced the principle of promotion by seniority.
Created the "covenanted civil services", which were reserved for Europeans; Indians were excluded from higher posts.
He also introduced other major reforms, collectively known as the Cornwallis Code (1793):
- Permanent Settlement (1793) of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, under which zamindars became owners of land and paid a fixed land revenue to the Company forever.
- Separation of revenue administration from the administration of justice; District Judges were appointed, and the Collector looked after revenue.
- Reorganisation of the police, with districts divided into thanas under daroghas.
- Cornwallis also fought the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92) against Tipu Sultan, which ended with the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792), in which Tipu lost half his territory.
Later, Lord Wellesley set up the Fort William College in Calcutta (1800) to train civil servants. In 1853, the Charter Act introduced open competition for the civil services, and the first examinations were held in London in 1855. Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service, in 1863.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lord Wellesley is known for the Subsidiary Alliance system.
- ✗Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal.
- ✗Lord William Bentinck abolished sati (1829).
Quick tip
Remember: Cornwallis = Father of Civil Services, Permanent Settlement (1793), Cornwallis Code and the Third Anglo-Mysore War; first Indian ICS = Satyendranath Tagore (1863).
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Governors-General & Viceroys — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Governors-General & Viceroys, 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 Governors of Bengal, the Governors-General and the Viceroys of India from Warren Hastings to Lord Mountbatten, and the major reforms, policies, acts and events of each tenure. Questions almost always link a Governor-General or Viceroy to an event or reform: the Permanent Settlement under Cornwallis, the abolition of sati under William Bentinck, the doctrine of lapse under Dalhousie, the partition of Bengal under Curzon, and the Vernacular Press Act under Lytton. Revise the list in chronological order, with one or two key events for each. Practise the Governors-General and Viceroys 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.