Correct option is A
The correct answer is (a)
6-10 years
Explanation: • The
Bihar and Orissa Primary Education Act, 1919 (Bihar and Orissa Act I of 1919) was the first legislative step in the region to introduce the principle of
compulsory primary education. • Under this Act, local bodies were empowered to introduce compulsory education for children in the age group of
6 to 10 years. • The Act defined a "
child" specifically as a boy or a girl who is not less than six and not more than eleven years of age (meaning they are in their 11th year, covering the 6-10 age bracket). • The implementation was initially experimental and depended on the initiative of local
District Boards and Municipalities, such as the famous experiment in
Banki, Cuttack in 1925. • This legislation was heavily influenced by
Gopal Krishna Gokhale's earlier efforts in the Imperial Legislative Council (1911) to advocate for mass elementary education for the same age group.
Information Booster: • The Act was later amended several times (in 1939, 1946, and 1959) to expand the scope and age limit of compulsory education as the focus shifted toward
universalization. • In areas especially notified by the State Government later on, the definition of a child was expanded to include those up to
14 years of age, aligning with modern constitutional standards.
Additional Knowledge:
(b) 5-7 years (Option b) • This range is too narrow and does not correspond to the standard primary education cycles (Class 1 to 5) targeted by the 1919 Act.
(c) 4-8 years (Option c) • While modern systems like
NEP 2020 include children from age 3 or 4 in the "Foundational Stage," the colonial-era Act of 1919 focused strictly on formal schooling starting at age 6.
(d) 3-5 years (Option d) • This age group is typically considered for
pre-primary or nursery education (Anganwadi) and was not the focus of the "compulsory education" mandates of the early 20th century.
English
40 Questions
160 Marks
30 Mins
