Question

Q. With reference to Education during the Colonial Period, which one of the following statements are correct?

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• A.
  1 only
• B.
  2 only
• C.
  Both 1 and 2
• D.
  Neither 1 nor 2

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Both 1 and 2
Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: With great energy and passion, Macaulay emphasized the need to teach the English language. He felt that knowledge of English would allow Indians to read some of the finest literature the world had produced; it would make them aware of the developments in Western science and philosophy. Teaching of English could thus be a way of civilizing people, changing their tastes, values and culture. Following Macaulay’s minute, the English Education Act of 1835 was introduced. The decision was to make English the medium of instruction for higher education, to stop the promotion of Oriental institutions like the Calcutta Madrasa and Benaras Sanskrit College. These institutions were seen as “temples of darkness that were falling of themselves into decay”.

Statement 2 is correct: In 1854, the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London sent an educational despatch to the Governor-General in India. Issued by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control of the Company, it has come to be known as Wood’s Despatch. Outlining the educational policy that was to be followed in India, it emphasized on the practical benefits of a system of European learning, as opposed to Oriental knowledge.