UPSC Prelims 2020— Question 14

This question tests fort william college. The key concept is: Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta in 1800 to train East India Company civil servants in Indian languages and administration. Its purpose was administrative training rather than simply reviving oriental learning or providing employment to missionaries. The verified answer for the uploaded Set-B paper is option D. Option A — He was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta in 1800 to train East India Company civil servants in Indian languages and administration. Its purpose was administrative training rather than simply reviving oriental learning or providing employment to missionaries. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option B — He wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta in 1800 to train East India Company civil servants in Indian languages and administration. Its purpose was administrative training rather than simply reviving oriental learning or providing employment to missionaries. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option C — He wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta in 1800 to train East India Company civil servants in Indian languages and administration. Its purpose was administrative training rather than simply reviving oriental learning or providing employment to missionaries. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option D — He wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India: This is the correct option. It matches the verified conclusion because Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta in 1800 to train East India Company civil servants in Indian languages and administration. Its purpose was administrative training rather than simply reviving oriental learning or providing employment to missionaries. The wording of the option is consistent with the governing concept tested by the question. For UPSC-style elimination, first identify the exact proposition being tested, then evaluate each statement independently before comparing the answer codes. Avoid treating a broad or absolute statement as correct merely because its general theme is familiar. The precise qualifiers in the question—such as 'all', 'only', 'cannot', 'largest', 'always' or a specific institutional role—often determine the answer. On that basis, option D is the verified answer.