UPSC Prelims · GS Paper 1 · Modern India
Modern India: Prelims PYQs with answers
92 questions from 2013 to 2026, newest first. The 2026 answers are not yet final: UPSC releases its official key after the final result.
Q1Prelims 2026
Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856:
- 1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts.
- 2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders.
- 3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 2 and 3 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) 2 only
Show answer
Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only · UPSC's official 2026 key is not yet released.
Q2Prelims 2026
The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons?
- (a) Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India’s creditworthiness
- (b) Providing support to Indian importers
- (c) Encouraging export of cotton produce from India
- (d) Preventing depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold
Show answer
Answer: (a) Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India’s creditworthiness · UPSC's official 2026 key is not yet released.
Q3Prelims 2026
Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?
- (a) The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
- (b) The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
- (c) The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement protest against excessive was a extraction of rents.
- (d) The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.
Show answer
Answer: (c) The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement protest against excessive was a extraction of rents. · UPSC's official 2026 key is not yet released.
Q4Prelims 2026
Consider the following assertion:
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
- 1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
- 2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
- 3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3 · UPSC's official 2026 key is not yet released.
Q5Prelims 2026
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?
- 1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
- 2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
- 3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
- 4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 1, 2 and 4
- (c) 1, 3 and 4
- (d) 2 and 4 only
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 · UPSC's official 2026 key is not yet released.
Q6Prelims 2025
Consider the following fruits:
- I. Papaya
- II. Pineapple
- III. Guava
How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All the three
- (d) None
Show answer
Answer: (c) All the three
Q7Prelims 2025
Who among the following was the founder of the ‘Self-Respect Movement’?
- (a) ‘Periyar’ E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker
- (b) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
- (c) Bhaskarrao Jadhav
- (d) Dinkarrao Javalkar
Show answer
Answer: (a) ‘Periyar’ E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker
Q8Prelims 2025
Consider the following statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy:
- I. He possessed great love and respect for the traditional philosophical systems of the East.
- II. He desired his countrymen to accept the rational and scientific approach and the principle of human dignity and social equality of all men and women.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) I only
- (b) II only
- (c) Both I and II
- (d) Neither I nor II
Show answer
Answer: (c) Both I and II
Q9Prelims 2025
Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ in his political and social programme?
- (a) The Poona Pact
- (b) The Gandhi-Irwin (Delhi Pact) Agreement
- (c) Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
- (d) Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
Show answer
Answer: (a) The Poona Pact
Q10Prelims 2025
Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
- (a) C. R. Das
- (b) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant
- (c) Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
- (d) M. A. Jinnah
Show answer
Answer: (b) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant
Q11Prelims 2025
“Sedition has become my religion” was the famous statement given by Gandhiji at the time of
- (a) the Champaran Satyagraha
- (b) publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi
- (c) attending the Second Round Table Conference in London
- (d) the launch of the Quit India Movement
Show answer
Answer: (b) publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi
Q12Prelims 2025
Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
- I. The Congress declared the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
- II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if ‘Swaraj’ did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) I only
- (b) II only
- (c) Both I and II
- (d) Neither I nor II
Show answer
Answer: (c) Both I and II
Q13Prelims 2025
Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme:
- I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth
- II. Observance of strict non-violence
- III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public
- IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes
How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All the four
Show answer
Answer: (c) Only three
Q14Prelims 2024
With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements:
- 1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.
- 2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
UPSC dropped this question from the evaluation.
Q15Prelims 2024
Consider the following pairs:
Party Its Leader 1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee 2. Socialist Party C. Rajagopalachari 3. Congress for Democracy Jagjivan Ram 4. Swatantra Party Acharya Narendra Dev How many of the above are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only two
Q16Prelims 2024
With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements:
- 1. It provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States.
- 2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 only
Q17Prelims 2024
Who was the Provisional President of the Constituent Assembly before Dr. Rajendra Prasad took over?
- (a) C. Rajagopalachari
- (b) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- (c) T.T. Krishnamachari
- (d) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Show answer
Answer: (d) Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
Q18Prelims 2023
Who among the following rulers of medieval Gujarat surrendered Diu to the Portuguese?
