UPSC Prelims 2014— Question 12

Correct answer: Option A. Queen Victoria's Proclamation of 1858 followed the transfer of administration from the East India Company to the British Crown. It promised non-intervention in the affairs of Indian princely states and disclaimed a policy of further annexation, while also announcing religious non-interference and equal treatment under the Crown. It did not regulate Company trade because the Company ceased to govern India. Option A: Correct. This option is consistent with the governing fact or the valid combination identified in the question. The option reads: “1 and 2 only” Option B: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “2 only” Option C: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “1 and 3 only” Option D: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “1, 2 and 3” The key Prelims lesson is to test each proposition independently before selecting the combination. Where the question uses words such as 'only', 'all', 'none', 'always' or a precise institutional/geographical association, a single inaccurate component is sufficient to eliminate the option. The answer recorded here follows the official answer key for the question-paper series represented by the uploaded source and has been cross-checked against an independent published key. The explanation is intended for conceptual revision rather than as a reproduction of any third-party solution.