Here are 25 Questions, a part of our series on UPSC Prelims Mock Test.
Q1. Assertion (A): Gandhi stopped the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922.
Reason (R): Violence at Chauri-Chaura led him to stop the movement.
(a) Both A and R are true but R is the the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Answer – A
- Gandhi started the Non-Cooperation Movement It progressed powerfully from 1920 – Feb But the attack on a local police station by angry peasants at Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur district of UP on Feb 5, 1922, led Gandhi to stop the movement
Q2. The Hunter Commission was appointed after the:
(a) Black-hole incident
(b) Jalianwalla Bagh massacre
(c) Uprising of 1857
(d) Partition of Bengal
Answer – B
- Hunter Commission was appointed after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919). A separate Hunter Commission (1882-83) emphasized primary and secondary education
Q3. Assertion (A): The effect of labor participation in the Indian nationalist upsurge of the early 1930s was weak.
Reason (R): The labor leaders considered the ideology of the Indian National Congress as bourgeois and reactionary.
(a) Both A and R are true but R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not a the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Answer – A
- The labor leaders were influenced by communist ideology and considered INC as bourgeoisie and reactionary. That’s why their participation in the Indian nationalist upsurge was limited.
Q4. The leader of the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was:
(a) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Vithalbhai J. Patel
(d) Mahadev Desai
Answer – A
- The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, in the state of Gujarat was led by Vallabhbhai Patel. The women of Bardoli gave him the title of Sardar.
Q5. Consider the following events during India’s freedom struggle:
- Chauri-Chaura Outrage
- Minto-Morley Reforms
- Dandi March
- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the events above?
(a) 1, 3, 2, 4
(b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 1, 4, 2, 3
(d) 2, 3, 1, 4
Answer – B
- Chauri–Chaura–Feb 1922;
- Minto–Morley Reforms-1909;
- Dandi March – 1930;
- Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms–1918.
Q6. Which one of the following aroused a wave of popular indignation that led to the massacre by the British at Jallianwala Bagh
(a) The Arms Act
(b) The Public Safety Act
(c) The Rowlatt Act
(d) The Vernacular Press Act
Answer – C
- The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 during an anti-Rowlatt agitation in Amritsar. Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 which authorized the government to imprison any person without trial and conviction in a court of law. Tagore renounced his Knighthood in protest against Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Q7. During the Indian Freedom Struggle, why did the Rowlatt Act arouse popular indignation?
(a) It curtailed the freedom of religion
(b) It suppressed the Indian traditional education
(c) It authorized the government to imprison people without trial
(d) It curbed the trade union activities
Answer – C
- It was passed in March 1919, even though every single Indian member of the Central Legislative Council opposed it. It became a reason for the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy of Amritsar on 13 April 1919.
Q8. With reference to the Simon Commission’s recommendations, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) It recommended the replacement of diarchy with responsible government in the provinces
(b) It proposed the setting up of an interprovincial council under the home department
(c) It suggested the abolition of the bicameral legislature at the center.
d) It recommended the creation of the Indian Police Service with a provision for increased pay and allowances for British recruits as compared to Indian recruits
Answer – A
- Simon Commission came in 1927. Diarchy was proposed in the GOI Act, of 1919. And it was replaced with the Provincial Autonomy in the GOI Act, of 1935
Q9. The people of India agitated against the arrival of the Simon Commission because:
(a) Indians never wanted the review of the workings of the Act of 1919
(b) The 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.
Answer – c
- In November 1927, the British govt. appointed the Indian Statutory Commission, known popularly after the name of its chairman Simon Commission. All the members of the commission were Englishmen. This announcement was greeted with a chorus of protest from all Indians. What angered them most was the exclusion of Indians from the commission and the basic notion behind this exclusion was that foreigners would discuss and decide upon India’s fitness for Self-government
Q10. Who of the following organized 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
Answer – B
- C. Rajagopalachari organized a march from Trichinopoly to Vedaranniyam on the Tanjore coast to break the salt law in April 1930.
Q11. The objective 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 national press.
(d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States
Answer – D
- The Butler Committee (1927) was set up to examine the nature of the relationship between the states and the Government
Q12. The 1929 Session of the 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) the decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in London was taken
Answer – B
- The 1929 Session of the Indian, National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of the Congress
Q13. Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’?
(a) Swadeshi Movement
(b) Quit India Movement
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement
(d) Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer – A
- Surat split is an important event in the modern history of India. It took place in 1907 when the moderates parted company with the Extremists. The split in the congress was due to many reasons. The Moderates had controlled the congress from its very beginning and had their own ways of thinking and doing which were not acceptable to the younger generations who were impatient with the the speed at which the moderates were moving and leading the nation. This was the time of the Swadeshi Movement.
Q14. Consider the following statements:
- The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
- 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
Answer – B
- Annie Besant was the first woman President of the Indian National Congress. She presided over the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. Badruddin Tyabji was the “First Muslim” to become the president of the Indian National Congress
Q15. Which of the following is/are the principal feature(s) of the Government of India Act, of 1919?
- Introduction of dyarchy in the executive government of the provinces
- Introduction of separate communal electorates for Muslims
- Devolution of legislative authority by the center to the provinces
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer – C
- Principle Features of the Government of India Act 1919 Provincial Government
Executive:
Dyarchy was introduced, i.e., there were two classes of administrators – Executive councilors and ministers. - The Governor was the executive head of the province. The subjects were divided into two lists – reserved and transferred. The governor was in charge of the reserved list along with his executive councilors. The subjects under this list were law and order, irrigation, finance, land revenue, etc. The ministers were in charge of subjects under the transferred list. The subjects included were education, local government, health, excise, industry, public works, religious endowments, etc.
