In the history of defence legislation in India, in which year was the Indian Navy Act passed by Parliament?

Introduction / Context:
This question concerns basic knowledge of defence related Acts in independent India. The Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Act provide the legal framework for discipline, administration and functioning of the three armed services. Knowing the years in which these laws were passed helps candidates answer direct factual questions and place major defence legislation in a chronological context.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The specific statute in question is the Indian Navy Act.
• The task is to choose the year in which this Act was passed.
• Options include four years 1927, 1937, 1947 and 1957.
• Only one of these matches the post independence law governing naval service conditions.

Concept / Approach:
The present legal framework for the Indian Navy is based on the Navy Act, 1957, which replaced earlier colonial era regulations. The years 1927 and 1937 correspond to the pre independence period when different naval discipline Acts were in place under British rule. The year 1947 is the year of independence, but the specific comprehensive Navy Act came slightly later. Therefore, the correct year for the Indian Navy Act as known in modern Indian law is 1957.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that many key defence Acts were updated after independence to reflect Indian control and terminology. Step 2: Remember that the Navy Act commonly referred to in exam material carries the year 1957 in its title. Step 3: Compare this memory with the four options given. Step 4: Recognise that only 1957 matches the known title Navy Act, 1957. Step 5: Select 1957 and reject the earlier years associated with colonial regulations.

Verification / Alternative check:
One can verify by recalling that the Army Act, 1950 and the Air Force Act, 1950 were enacted soon after independence, while the comprehensive Navy Act followed a few years later in 1957. This pattern of defence legislation is often summarised together in exam notes. Additionally, there is no widely used statutory reference called Navy Act, 1927 or Navy Act, 1937 in post independence India, reinforcing that 1957 is the relevant year for this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The years 1927 and 1937 refer to a period when India was still under British rule, and any naval laws from that time would be colonial enactments, not the present Indian Navy Act. The year 1947 marks independence but not the passage of a new comprehensive Navy Act. Including these years in options is meant to confuse candidates who guess based on important historic dates instead of recalling the specific statute title. None of these years correspond to the modern Navy Act.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates are attracted to 1947 because of its association with independence and may assume that all major changes occurred exactly then. Others may pick an earlier year thinking that colonial laws were simply renamed after independence. To avoid such mistakes, aspirants should memorise the standard references Army Act, 1950, Air Force Act, 1950 and Navy Act, 1957 as a simple trio of defence Acts with their respective years.

Final Answer:
The Indian Navy Act that governs naval service in independent India was passed in the year 1957 and is known as the Navy Act, 1957.