Welcome to “Set 19” of our “Indian History – UPSC MCQ Series”! This set is meticulously designed to test your knowledge of key events and developments in modern Indian history, spanning the late phase of the freedom struggle and the crucial decades of post-independence India. Dive into questions covering significant constitutional developments like the Simon Commission and Nehru Report, the Gandhian movements including the Salt March and Civil Disobedience, and the political transitions leading to India’s independence. Furthermore, this set explores the complex process of princely state integration, the linguistic reorganization of states, and landmark economic and social transformations such as the Green and White Revolutions, bank nationalization, and the Emergency. Concluding with contemporary policy initiatives and scientific milestones, this series aims to provide a comprehensive review for UPSC aspirants.
Set 19
901. The Simon Commission (1927) was boycotted because:
A. It proposed partition
B. It had no Indian members
C. It was pro-Congress
D. It demanded dominion status
Answer: B
Explanation: The Simon Commission was appointed by the British government in 1927 to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919. It faced widespread boycott in India because it was an all-white commission, meaning it had no Indian members to decide on India’s constitutional future.
902. The main recommendation of the Simon Commission was:
A. Separate electorate for Muslims
B. Dominion status for India
C. Federal Constitution
D. Complete independence
Answer: C
Explanation: The main recommendation of the Simon Commission was the establishment of a Federal Constitution for India, with autonomy for provinces. It also suggested the abolition of dyarchy in the provinces and the continuation of communal electorates.
903. The Nehru Report (1928) rejected:
A. Fundamental rights
B. Dominion status
C. Separate electorates
D. Bicameral legislature
Answer: C
Explanation: The Nehru Report of 1928, drafted by a committee headed by Motilal Nehru, was a comprehensive proposal for India’s future constitution. It explicitly rejected separate electorates (which had been a feature of British policy since 1909) and advocated for joint electorates with reservation of seats for minorities in certain areas. It proposed Dominion Status for India, not rejecting it.
904. The Round Table Conferences were held in:
A. Bombay
B. London
C. Delhi
D. Madras
Answer: B
Explanation: The three Round Table Conferences (1930, 1931, 1932) were convened by the British Government to discuss constitutional reforms in India. All these conferences were held in London, the capital of the United Kingdom.
905. Gandhiji attended which Round Table Conference?
A. First
B. Second
C. Third
D. None
Answer: B
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi, as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, attended only the Second Round Table Conference, held in London in 1931. This was a result of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
906. The Purna Swaraj resolution (1929) was passed at:
A. Calcutta
B. Lahore
C. Lucknow
D. Karachi
Answer: B
Explanation: The historic Purna Swaraj (complete independence) resolution was passed at the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in December 1929. On January 26, 1930, was declared as ‘Purna Swaraj Day’.
907. The Lahore Session of Congress (1929) was presided over by:
A. Gandhi
B. Nehru
C. Patel
D. Rajendra Prasad
Answer: B
Explanation: The significant Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in 1929, where the Purna Swaraj resolution was passed, was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru.
908. The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched in:
A. 1928
B. 1930
C. 1932
D. 1935
Answer: B
Explanation: The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi with the iconic Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) on March 12, 1930.
909. The Salt March (1930) began from:
A. Dandi
B. Sabarmati
C. Wardha
D. Bardoli
Answer: B
Explanation: The famous Salt March (Dandi March), which marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement, began on March 12, 1930, from Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and concluded at Dandi.
910. The Dandi March lasted for:
A. 15 days
B. 24 days
C. 30 days
D. 40 days
Answer: B
Explanation: The Dandi March began on March 12, 1930, from Sabarmati Ashram and ended on April 6, 1930, when Gandhi broke the salt law at Dandi. The march, covering approximately 240 miles, thus lasted for 24 days.
911. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) was signed before which session?
A. Lahore
B. Karachi
C. Delhi
D. Allahabad
Answer: B
Explanation: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on March 5, 1931. This agreement allowed for the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement and Congress’s participation in the Second Round Table Conference. The Karachi Session of the Congress (March 29-31, 1931) was held immediately after the signing of this pact, where the pact was endorsed.
912. The Karachi Session (1931) was important for:
A. Fundamental Rights resolution
B. Communal harmony resolution
C. Civil Disobedience withdrawal
D. Participation in 3rd RTC
Answer: A
Explanation: The Karachi Session of the Congress in March 1931, presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was significant for adopting a landmark resolution on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme, outlining the vision for an independent India.
