RAS question
Lord Ripon is remembered as the 'most popular Viceroy' mainly because of his:
Correct answer: (A) Introduction of local self-government (1882) and support for Ilbert Bill.
Lord Ripon is remembered as the most popular Viceroy chiefly for promoting local self-government in 1882 and backing the Ilbert Bill's principle of legal equality.
Explanation
Lord Ripon, Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884, became popular because his policies opened limited but real space for Indian participation and legal equality. Banglapedia says he made a remarkable contribution to local government: in 1882 he moved away from officially nominated local bodies, split large local boards into smaller units, and replaced nomination with elections where possible, introducing the election system for rural boards for the first time. His administration was also marked by the Ilbert Bill controversy, which challenged the protected status of Europeans before Indian judges. The same reformist pattern appears in his repeal of the Vernacular Press Act and his Hunter Commission on education, which is why exam accounts link Ripon with liberal, pro-Indian measures.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Railways were introduced in India under Dalhousie, so they cannot explain Ripon's popularity in the 1880s.
- (C) The Partition of Bengal took place in 1905 under Curzon, not during Ripon's viceroyalty of 1880 to 1884.
- (D) The Indian National Congress was established in 1885, after Ripon had left India, during Dufferin's tenure.
Concept
This tests the RAS Modern India theme of liberal administrative reforms under the Crown. Ripon recurs because local self-government, press freedom and the Ilbert Bill connect colonial governance with early political consciousness.