UPSC Prelims 2012 · Question 70 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2012 question on Rowlatt Act
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2012
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectModern History
- TopicConstitutional Development
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
The Rowlatt Act aimed at
Show answer
Answer: B. Imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial
Verdict
Correct Answer: Imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial
Analysis
The Rowlatt Act, 1919 was officially called the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act.
It gave the British government extraordinary powers to suppress political activities after World War I.
1. Imprisonment without trial — Correct
The Act allowed detention of suspected persons without trial.
A person could be imprisoned for up to two years without normal judicial safeguards.
2. Summary procedures for trial — Correct
The Act provided for trial by special tribunals.
There was no normal right to appeal, and the procedure denied basic legal protections.
3. Restrictions on freedom of the press — Incorrect
Press restrictions existed under other colonial laws, such as the Vernacular Press Act and Indian Press Act.
However, the key provisions of the Rowlatt Act were detention without trial and summary trial procedures.
Extra UPSC info
* The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 by the Imperial Legislative Council.
* It was based on the recommendations of the Sedition Committee headed by Justice Sidney Rowlatt.
* Gandhi called it a Black Act.
* The popular slogan against it was “No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal”.
* Gandhi launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha against the Act.
* Arrest of Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal in Punjab intensified protests.
* The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred on 13 April 1919 during the anti-Rowlatt agitation.
How to crack it
The Rowlatt Act is mainly remembered for allowing imprisonment without trial and summary trial procedures without normal legal safeguards.