913. The British Prime Minister who oversaw Indian independence was:
A. Ramsay MacDonald
B. Winston Churchill
C. Clement Attlee
D. Harold Wilson
Answer: C
Explanation: Clement Attlee, leader of the Labour Party, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1945. He was the British Prime Minister who oversaw the process of India gaining its independence in 1947.
914. The Indian Independence Act was passed in:
A. British Parliament
B. Indian Legislature
C. Constituent Assembly
D. Indian National Congress
Answer: A
Explanation: The Indian Independence Act of 1947, which provided for the partition of India and the transfer of power, was passed by the British Parliament in July 1947.
915. The last British Governor-General of India was:
A. Lord Mountbatten
B. Lord Wavell
C. C. Rajagopalachari
D. Lord Linlithgow
Answer: A
Explanation: Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India and also served as the first Governor-General of independent India (from August 15, 1947, to June 21, 1948).
916. The first Indian Governor-General was:
A. Sardar Patel
B. Nehru
C. Rajendra Prasad
D. C. Rajagopalachari
Answer: D
Explanation: After Lord Mountbatten’s tenure as Governor-General of independent India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (C. Rajagopalachari) became the first and last Indian Governor-General of India, serving from June 1948 until the Republic of India was established in January 1950.
917. The first state to join Indian Union by military action was:
A. Junagadh
B. Hyderabad
C. Kashmir
D. Goa
Answer: A
Explanation: While the integration of several princely states involved military force, Junagadh was chronologically the first state where military action/presence directly led to its integration into the Indian Union. Following the Nawab’s decision to accede to Pakistan and subsequent public protests, Indian troops were moved in November 1947, leading to the Nawab’s flight and the state’s eventual accession and a plebiscite. Hyderabad’s “Police Action” (Operation Polo) was in September 1948.
918. The integration of princely states was led by:
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Rajendra Prasad
C. Sardar Patel
D. B.R. Ambedkar
Answer: C
Explanation: The crucial and complex task of integrating over 500 princely states into the Indian Union after independence was primarily spearheaded by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, serving as the Minister of States, ably assisted by V.P. Menon.
919. The Instrument of Accession was signed by Kashmir in:
A. August 1947
B. September 1947
C. October 1947
D. November 1947
Answer: C
Explanation: The Instrument of Accession was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, on October 26, 1947, following an invasion by Pakistani tribal militias, paving the way for Indian military intervention.
920. The States Reorganisation Commission (1953) was headed by:
A. Fazl Ali
B. Nehru
C. K.M. Munshi
D. H.N. Kunzru
Answer: A
Explanation: The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was set up in 1953 to recommend the reorganization of state boundaries. It was a three-member commission headed by Justice Fazl Ali, with K.M. Panikkar and H.N. Kunzru as its other members.
921. The first linguistic state formed in India was:
A. Maharashtra
B. Andhra Pradesh
C. Kerala
D. Gujarat
Answer: B
Explanation: The demand for linguistic states gained momentum after independence. Following the fast unto death of Potti Sriramulu, Andhra Pradesh was created as the first state formed on a linguistic basis in October 1953, carved out from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras Presidency.
922. The Green Revolution focused on:
A. Oil crops
B. Horticulture
C. Food grains
D. Milk production
Answer: C
Explanation: The Green Revolution in India, which began in the mid-1960s, primarily focused on dramatically increasing the production of food grains, particularly wheat and rice, through the use of High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation.
923. The Father of the White Revolution in India was:
A. Norman Borlaug
B. Dr. Verghese Kurien
C. C. Subramaniam
D. M.S. Swaminathan
Answer: B
Explanation: Dr. Verghese Kurien is widely regarded as the “Father of the White Revolution” in India for his leadership in establishing the cooperative dairy movement (Amul) and spearheading Operation Flood, which transformed India into the world’s largest milk producer.
924. Operation Flood was launched to improve:
A. Irrigation
B. Dairy production
C. Rice exports
D. Fertilizer supply
Answer: B
Explanation: Operation Flood, launched in 1970, was a program focused on significantly increasing dairy production and establishing a nationwide milk grid, laying the foundation for India’s “White Revolution.”
925. The nationalisation of banks in India occurred in:
A. 1967
B. 1969
C. 1971
D. 1975
Answer: B
Explanation: The major nationalisation of 14 commercial banks in India took place on July 19, 1969, under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Another round of nationalisation involving 6 more banks occurred in 1980.
926. The first nuclear test (Pokhran-I) was conducted in:
A. 1972
B. 1974
C. 1975
D. 1998
Answer: B
Explanation: India conducted its first peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE), codenamed “Smiling Buddha,” at Pokhran, Rajasthan, on May 18, 1974.
