UPSC Mains 2024 GS1 Q13 — Modern Indian History
How far was the Industial Revolution in England responsible for the decline of hadicrafts and cottage industries in India? (Answer in 250 words) 15
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- How far
- Scope keywords
- Industrial Revolution in Englanddecline of hadicraftscottage industries in India
- Implicit sub-parts
- The direct mechanisms of the British Industrial Revolution that impacted Indian production (e.g., machine-made goods, tariff structures).
- Internal factors and secondary colonial policies not directly linked to 'industrialization' but contributing to decline (e.g., disappearance of royal patronage, railway expansion).
- The evaluation of 'how far' by balancing external industrial competition against internal structural changes and discriminatory trade laws.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing solely on the Industrial Revolution while ignoring the role of the 'One-Way Free Trade' policy and the loss of local princely courts.
- Describing the Industrial Revolution in England in too much detail instead of focusing on its specific impact on Indian exports.
- Failing to mention the transition from India being an exporter of finished goods to an exporter of raw materials (de-industrialization).
- Providing a generic history of British rule without linking the 'machine-made vs. handmade' cost dynamic.
- Dimensions required
- EconomicTechnologicalPolitical-AdministrativeInfrastructuralHistorical
- Marks allocation hint
Spend 40-50 words on the mechanism of the Industrial Revolution and machine-made goods. Devote 120 words to the primary causes of decline, including the 'How Far' nuance (discriminatory duties and loss of patronage). Use the remaining 80 words to discuss the shift to an agrarian economy and provide a concluding assessment on the 'de-industrialization' thesis.
Unlock the full analysis for this question
You've seen the question and its examiner-intent decoding. Subscribers also get:
- 🔗 Similar Previous Year Questions — cross-year, cross-paper matches so you study the topic, not the question
- 📚 Source Map — verified citations from Laxmikanth, NCERT, PRS, Yojana, Economic Survey, Spectrum
- 🌱 How this topic is evolving — current-affairs bridge anchored to live TARS news clustering
- 🧭 Examiner's Pattern — how the topic has been framed across every year UPSC has tested it
- ✍️ Answer Skeleton — a structured outline (intro → body → conclusion) you can flesh out
- 🎯 AI evaluation — write your answer, get rubric-based scoring from gs-eval
Or browse 132+ free preview questions across all years and papers — the first 3 questions of every paper are unlocked.
Ready to practice?
Subscribers can attempt this question in 250 words and get an instant, rubric-based evaluation showing where they stand.
Subscribe to evaluate your answer →