Consider the following statements :
- 1.The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.
- 2.N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Statement 1 is wrong: the Factories Act, 1881 mainly dealt with child labour, banning children under 7 and limiting hours for children aged 7 to 12; it did not fix wages or allow trade unions. Statement 2 is correct: N.M. Lokhande founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association in 1890 and is seen as a pioneer of the Indian labour movement. So 2 only.
Watch for: Watch for statement 1; trade unions got legal recognition only with the Trade Unions Act, 1926.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the 1881 Act did not fix wages or permit unions.
- C. Wrong because statement 1 is false.
- D. Wrong because Lokhande was indeed a labour pioneer.
Source to check: Spectrum, A Brief History of Modern India, 'Labour Movement'; Bipan Chandra, History of Modern India, chapter on economic impact of British rule
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.