UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The Colour Bar Bill
Q1. The Mines and Works Amendment Act of 1926 (Colour Bar Act), which reserved skilled mining occupations for white workers, was enacted and operationalised by which government of the Union of South Africa?
- A. The Pact government of J.B.M. Hertzog, a National Party–Labour Party coalition
- B. The South African Party government of Jan Smuts
- C. The first Union government of Louis Botha
- D. The National Party government of D.F. Malan
Q2. With reference to the Colour Bar Act (Mines and Works Amendment Act, 1926) of South Africa, consider the following statements:
1. It reserved skilled certificates of competency in mining exclusively for white workers.
2. Its colour bar applied only to the mining sector and had no counterpart in the railways.
3. Skilled white miners protected by the colour bar earned wages several times higher than Black workers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It reserved skilled certificates of competency in mining exclusively for white workers.
- Its colour bar applied only to the mining sector and had no counterpart in the railways.
- Skilled white miners protected by the colour bar earned wages several times higher than Black workers.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. Under both the 1911 Mines and Works Act and its 1926 amendment, skilled mining occupations were legally restricted to white workers through the issuing of which of the following instruments?
- A. Certificates of competency
- B. Reference books (pass-law documents)
- C. Class Areas trading licences
- D. Native reserve occupation permits
Q4. Consider the following pairs of South African legislation and their principal effect:
1. Mines and Works Act, 1911 — introduced certificates of competency for skilled mine work.
2. Mines and Works Amendment Act, 1926 — statutorily reserved skilled mining jobs for white workers.
3. Industrial Conciliation Act, 1924 — excluded Black workers from official wage-bargaining machinery.
4. Natives Land Act, 1913 — reserved skilled railway jobs for white workers.
Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Mines and Works Act, 1911 — introduced certificates of competency for skilled mine work.
- Mines and Works Amendment Act, 1926 — statutorily reserved skilled mining jobs for white workers.
- Industrial Conciliation Act, 1924 — excluded Black workers from official wage-bargaining machinery.
- Natives Land Act, 1913 — reserved skilled railway jobs for white workers.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q5. With reference to the Rand Revolt of 1922, consider the following statements:
1. The Chamber of Mines' December 1921 plan to replace semi-skilled white workers with lower-paid Black workers triggered the strike.
2. The stoppage began as a general strike and later escalated into an armed uprising, with strikers organised into commandos.
3. The uprising was ultimately suppressed by Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog using artillery and aircraft.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Chamber of Mines' December 1921 plan to replace semi-skilled white workers with lower-paid Black workers triggered the strike.
- The stoppage began as a general strike and later escalated into an armed uprising, with strikers organised into commandos.
- The uprising was ultimately suppressed by Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog using artillery and aircraft.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. Regarding the causes and character of the 1922 Rand Revolt, consider the following statements:
1. A falling gold price and rising working costs prompted the mine owners' cost-cutting plan.
2. Members of the newly formed Communist Party of South Africa joined the striking workers.
3. The revolt cost roughly 200 lives before it was crushed.
4. The strike was led primarily by Black migrant mineworkers demanding higher wages.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- A falling gold price and rising working costs prompted the mine owners' cost-cutting plan.
- Members of the newly formed Communist Party of South Africa joined the striking workers.
- The revolt cost roughly 200 lives before it was crushed.
- The strike was led primarily by Black migrant mineworkers demanding higher wages.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q7. With reference to the Indian reaction to the Colour Bar Bill of 1926, consider the following statements:
1. The Imperial Citizenship Association appealed for the exercise of the imperial power of veto over the South African legislation.
2. The appeal urged His Majesty's Government, through the Viceroy of India, to intervene.
3. By the time of the appeal the Colour Bar Bill had been passed by the South African Legislative Assembly.
4. The Imperial Citizenship Association demanded that India impose trade sanctions on the Union of South Africa.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The Imperial Citizenship Association appealed for the exercise of the imperial power of veto over the South African legislation.
- The appeal urged His Majesty's Government, through the Viceroy of India, to intervene.
- By the time of the appeal the Colour Bar Bill had been passed by the South African Legislative Assembly.
- The Imperial Citizenship Association demanded that India impose trade sanctions on the Union of South Africa.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 1 and 2
- D. 4 only
Q8. The Imperial Citizenship Association's appeal against the Colour Bar Bill rested on the demand that the highest imperial authority disallow the South African law. In whom did the ultimate power of veto over such Dominion legislation actually reside?
- A. His Majesty's Government (the British Crown)
- B. The Viceroy of India
- C. The Senate of the Union of South Africa
- D. The Council of the League of Nations
Q9. With reference to M.K. Gandhi's years in South Africa and the position of Indians there, consider the following statements:
1. Gandhi launched the satyagraha technique in 1906 against a Transvaal ordinance requiring registration of Indians.
2. During his South African years he founded the South African Indian Congress to resist anti-Indian legislation.
3. Gandhi's campaign completely removed all restrictions on Indian movement and immigration in South Africa.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Gandhi launched the satyagraha technique in 1906 against a Transvaal ordinance requiring registration of Indians.
- During his South African years he founded the South African Indian Congress to resist anti-Indian legislation.
- Gandhi's campaign completely removed all restrictions on Indian movement and immigration in South Africa.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Among the following South African statutes, which is regarded as the earliest to establish a statutory colour bar reserving skilled work for whites — later cited as a precedent for apartheid-era job reservation?
- A. Mines and Works Act, 1911
- B. Natives Land Act, 1913
- C. Native (Urban Areas) Act, 1923
- D. Mines and Works Amendment Act, 1926
Q11. In the context of the 1926 South African legislation whose centenary was marked by The Hindu's archive edition in 2026, the term 'colour bar' refers most precisely to which of the following?
- A. The legal reservation of skilled occupations for white workers, excluding non-whites
- B. The segregation of urban residential areas along racial lines
- C. The prohibition on land purchase or lease by Black Africans
- D. A statutory ban on marriage between different racial groups
Q12. Unlike the 1926 Colour Bar Act, which restricted skilled employment, the Natives Land Act of 1913 operated principally by regulating which of the following?
- A. The purchase and lease of land by Black Africans outside designated reserves
- B. The issuing of certificates of competency for skilled mine work
- C. Access of Black workers to industrial wage-bargaining boards
- D. The entry of Indian traders into designated commercial areas