Question 25 from UPSC CSE 2017 - Modern
History

Question

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?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 only

Strategy: For Statement 1, identify the **specific objectives** of the Factories Act, 1881. Early factory legislation primarily targeted **child labor** and basic working conditions, not wage fixation or trade union formation. The claims in Statement 1 about fixing wages and allowing trade unions are anachronistic for 1881 legislation. For Statement 2, recall **pioneering figures** in the early Indian labour movement. N. M. Lokhande is a well-known figure associated with the initial efforts to organize workers, notably the Bombay Mill Hands' Association, making Statement 2 correct.

Key Info: ## Factories Act, 1881
- This was the first factory act in British India, introduced during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon.
- Its primary focus was on regulating **child labour**:
    - Prohibited employment of children below 7 years of age.
    - Limited working hours for children between 7 and 12 years to 9 hours a day.
    - Mandated 4 holidays in a month for children.
    - Provided rudimentary safety measures for dangerous machinery.
- **Limitations**: It did not apply to adult workers (men or women), factories employing less than 100 workers, or seasonal factories. The Act did not address wage fixation or the formation of trade unions, which gained legal recognition much later (e.g., Trade Unions Act, 1926). Its motivations were partly humanitarian and partly economic, influenced by British manufacturers' concerns about competition from Indian mills.

## N. M. Lokhande (Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, 1848-1897)
- He is widely regarded as a **pioneer and father of the labour movement in British India**.
- Lokhande organized mill workers in Bombay in the late 19th century and championed their cause.
- He founded the **Bombay Mill Hands' Association in 1890**, which is considered India's first organized labour association. While not a formal trade union, it was instrumental in representing workers' grievances and campaigning for better working conditions.
- His efforts led to demands for shorter working hours (10 hours a day), weekly holidays, and compensation for injuries.
- He also published the Marathi weekly 'Dinbandhu', dedicated to the welfare of workers and peasants.

## Labour Movement in British India
- The early phase of the labour movement (late 19th century) was characterized by philanthropic efforts and rudimentary associations like the Bombay Mill Hands' Association.
- Later, more formal trade unions emerged, leading to the enactment of the **Trade Unions Act, 1926**, which provided legal recognition and protection for trade unions.
- Subsequent factory acts (e.g., 1891, 1911, 1922, 1934, 1948) progressively expanded regulations to cover women and adult workers, improving working conditions, hours, and safety standards.

Answer

Option A: 1 only

Answer

Option C: Both 1 and 2

Answer

Option D: Neither 1 nor 2

Consider the following statements: 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. N. M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

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.

N. M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?