- (a) Ahmad Shah
- (b) Mahmud Begarha
- (c) Bahadur Shah
- (d) Muhammad Shah
Show answer
Answer: (c) Bahadur Shah
Q19Prelims 2023
By which one of the following Acts was the Governor General of Bengal designated as the Governor General of India?
- (a) The Regulating Act
- (b) The Pitt’s India Act
- (c) The Charter Act of 1793
- (d) The Charter Act of 1833
Show answer
Answer: (d) The Charter Act of 1833
Q20Prelims 2023
With reference to Indian History, Alexander Rea, A.H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with
- (a) archaeological excavations
- (b) establishment of English Press in Colonial India
- (c) establishment of Churches in Princely States
- (d) construction of railways in Colonial India
Show answer
Answer: (a) archaeological excavations
Q21Prelims 2022
With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements:
- 1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by the Gajapati rulers.
- 2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
- 3. The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Q22Prelims 2022
Consider the following freedom fighters:
- 1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
- 2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
- 3. Rash Behari Bose Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (d) 3 only
Q23Prelims 2022
In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of Provincial Government were divided into “Reserved” and “Transferred” subjects. Which of the following were treated as “Reserved” subjects?
- 1. Administration of Justice
- 2. Local Self-Government
- 3. Land Revenue
- 4. Police
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 2, 3 and 4
- (c) 1, 3 and 4
- (d) 1, 2 and 4
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1, 3 and 4
Q24Prelims 2022
With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:
- 1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.
- 2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Q25Prelims 2021
In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?
- 1. Broach
- 2. Chicacole
- 3. Trichinopoly
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 only
Q26Prelims 2021
With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
- (a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.
- (b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of the Andhra region from here.
- (c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.
- (d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society first here.
Show answer
Answer: (c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.
Q27Prelims 2021
Consider the following statements:
- 1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all women above the age of 21.
- 2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in the legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Q28Prelims 2021
Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- (a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- (b) Jawaharlal Nehru
- (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- (d) Sarojini Naidu
Show answer
Answer: (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Q29Prelims 2021
With reference to 8th August 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?
- (a) The Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC.
- (b) The Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded to include more Indians.
- (c) The Congress ministries resigned in seven provinces.
- (d) Cripps proposed an Indian Union with fall Dominion Status once the Second World War was over.
Show answer
Answer: (a) The Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC.
Q30Prelims 2021
In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
- (a) leaders of Swadeshi and Boycott Movement
- (b) members of the Interim Government in 1946
- (c) members of the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly
- (d) officers of the Indian National Army
Show answer
Answer: (d) officers of the Indian National Army
Q31Prelims 2021
Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
- (a) Annie Besant
- (b) Debendranath Tagore
- (c) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
- (d) Sarojini Naidu
Show answer
Answer: (c) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Q32Prelims 2020
Which of the following statements correctly explains the impact of the Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of the nineteenth century?
- (a) Indian handicrafts were ruined.
- (b) Machines were introduced in the Indian textile industry in large numbers.
- (c) Railway lines were laid in many parts of the country.
- (d) Heavy duties were imposed on the imports of British manufactures.
Show answer
Answer: (a) Indian handicrafts were ruined.
Q33Prelims 2020
With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs:
1. Aurang In-charge of treasury of the State 2. Banian Indian agent of the East India Company 3. Mirasidar Designated revenue payer to the State Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Q34Prelims 2020
Wellesley established the Fort William College Calcutta because
- (a) He was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
- (b) He wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
- (c) He wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment
- (d) He wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India
Show answer
Answer: (d) He wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India
Q35Prelims 2020
The Vital-Vidhwansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience, was published by:
- (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
- (b) Jyotiba Phule
- (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- (d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Show answer
Answer: (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
Q36Prelims 2020
In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 revolved around:
- 1. Women’s right to gain education
- 2. Age of consent
- 3. Restitution of conjugal rights
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Q37Prelims 2020
Indigo cultivation in India declined by the beginning of the 20th century because of:
- (a) peasant resistance to the oppressive conduct of planters
- (b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions
- (c) national leaders’ opposition to the cultivation of indigo
- (d) Government control over the planters
Show answer
Answer: (b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions
Q38Prelims 2020
With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events?