- The ministers were responsible to the people who elected them through the legislature.
These ministers were nominated from among the elected members of the legislative council.
The executive councilors were not responsible to the legislature, unlike the ministers.
The Secretary of State and the Governor-general could interfere in matters under the reserved list but this interference was restricted to the transferred list.
Q16. 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
Answer – C
- Ilbert bill exempted British subjects from trial by Indian magistrates and in cases involving death or transportation, they could only be tried by a high court. This proposal provoked furious protests by the Indians.
Q17. Which among the following events happened earliest?
(a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.
(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination
Answer – C
- 1859: Neeldarpan written
- 1863: Satyendranath cleared British-UPSC
- 1875: Arya Samaj
- 1882: Anandmath written.
Q18. 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
Answer – A
- South India Liberal Federation (SILF), aka Justice Party, was officially known at the time of its founding in 1916. EV Ramaswamy Naicker aka Periyar is a prominent personality associated with it.
Q19. Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948?
(a) B. Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiri pad and K.C. George
(b) Jayaprakash Narayan, Deendayal Upadhyay and M.N. Roy
(c) C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu
(d) Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Meht
Answer – D
- The Founding Conference elected Com. Ashok Mehta as the General Secretary and Com. G.G. Mehta and V.S. Mathur as Secretaries. Ms. Maniben Kara and Com. T.S. Ramanujam was elected as Vice-Presidents of HMS. So, D is most fitting. “Word association” Option A and C have people with Southern names, whereas Hind-Mazdoor sounds like a northern / Gangetic belt organization. So, they don’t fit. Similarly, those who know brief biographies of DeenDayal Upadhyay- he worked in a different organization & a different set of ideas. So, he doesn’t ‘fit’ well with J.P. Narayan (Socialist) and MN Roy (Communist).
Q20. Consider the following pairs:
Movement: Organization
- All India: Mahatma Gandhi League Anti-Untouchability Leader
- All India: Swami Sahajanad Kisan Sabha Saraswati
- Self Respect: E.V. Ramaswami Movement 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
Answer – D
- While in jail, Gandhi set up the All India AntiUntouchability League in September 1932 All India Kisan Congress/Sabha: This sabha was founded in Lucknow in April 1936 with Swami Sahjanand Saraswati as the president and N.G. Ranga as the general secretary. During the 1920s in South India, the non-brahmins organized the Self-Respect movement led by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker
Q21. With reference to the Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs: Person Position head
- Sir Tej Bahadur : President, All Sapru India Liberal Federation
- K.C. Neogy: Member, The Constituent Assembly
- P.C. Joshi: General Secretary, Communist Party of Indi
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
Answer – D
- C.P.I. General Secretary P.C. Joshi, for instance, argued in the party organ National Front in April 1939 that ‘the greatest class struggle today is our national struggle’ of which Congress was the ‘main organ’—and so Congress-Kisan unity had to be preserved. K.C. Neogy was a member of the Constituent Assembly from W. Bengal.
Q22. 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) Birsa Munda’s revolt of 1899-190
Answer – D
- The rebellion (ulgulan) of the Munda tribesmen led by Birsa Munda, occurred during 1899-1900.
Q23 One common agreement between Gandhism and Marxism is:
(a) The final goal of a stateless society
(b) Class struggle
(c) Abolition of private property
(d) Economic determinism
Answer – A
- Stateless Society: A society that lacks formal institutions of government. Gandhiji is a philosophical anarchist. Anarchist is one who is opposed to every type of state; Gandhian Ramrajya is that it is a self-regulating system where everyone is one’s own ruler. Marxism revolves around the following theoretical propositions….a classless society and a stateless society.) Karl Marx had predicted that the proletariats will take control of the state and production, destroy all class differences and class antagonisms, and finally result in the ‘withering Away of the State’. Thus, the end result will be a stateless society. From these statements, we can inform that both Gandhi & Marx aimed for a Stateless society
Q24. “In this instance, we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus.” To which one of the following events did this remark of Aitchison relate?
(a) Revolt of 1857
(b) Champaran Satyagraha (1917)
(c) Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement (1919-22)
(d) August Movement of 1942
Answer – A
- “In this instance, we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus.” This remark of Aitchison relates to the Revolt of 1857. The Indian rebellion of 1857 is also called the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, North India’s First War of Independence or North India’s first struggle for independence. It began on 10 May 1857 at Meerut, as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company’s army. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 had diverse political, economic, military, religious and social causes. A mutiny in several sepoy companies of the Bengal army was sparked by the issue of new gunpowder cartridges for the Enfield rifle February 1857
Q25. With reference to the Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs :
Persons: Position head
Radhakant Deb: Founder of Dharma Sabha
M.G. Ranade: Founder of the Indian National Social Conference
Ramabai Ranade: Founder of Poona Seva Sadan
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
Answer – B
- Statement 1 is not correct: Raj Kumar Shukla persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to come to Champaran to investigate the problem of the peasants.
- Statement 2 is correct: Acharya J.B. Kriplani was one of Mahatma Gandhi’s colleagues in his Champaran investigation
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