Prelims 2011 · archive
MediumWhat was the purpose for which Sir William Wedderburn and W.S. Caine had set up the Indian Parliamentary Committee in 1893?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) To agitate for Indian political reforms in the House of Commons
Wedderburn entered the House of Commons in 1893 as a Liberal member to voice India's grievances there. With W.S. Caine he formed the Indian Parliamentary Committee for this purpose. Its aim was to press Indian political reforms inside the House of Commons.
- ✓ (a) The committee was a pressure group of sympathetic British MPs. It worked to raise Indian grievances and push for political reforms in the House of Commons.
- ✗ (b) Entry of Indians into the Imperial Judiciary was not the committee's purpose. It was a broad parliamentary lobby for Indian reforms.
- ✗ (c) In 1893 the Congress demanded reforms and wider representation, not Independence. Complete independence was not yet a demand.
- ✗ (d) The committee was not set up to get eminent Indians into the British Parliament. It was a group of sympathetic British MPs who used their place in the House of Commons to press for Indian reforms.
Remember · Indian Parliamentary Committee (1893): formed by Wedderburn and Caine in the House of Commons to press for Indian reforms. Wedderburn chaired it from 1893 to 1900.
Sources
- Indian National Congress – Past Presidents: Sir William Wedderburn ↗ · reference work “He entered Parliament in 1893 as a Liberal member and sought to voice India's grievances in the House. He formed the Indian Parliamentary Committee with which he was associated as Chairman from 1893 to 1900.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2011, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·