- (a) The Revolt of 1857
- (b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
- (c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60
- (d) BirsaMunda’s Revolt of 1899-1900
Show answer
Answer: (d) BirsaMunda’s Revolt of 1899-1900
Q39Prelims 2020
With reference to the book ‘Desher Katha’ written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements:
- 1. It warned against the Colonial State’s hypnotic conquest of the mind.
- 2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
- 3. The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Q40Prelims 2020
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?
- 1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference
- 2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement
- 3. Acceptance of Gandhi’s suggestion for enquiry into police excesses
- 4. Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1, 2 and 4 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Show answer
UPSC dropped this question from the evaluation.
Q41Prelims 2019
Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the New world and introduced in the Old World?
- (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
- (b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
- (c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
- (d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
Show answer
Answer: (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
Q42Prelims 2019
Consider the following statements about ‘the Charter Act of 1813’:
- 1. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.
- 2. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.
- 3. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Q43Prelims 2019
Consider the following pairs:
Movement/Organisation Leader 1. All India Anti-Untouchability League Mahatma Gandhi 2. All India Kisan Sabha Swami Sahajanand Saraswati 3. Self-Respect Movement E.V. Ramaswami Naicker Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q44Prelims 2019
With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:
- 1. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.
- 2. In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
- 3. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
Q45Prelims 2019
With reference to the Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements:
- 1. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.
- 2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of the Swadeshi Movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Q46Prelims 2019
With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs:
Person Position held 1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru President, All India Liberal Federation 2. K.C. Neogy Member, The Constituent Assembly 3. P.C. Joshi General Secretary, Communist Party of India Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q47Prelims 2018
The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were:
- (a) Raw cotton, oil-seeds and opium
- (b) Sugar, salt, zinc and lead
- (c) Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea
- (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium
Show answer
Answer: (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium
Q48Prelims 2018
Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley?
- (a) To maintain a large standing army at others expense
- (b) To keep India safe from Napoleonic danger
- (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company
- (d) To establish British paramountcy over the Indian States
Show answer
Answer: (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company
Q49Prelims 2018
Which among the following events happened earliest?
- (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.
- (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neel Darpan.
- (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
- (d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
Show answer
Answer: (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neel Darpan.
Q50Prelims 2018
After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what were the measure/ measures taken by the colonial government?
- 1. The territories called ‘Santhal Parganas’ were created.
- 2. It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Q51Prelims 2018
Economically one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the:
- (a) Increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
- (b) Growth in the number of Indian owned factories
- (c) Commercialization of Indian agriculture
- (d) Rapid increase in the urban population
Show answer
Answer: (c) Commercialization of Indian agriculture
Q52Prelims 2018
He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna, stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was:
- (a) Aurobindo Ghosh
- (b) Bipin Chandra Pal
- (c) Lala Lajpat Rai
- (d) Motilal Nehru
Show answer
Answer: (c) Lala Lajpat Rai
Q53Prelims 2018
Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?
- (a) Active all-India participation of lawyers, students and women in the National Movement
- (b) Active involvement of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement
- (c) Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement
- (d) Drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial crops
Show answer
Answer: (c) Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement
Q54Prelims 2018
In 1920, which of the following changed its name to “Swarajya Sabha”?
- (a) All India Home Rule League
- (b) Hindu Mahasabha
- (c) South Indian Liberal Federation
- (d) The Servants of India Society
Show answer
Answer: (a) All India Home Rule League
Q55Prelims 2018
In the federation established by the Government of India Act of 1935, residuary powers given to the
- (a) Federal Legislature
- (b) Governor General
- (c) Provincial Legislature
- (d) Provincial Governors
Show answer
Answer: (b) Governor General
Q56Prelims 2018
Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948?
- (a) B. Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K.C. George
- (b) Jayaprakash Narayan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and M.N. Roy
- (c) C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu
- (d) Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta
Show answer
Answer: (d) Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta
Q57Prelims 2018
Regarding Wood’s Dispatch, which of the following statements are true?
- 1. Grants-in-Aid system was introduced.
- 2. Establishment of universities was recommended.
- 3. English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Q58Prelims 2018
Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India?
