Modern Indian Historical Figures

The central administrative system of the Gupta era comprised the Mantri/Sachiv (modern Chief Minister), Bhatasvapati (commander of infantry and cavalry), Kataka (commander of elephants), Dandapasadhikaran (police chief), Kumaramatyas and Ayuktas (provincial heads).

He was the last British Governor General of independent India. An act for Indian independence was passed under him by the British Parliament.

Raja Ramanna was an Indian nuclear scientist and a prominent physicist. He is best known for his leadership directing the research integral for the development of Indian nuclear programme in its early stages. Having started and joined the nuclear programme in 1964, Ramanna worked under Homi Jehangir Bhabha, and later, after the disastrous death of Homi Bhaba, he was immediately elevated to become the directing officer of this programme.

Mr. Alex Cunningham was the first Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). He was also called as the ‘father of Indian archaeology’.

Ajeet Bajaj, an Indian adventurer and skier, hoisted the Indian flag at the South Pole on January 26th. He is the first Indian to ski to both the North and South Poles. Tenzing Norge and Capt. Vikram Batra are not associated with this Antarctic expedition.

Alberuni (973-1048 CE) accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni during his invasions of India (1000-1027 CE). He spent years in India studying Sanskrit, astronomy, and Indian culture, producing his famous work 'Tarikh al-Hind'. The other rulers lived in different centuries.

Vrinda Karat, a senior CPI(M) leader, publicly accused Baba Ramdev's ayurvedic medicines of containing human organ extracts and bones. This controversy erupted in the mid-2000s and involved allegations about unethical ingredients in Patanjali products. The other options are male politicians or not directly associated with this specific accusation.

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) earned the title 'Maker of Modern India' because he introduced massive infrastructure and administrative reforms: railways, telegraph, postal system, public works department, and modern education. Cornwallis and Warren Hastings were earlier Governors General; Ripon focused on liberal reforms.

Lord Ripon is called the 'Father of Local Self-Government in India' because he introduced the Local Self-Government Act of 1882, which laid the foundation for democratic local governance institutions in India. His reforms established elected local bodies with powers to administer local affairs, marking a significant shift toward representative government at the municipal and district levels. This Act created the framework for panchayats and municipalities that continues to influence local governance in modern India.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the first to explicitly term the 1857 revolt as the 'First War of Indian Independence' in his 1909 book 'The History of the War of Indian Independence'. This re-framing was significant in nationalist historiography, moving away from colonial characterizations as merely a 'sepoy mutiny'. While Nehru and others later used similar terminology, Savarkar was the pioneer in this conceptual reframing.

Correct Answer: V. Kurien

The Treaty of Sreerangapattam (1792) ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War and was signed between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis was the Governor-General of India at that time. Clive was earlier (1757 Battle of Plassey), Warren Hastings preceded Cornwallis, and Wellesley came later (1798-1805).

Sher Shah Suri constructed the Grand Trunk Road during his brief reign (1540-1545) to improve trade and military movement across northern India. Babar, Nadir Shah, and Aurangzeb did not undertake such infrastructure projects.

Option 1: The first survey of the island city was conducted by British officer Pringle in 1827. This resulted into the misclassification of land after Pringle's survey. Option 2: In 1820, Thomas Munro was appointed governor of Madras, where he founded systems of revenue assessment and general administration which substantially persisted into the twentieth century. Option 3: In October 1901, the Secretary of State for India in Council appointed Sir Thomas Robertson, C.V.O, as Special Commissioner for Indian Railways to enquire into and report on the administration and working of the Indian Railways. Option 4: Philip Francis was one of the "advisors" of Warren Hastings. Hence, the correct option is 1.

Lord Dalhousie's annexation of Oudh in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse was widely criticized as arbitrary and unjust. The claim of misuse was exaggerated, and this annexation was a major factor contributing to resentment among Indian rulers and soldiers, ultimately leading to the 1857 Revolt.