Statement I: The British ruled India through a modern bureaucracy headed by the Indian Civil Service, whose members were recruited through merit based on open competition Statement II: The Indian Civil Service was based on the wholehearted participation of Indians

Statement I is true as the British established a modern bureaucracy in India, with the Indian Civil Service (ICS) serving as its backbone. Recruitment was based on merit through an open competitive examination, a system formalized after the Charter Act of 1853 [4]. However, Statement II is false. The British followed a deliberate policy of excluding Indians from higher administrative positions to ensure European supremacy and protect British interests [4]. The ICS was not based on the 'wholehearted participation' of Indians; rather, Indians were systematically kept out of policy implementation roles [2]. The examination was held only in London until 1922, making it financially and logistically difficult for Indians to participate [3]. Consequently, the Indianization of the civil services remained a primary demand of the Indian National Congress for decades due to this exclusion [3].

Sources

1. [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 9: Administrative Changes After 1858 > Public Services > p. 157
2. [4] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 6: Administrative Organisation and Social and Cultural Policy > Civil Service > p. 109
3. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 26: Constitutional, Administrative and Judicial Developments > Evaluation of Civil Services under British Rule > p. 516
4. [3] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Rise of Nationalism in India > Administrative > p. 10