- 1. Charter Act of 1813
- 2. General Committee of Public Instruction, 1823
- 3. Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q59Prelims 2018
With reference to educational institutions during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs:
Institution Founder 1. Sanskrit College at Benaras William Jones 2. Calcutta Madrasa Warren Hastings 3. Fort William College Arthur Wellesley Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Q60Prelims 2018
Consider the following events:
- 1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India.
- 2. India’s then largest bank, ‘Imperial Bank of India’, was renamed ‘State Bank of India’.
- 3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.
- 4. Goa became a part of independent India.
Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
- (a) 4 - 1 - 2 - 3
- (b) 3 - 2 - 1 - 4
- (c) 4 - 2 - 1 - 3
- (d) 3 - 1 - 2 - 4
Show answer
Answer: (b) 3 - 2 - 1 - 4
Q61Prelims 2017
Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British rule?
- 1. Lord Cornwallis
- 2. Alexander Read
- 3. Thomas Munro
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only
Q62Prelims 2017
Consider the following pairs:
- 1. Radhakanta Deb — First President of the British Indian Association
- 2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty —Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha
- 3. Surendranath Banerjee — Founder of the Indian Association
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
Q63Prelims 2017
Consider the following statements:
- 1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.
- 2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organising the labour movement in British India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Q64Prelims 2017
The Trade Disputes Act of 1929 provided for
- (a) The participation of workers in the management of industries.
- (b) Arbitrary powers to the management to quell industrial disputes.
- (c) An intervention by the British Court in the event of a trade dispute.
- (d) A system of tribunals and a ban on strikes.
Show answer
Answer: (d) A system of tribunals and a ban on strikes.
Q65Prelims 2017
In the context of Indian history, the principle of ‘Dyarchy (diarchy)’ refers to
- (a) Division of the central legislature into two houses.
- (b) Introduction of double government, i.e., Central and State governments.
- (c) Having two sets of rulers, one in London and another in Delhi.
- (d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories.
Show answer
Answer: (d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories.
Q66Prelims 2017
The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to?
- (a) Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
- (b) Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
- (c) Impose censorship on the national press.
- (d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Show answer
Answer: (d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Q67Prelims 2017
With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events:
- 1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
- 2. Quit India Movement launched
- 3. Second Round Table Conference
What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
- (a) 1-2-3
- (b) 2-1-3
- (c) 3-2-1
- (d) 3-1-2
Show answer
Answer: (c) 3-2-1
Q68Prelims 2016
Satya Shodhak Samaj organised:
- (a) a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar
- (b) a temple-entry movement in Gujarat
- (c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
- (d) a peasant movement in Punjab
Show answer
Answer: (c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
Q69Prelims 2016
Consider the following:
- 1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
- 2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
- 3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
- (a) 1 and 3 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Q70Prelims 2016
What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?
- (a) Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto.
- (b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government.
- (c) Foundation of Muslim League.
- (d) Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the president of the Indian National Congress.
Show answer
Answer: (b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government.
Q71Prelims 2016
The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the
- (a) Agitation against the partition of Bengal
- (b) Home Rule Movement
- (c) Non-Cooperation Movement
- (d) Visit of Simon Commission to India
Show answer
Answer: (a) Agitation against the partition of Bengal
Q72Prelims 2016
The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to
- (a) Social reforms
- (b) Education reforms
- (c) Reforms in public administration
- (d) Constitutional reforms
Show answer
Answer: (d) Constitutional reforms
Q73Prelims 2016
The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War:
- (a) India should be granted complete independence
- (b) India should be partitioned into two before granting independence
- (c) India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth
- (d) India should be given Dominion status
Show answer
Answer: (d) India should be given Dominion status
Q74Prelims 2015
Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’?
- (a) Swadeshi Movement
- (b) Quit India Movement
- (c) Non-Cooperation Movement
- (d) Civil Disobedience Movement
Show answer
Answer: (b) Quit India Movement
Q75Prelims 2015
Consider the following statements:
- 1. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
- 2. The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Q76Prelims 2015
Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India?
- 1. Dadabhai Naoroji
- 2. G. Subramania Iyer
- 3. R. C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q77Prelims 2015
The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined
- (a) the separation of power between the judiciary and the legislature
- (b) the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments
- (c) the powers of the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy
- (d) None of the above
Show answer
Answer: (b) the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments
Q78Prelims 2015
Who of the following organised a march on the Tanjore coast to break the Salt Law in April 1930?
