Q. The first factory Act restricting the working hours of women and children, and authorizing local governments to make necessary rules was adopted during whose time? (UPSC Prelims 2007)
Answer: Lord Ripon
Notes: The Factory Act of 1881 was enacted under Lord Ripon's viceroyalty (1880-1884). It prohibited child labor under age 7, limited children aged 7-12 to 9 hours per day, and banned night work for children. It empowered local governments to create rules on child employment, machinery fencing, and accident reporting. This was India's first labor legislation focusing on women and children in factories with 100 or more mechanized workers.