UPSC Mains Answer Practice GS 1: Macaulay’s vision for English education in India and States Reorganisation Commission | Week 129

QUESTION 2

Discuss the role of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) in shaping India’s federal structure.

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: Discuss how Macaulay’s vision for English education in India contributed to the creation of a new social class.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Macaulay was appointed as the Law Member to the First Law Commission of India in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833, and he was tasked with codifying Indian laws, including drafting the Indian Penal Code. Macaulay completed the draft of the IPC in 1837, which came into force in 1862.

— When Macaulay arrived in India, the General Committee of Public Instruction—a body to oversee education policies and funds in colonial India—was deadlocked between two factions, the Orientalists and the Anglicists. The Anglicists supported European ideas and English education and were opposed to the practice of Oriental learning. They sought to curtail stipends for students of Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic, and to reduce expenditure on publishing works in these languages. The Orientalists, by contrast, favoured Indian language and literature.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— In The Story of English in India (2006), N. Krishnaswamy and Lalitha Krishnaswamy note: “William Bentinck (governor-general of India) solved the problem by appointing Macaulay, Law Member of the Council, President of the Committee of Public Instruction.”

— As a law member, Macaulay championed press freedom and the removal of privileges enjoyed by British settlers who could appeal to the Supreme Court at Calcutta. “The Charter Act also established a law commission, and he was appointed its chairman. It is in this position that he embarked on consolidating and codifying the criminal laws of India.” As a result, a Civil Procedure Code (1859), the Indian Penal Code (1860), and a Criminal Procedure Code (1861) were prepared.

— This appointment paved the way for Macaulay’s Minute of 2 February 1835, often called the ‘Manifesto of English Education in India’. In it, Macaulay said: “We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern—a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. To that class we may leave it to redefine the vernacular dialects in the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed from Western nomenclature…”.

— Soon after, the government adopted English as the medium of instruction in schools and colleges. It established a handful of English institutions rather than a large number of elementary schools, effectively neglecting mass education.

Conclusion:

— Recently, the Indian Prime Minister set a 10-year timeline to reverse the legacy of what will soon be the 200th year of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s campaign.

(Source: From IPC to ‘Manifesto of English Education in India’: The colonial legacy of Thomas Macaulay)

Points to Ponder

Read about Macaulay’s Minute

Read about Wood’s dispatch

Related Previous Year Question

How far was the Industrial Revolution in England responsible for the decline of handicrafts and cottage industries in India? (2024)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the role of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) in shaping India’s federal structure.

The princely states, both pampered and exploited by the British, maintained a position of semi-autonomy under the colonisers and were the toughest challenge facing free India. (Wikimedia Commons)

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The Indian Government appointed a States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to make recommendations to resolve the linguistic problem in India. Comprising Justice Fazil Ali, KM Panikkar and HN Kunzru, the Commission travelled across 104 towns and cities between 1954 and 1955.

— The Commission submitted its report in September, 1955, recommending the reorganisation of India’s administrative units to form 14 states on linguistic lines and six centrally administered territories. This reorganisation helped avert the fear of disintegration and preserve national unity.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

Role of State Reorganisation Commission in shaping India’s federal structure

— The SRC’s main and most important suggestion was to arrange states according to language, making sure that state borders represented linguistic and cultural characteristics. This was a direct reaction to the increasing desire for linguistic states, particularly following the establishment of Andhra Pradesh in 1953.

— State borders were significantly rearranged as a result of the 1956 Act’s implementation of the SRC’s recommendations. As a result, six union territories and fourteen states were established.

— The commission took into account national unity and financial self-sufficiency in addition to linguistic uniqueness. It ensured a balanced approach to federalism by rejecting the notion of establishing states only on the basis of linguistic homogeneity if doing so would jeopardise administrative or economic integration.

— The SRC’s efforts produced a more inclusive and representational federal structure by matching administrative units with linguistic groups.

— As seen by the subsequent construction of states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, the SRC’s work set the precedent for other state reorganisations based on a variety of reasons, including the establishment of new states to fulfil particular requirements like administrative backwardness or the rights of tribal communities.

Conclusion:

— November 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand—three states that were established in November 2000. This month also commemorates the anniversaries of the formation of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

— The history of state creation in India reflects the nation’s evolving federal structure, shaped by regional aspirations, administrative needs, and identity-based demands.

(Source: UPSC Issue at a Glance | As Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand turn 25: The story of how India formed its states, 25 years after its formation, the story of Jharkhand, http://www.mha.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

Read more about SRC

Read in detail about formation of state (constitutional procedure)

Related Previous Year Questions

Assess the main administrative issues and socio-cultural problems in the integration process of Indian Princely States. (2021)

Trace India’s consolidation process during the early phase of independence in terms of polity, economy, education and international relations. (2025)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 128)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 129)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 128)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 129)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 127)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 128)

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