- (a) V.O Chidambaram Pillai
- (b) C. Rajagopalachari
- (c) K. Kamaraj
- (d) Annie Besant
Show answer
Answer: (b) C. Rajagopalachari
Q79Prelims 2015
With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1. The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the ‘Sedition Committee’.
- 2. In Rowlatt Satyagraha Gandhiji tried to use the Home Rule League.
- 3. Demonstrations against the Simon Commission coincided with the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
Q80Prelims 2015
With reference to the Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements:
- 1. It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.
- 2. It wanted to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat.
- 3. It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None of the above
Show answer
Answer: (d) None of the above
Q81Prelims 2015
With reference to Cabinet Mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1. It recommended a federal government.
- 2. It enlarged the powers of the Indian courts.
- 3. It provided for more Indians in the ICS.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) None of the above
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 only
Q82Prelims 2014
What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)?
- 1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States.
- 2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown.
- 3. To regulate East India Company’s trade with India.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Q83Prelims 2014
The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until
- (a) the First World War when Indian troops were needed by the British and the partition was ended.
- (b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act at the Royal Durbar in Delhi in 1911.
- (c) Gandhiji launched his Civil Disobedience Movement.
- (d) the Partition of India in 1947 when East Bengal became East Pakistan.
Show answer
Answer: (b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act at the Royal Durbar in Delhi in 1911.
Q84Prelims 2014
The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a:
- (a) Revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco
- (b) Nationalist organization operating from Singapore
- (c) Militant organization with headquarters at Berlin
- (d) Communist movement for India’s freedom with headquarters at Tashkent
Show answer
Answer: (a) Revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco
Q85Prelims 2014
The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the
- (a) attainment of Self-Government was declared as the objective of the Congress
- (b) attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of the Congress
- (c) Non-Cooperation Movement was launched
- (d) decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in London was taken
Show answer
Answer: (b) attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of the Congress
Q86Prelims 2014
The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to
- (a) solve the problem of minorities in India
- (b) give effect to the Independence Bill
- (c) delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan
- (d) enquire into the riots in East Bengal
Show answer
Answer: (c) delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan
Q87Prelims 2013
Annie Besant was:
- 1. Responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement.
- 2. The founder of the Theosophical Society.
- 3. Once the President of the Indian National Congress.
Select the correct statement/statements using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Q88Prelims 2013
The Ilbert Bill controversy was related to the
- (a) imposition of certain restrictions to carry arms by the Indians.
- (b) imposition of restrictions on newspapers and magazines published in Indian languages.
- (c) removal of disqualifications imposed on the Indian Magistrates with regard to the trial of the Europeans.
- (d) removal of a duty on imported cotton cloth.
Show answer
Answer: (c) removal of disqualifications imposed on the Indian Magistrates with regard to the trial of the Europeans.
Q89Prelims 2013
The people of India agitated against the arrival of the Simon Commission because
- (a) Indians never wanted the review of the working of the Act of 1919
- (b) Simon Commission recommended the abolition of Dyarchy (Diarchy) in the provinces
- (c) there was no Indian member in the Simon Commission
- (d) the Simon Commission suggested the partition of the country
Show answer
Answer: (c) there was no Indian member in the Simon Commission
Q90Prelims 2013
The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for
- (a) the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third
- (b) the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land
- (c) the uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of serfdom
- (d) writing off all peasant debts
Show answer
Answer: (a) the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third
Q91Prelims 2013
Quit India Movement was launched in response to
- (a) Cabinet Mission Plan
- (b) Cripps Proposals
- (c) Simon Commission Report
- (d) Wavell Plan
Show answer
Answer: (b) Cripps Proposals
Q92Prelims 2013
With reference to Indian History, the Member of the Constituent Assembly from the provinces were
- (a) Directly elected by the people of those provinces
- (b) Nominated by the Indian National Congress and the Muslim league
- (c) Elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies
- (d) Selected by the Government for their expertise in constitutional matters.
Show answer
Answer: (c) Elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies