The Government of India Act 1858 was a landmark legislation passed by the British Parliament after the Revolt of 1857. This Act brought about a major shift in the administration of India by transferring power from the East India Company to the British Crown. The Act abolished the Board of Directors and the Court of Directors of the Company. It also created the post of Secretary of State for India and established a Council of India with 15 members to assist the Secretary of State.
This Act is one of the most frequently asked topics in competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, State PSC and other government examinations. Students preparing for Indian History must have a thorough grip on the provisions and outcomes of this Act. The following 30 MCQs on the Government of India Act 1858 will help aspirants test their knowledge and improve their preparation for upcoming exams.
30 MCQs on “Government Of India Act 1858” – Indian History
Q1. The Government of India Act 1858 was passed as a direct result of which event?
A) The Battle of Plassey
B) The Revolt of 1857
C) The formation of Indian National Congress
D) The Regulating Act of 1773
Q2. The Government of India Act 1858 transferred the governance of India from whom to whom?
A) From the British Crown to the East India Company
B) From the East India Company to the British Crown
C) From the Governor-General to the Viceroy
D) From the Parliament to the Prime Minister
Q3. Which post was created by the Government of India Act 1858 to oversee Indian affairs?
A) Governor-General of India
B) Secretary of State for India
C) Chief Commissioner of India
D) Lord Chancellor of India
Q4. How many members were there in the Council of India established under the Act of 1858?
A) 10
B) 12
C) 15
D) 20
Q5. Who was the first Secretary of State for India appointed under the Act of 1858?
A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Stanley (Edward Henry Stanley)
C) Lord Palmerston
D) Lord Dalhousie
Q6. The Government of India Act 1858 is also known as:
A) The Charter Act
B) The Act for the Better Government of India
C) The Indian Councils Act
D) The Regulating Act
Q7. Under the Act of 1858, the title of the Governor-General of India was changed to:
A) Chief Administrator
B) Viceroy of India
C) Lord Protector
D) High Commissioner
Q8. Who was the first Viceroy of India appointed under the Act of 1858?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Elgin
C) Lord Canning
D) Lord Mayo
Q9. Which body was abolished by the Government of India Act 1858?
A) The British Parliament
B) The Board of Control and Court of Directors
C) The Privy Council
D) The Supreme Court of India
Q10. The Secretary of State for India was a member of which body?
A) The House of Lords only
B) The British Cabinet
C) The Indian Legislative Council
D) The Privy Council only
Q11. The Council of India under the Act of 1858 served as:
A) An executive body
B) An advisory body to the Secretary of State
C) A judicial body
D) A legislative assembly
Q12. The Government of India Act 1858 was passed on which date?
A) 1st January 1858
B) 2nd August 1858
C) 15th August 1858
D) 1st November 1858
Q13. The famous proclamation by Queen Victoria was issued on which date after the Act of 1858?
A) 2nd August 1858
B) 1st November 1858
C) 25th December 1858
D) 15th January 1859
Q14. The Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 promised which of the following to the Indian people?
A) Complete independence
B) Religious neutrality and equal treatment
C) Abolition of all taxes
D) Right to self-governance
Q15. Who read the Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 at a Durbar in Allahabad?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Elgin
D) Lord Mayo
Q16. Under the Act of 1858, the governance structure in India was described as:
A) Direct Democracy
B) Double Government
C) Unitary Government
D) Federal Government
Q17. Before the Act of 1858, who controlled the affairs of India through the East India Company?
A) Board of Control and Court of Directors
B) The King alone
C) The British Parliament directly
D) The Prime Minister
Q18. The Secretary of State for India communicated with the Indian government through which official?
A) The Chief Justice
B) The Viceroy
C) The Commander-in-Chief
D) The Home Secretary
Q19. Under the Government of India Act 1858, who appointed the Viceroy of India?
A) The British Parliament
B) The Secretary of State
C) The British Crown
D) The Council of India
Q20. What was the tenure of the members of the Council of India under the Act of 1858?
A) 3 years
B) 5 years
C) 7 years
D) Lifetime appointment
Q21. The system of dual government established by the Pitt’s India Act of 1784 was abolished by which Act?
A) Charter Act of 1833
B) Charter Act of 1853
C) Government of India Act 1858
D) Indian Councils Act 1861
Q22. The Government of India Act 1858 was enacted during the reign of which British monarch?
A) King George III
B) Queen Victoria
C) King William IV
D) King Edward VII
Q23. What was the primary purpose of the Government of India Act 1858?
A) To grant independence to India
B) To transfer authority from the Company to the Crown
C) To establish democracy in India
D) To create the Indian National Congress
Q24. The power of the Secretary of State for India was described as being subject to the control of which body?
A) The East India Company
B) The British Parliament
C) The Indian National Congress
D) The Privy Council
Q25. Which of the following statements about the Council of India is correct?
A) It was headed by the Viceroy
B) The majority of its members had to have lived in India for at least 10 years
C) It had no advisory function
D) Its members were appointed by the Indian rulers
Q26. The Act of 1858 brought an end to the rule of the East India Company after how many years of its existence?
A) 100 years
B) 200 years
C) Nearly 258 years
D) 300 years
Q27. Under the Act of 1858, what was the status of the Secretary of State for India regarding accountability?
A) He was accountable to the Viceroy
B) He was accountable to the British Parliament
C) He was accountable to the Indian people
D) He was not accountable to anyone
Q28. Which proclamation is often referred to as the “Magna Carta of Indian People”?
A) The Proclamation of 1813
B) Queen Victoria’s Proclamation of 1858
C) The Proclamation of 1833
D) The Proclamation of 1861
Q29. The Act of 1858 replaced which previous governing arrangement for India?
A) The Regulating Act system
B) The Charter Act system
C) The Company Rule system with dual control
D) The direct Crown Rule system
Q30. Who held the position of Secretary of State for India after Lord Stanley in 1859?
A) Lord Palmerston
B) Sir Charles Wood
C) Lord Elgin
D) Lord Lawrence
Correct Answers
- B) The Revolt of 1857
- B) From the East India Company to the British Crown
- B) Secretary of State for India
- C) 15
- B) Lord Stanley (Edward Henry Stanley)
- B) The Act for the Better Government of India
- B) Viceroy of India
- C) Lord Canning
- B) The Board of Control and Court of Directors
- B) The British Cabinet
- B) An advisory body to the Secretary of State
- B) 2nd August 1858
- B) 1st November 1858
- B) Religious neutrality and equal treatment
- B) Lord Canning
- B) Double Government
- A) Board of Control and Court of Directors
- B) The Viceroy
- C) The British Crown
- C) 7 years
- C) Government of India Act 1858
- B) Queen Victoria
- B) To transfer authority from the Company to the Crown
- B) The British Parliament
- B) The majority of its members had to have lived in India for at least 10 years
- C) Nearly 258 years
- B) He was accountable to the British Parliament
- B) Queen Victoria’s Proclamation of 1858
- C) The Company Rule system with dual control
- B) Sir Charles Wood
Conclusion
The Government of India Act 1858 marked the formal end of the East India Company’s rule in India. It laid the foundation for the British Crown’s direct administration over the Indian subcontinent. The Act introduced a new administrative framework with the Secretary of State for India and a 15-member Council of India. The designation of the Governor-General was changed to Viceroy under this Act.
For aspirants preparing for UPSC, SSC, State PSC and other competitive examinations, this topic holds great value in the Indian History section. Practicing MCQs like the ones provided above will help in building strong recall and accuracy during the exam. We recommend revising these questions multiple times before appearing for any test.