Indian National Movement (Part-II)

Total Questions: 50

41. Consider the following statements: [2004]

Some of the main features of the Government of India Act, 1935 were the:

1. abolition of diarchy in the Governor's provinces

2. power of the Governors to veto legislative action and to legislate on their own

3. abolition of the principle of communal representation

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 1 and 2
Solution:Provincial autonomy replaced diarchy. The Governor could refuse assent to bill, promulgate ordinances, and enact governor's acts. Statement 3 is incorrect as separate electorates based on communal representation persisted in the GIA, 1935.
About Government of India Act, 1935
• The Government of India Act of 1935 was a landmark piece of legislation passed by the British Parliament.
• It was introduced in response to the failure of the three Round Table Conferences and the need for constitutional reform in India.
• In March 1933, the British Government set up a committee with 20 representatives from British India and seven from Indian States to draft the provisions of the Act.
• After numerous meetings between 1933 and 1934, the committee submitted its report, which led to the bill’s eventual passing in February 1935.
• The Act received royal assent on July 24, 1935, and became effective on April 1, 1937.
• At the time, it was the longest Act ever passed by the British Parliament, comprising 32 sections, 14 parts, and ten schedules.

42. Consider the following statements: [2004]

1. The First Session of the Indian National Congress was held in Calcutta

2. The Second Session of the Indian National Congress was held under the presidentship of Dadabhai Naoroji

3. Both Indian National Congress and Muslim League held their sessions at Lucknow in 1916 and concluded the Lucknow Pact

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 2 and 3
Solution:Statement 1 is incorrect as first session was held in 1885 at Bombay (not in Calcutta) under the presidentship of W.C. Banerjee. The second session was held in Calcutta. Lucknow session in 1916 was presided over by A.C. Majumdaar.
The first session of the Indian National Congress (INC) was planned for Poona, but due to a plague outbreak in Poona, the venue was changed to Bombay.
With the cooperation of leading intellectuals of the time, A.O. Hume organized the first session of the Indian National Congress in December 1885 in Bombay.
As a prelude to this, the Indian National Conference held two sessions in 1883 and 1885, with representatives from all major towns in India. W.C. Bonnerjee, a prominent lawyer by profession, was the first president of this session.
Sessions were held at the end of each year in various cities across India, and it was described as a "memorandum" to present the Indian political viewpoint to the British Government.

43. Which one of the following statements is correct? [2004]

Correct Answer: (a) The Constituent Assembly of India was elected by the Provincial Assemblies in the year 1946
Solution:The first session of the Constituent Assembly of India was held on Dec 9, 1946. MA Jinnah was not the member of Constituent assembly as he opposed its formation. Constitution of India was enacted in 26th Jan 1950 whereas on 26th Nov 1949 it was adopted.
The Constituent Assembly of India arose from the nation’s aspiration to frame its Constitution as a step toward self-determination and the end of British colonial rule. This need was driven by the inadequacy of British-imposed constitutional frameworks, like the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, which limited self-governance while retaining British control over critical areas like defense, finance, and foreign affairs, leaving Indians with little real power.
As a result, this disparity fueled dissatisfaction and strengthened the resolve for a sovereign, independent governance system.
Furthermore, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar emphasized that only a Constitution created by Indians could represent the country’s diverse social, cultural, and political landscape.

44. The Montagu-Chelmsford Report formed the basis of [2004]

Correct Answer: (b) the Government of India Act, 1919
Solution:

The Government of India Act 1919 was a legislative framework designed to reform British India's governance. It was based on the Montagu-Chelmsford Report, which was drafted by Edwin Montagu, Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India at the time.

The primary goal of the Act was to introduce a more responsible form of government in India by increasing Indian participation in the administrative machinery while retaining ultimate authority with the British Crown. The Act established a dual governance structure (dyarchy) at the provincial level and a more inclusive legislative framework, but with some limitations..

45. During the Indian freedom struggle, who among the following proposed that Swaraj should be defined as complete independence free from all foreign control? [2004]

Correct Answer: (b) Maulana Hasrat Mohani
Solution:Maulana Hasrat Mohani proposed that Swaraj should be defined as complete independence free from all foreign control in 1921 when he was presiding over the session of All India Muslim League in Lucknow.
• Mohani was a noted poet of the Urdu language.
• Famous works of Mohani are Kulliyat-e-Hasrat Mohani, Nukaet-e-Sukhan, Mushahidaat-e-Zindaan, etc.
• The Purna Swaraj declaration was promulgated by the Indian National Congress on 19 December 1929 in its Lahore session under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The declaration was passed due to the breakdown of negotiations between leaders of the freedom movement and the British over the question of dominion status for India.
• In the Calcutta Session of Congress in 1906, Dadabhai Naoroji had placed Swaraj as a national demand.
• It was the first time that the demand for self-government or swaraj, like that of the UK and other colonies, was raised from the platform of the Congress.

46. The name of the famous person of India who returned the Knighthood conferred on him by the British Government as a token of protest against the atrocities in Punjab in 1919 was: [2004]

Correct Answer: (c) Rabindra Nath Tagore
Solution:Rabindra Nath Tagore returned the Knighthood conferred on him by the British Government as a token of protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919).

47. Consider the following events during India's freedom struggle: [2004]

1. Chauri-Chaura Outrage

2. Minto-Morley Reforms

3. Dandi March

4. Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the events above?

Correct Answer: (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
Solution:Chauri-Chaura-Feb 1922; Minto-Morley Reforms-1909; Dandi March-1930; Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms-1918.

48. Where were the Ghadar revolutionaries, who became active during the outbreak of the World War I based? [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) North America
Solution:Ghadr revolutionaries were based in San Francisco (North America) and branches along the US Coast and in the far East.

49. Consider the following statements: [2005]

On the eve of launch of Quit India Movement, Mahatma Gandhi:

1. asked the government servants to resign.

2. asked the soldiers to leave their posts.

3. asked the Princes of the Princely states to accept the sovereignty of their own people.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 3 only
Solution:Gandhiji asked the government servants not to resign but declare their allegiance to the Congress. Soldiers were asked not to leave their posts but not to fire.

50. In which one of the following provinces was a Congress ministry not formed under the Act of 1935? [2005]

Correct Answer: (d) Punjab
Solution:Congress ministeries were formed in Bombay, Madras, Central Provinces, Orissa, United Provinces, Bihar and later in NWFP and Assam also.