927. The emergency of 1975 was declared by:
A. Rajiv Gandhi
B. Indira Gandhi
C. Morarji Desai
D. Charan Singh
Answer: B
Explanation: The National Emergency proclaimed on June 25, 1975, was done by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.
928. The 44th Amendment Act (1978) removed:
A. Secularism
B. Fundamental Rights
C. Right to Property
D. Directive Principles
Answer: C
Explanation: The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1978, passed by the Janata Party government, repealed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 31 and Article 19(1)(f)) and made it a legal right under Article 300A.
929. The Janata Party was formed in response to:
A. Green Revolution
B. Emergency
C. Nationalisation
D. Bangladesh war
Answer: B
Explanation: The Janata Party was a broad coalition of Indian political parties opposed to the Emergency. It was formed in 1977 primarily in response to the Emergency (1975-77) imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and it successfully contested and won the 1977 general elections.
930. The first non-Congress government at Centre was led by:
A. Charan Singh
B. V.P. Singh
C. Morarji Desai
D. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Answer: C
Explanation: Following the 1977 general elections, the Janata Party formed the first non-Congress government at the Centre, with Morarji Desai as the Prime Minister.
931. The Mandir-Mandal issue in 1990s was related to:
A. Ayodhya temple and caste reservation
B. Partition
C. Kashmir issue
D. Punjab insurgency
Answer: A
Explanation: The “Mandir-Mandal” issue refers to two significant and often intertwined political and social debates in India during the 1990s: “Mandir” referred to the Ram Janmabhoomi (Ayodhya) temple movement, and “Mandal” referred to the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations on caste reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central government jobs.
932. The Second Backward Classes Commission is known as:
A. Mandal Commission
B. Kaka Kalelkar Commission
C. Sachar Committee
D. Narsimhan Committee
Answer: A
Explanation: The Second Backward Classes Commission, appointed in 1979 by the Janata Party government, was headed by B.P. Mandal, and is thus popularly known as the Mandal Commission.
933. The Babri Masjid demolition took place in:
A. 1988
B. 1990
C. 1992
D. 1996
Answer: C
Explanation: The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by a large crowd of Hindu nationalists on December 6, 1992.
934. Panchayati Raj system was given constitutional status in:
A. 1987
B. 1989
C. 1992
D. 1996
Answer: C
Explanation: The Panchayati Raj system was granted constitutional status in 1992 through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts. The 73rd Amendment added Part IX (Panchayats) and the Eleventh Schedule, while the 74th Amendment added Part IXA (Municipalities) and the Twelfth Schedule.
935. The Right to Education (RTE) became enforceable in:
A. 2002
B. 2005
C. 2009
D. 2010
Answer: D
Explanation: While the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act in 2002 made education a Fundamental Right (Article 21A), the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act was enacted in 2009 and came into force on April 1, 2010, making the right enforceable throughout India.
936. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced in India in:
A. 2015
B. 2016
C. 2017
D. 2018
Answer: C
Explanation: The Goods and Services Tax (GST), a comprehensive indirect tax, was implemented in India on July 1, 2017.
937. The NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in:
A. 2014
B. 2015
C. 2016
D. 2017
Answer: B
Explanation: The Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) by a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015.
938. The Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched in:
A. 2016
B. 2017
C. 2018
D. 2019
Answer: C
Explanation: The Ayushman Bharat scheme, India’s flagship health insurance program, was launched in 2018. Its Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) component became operational in September 2018.
939. The UDAN scheme is related to:
A. Dairy development
B. Rural roads
C. Air connectivity
D. Urban housing
Answer: C
Explanation: The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aims to enhance regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for common citizens.
940. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme was launched in:
A. 2014
B. 2015
C. 2016
D. 2017
Answer: B
Explanation: The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, aimed at addressing declining child sex ratio and promoting girl education, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana.
941. The Make in India campaign was launched in:
A. 2014
B. 2015
C. 2016
D. 2017
Answer: A
Explanation: The Make in India initiative, aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and attracting foreign investment, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25, 2014.
942. The first Digital India Week was launched in:
A. 2014
B. 2015
C. 2016
D. 2018
Answer: B
Explanation: The Digital India programme, a flagship initiative to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, was launched on July 1, 2015. The first “Digital India Week” was also celebrated in July 2015.
943. The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) replaced which policy?
A. NEP 1985
B. NEP 1986
C. NEP 1992
D. NEP 2000
Answer: B
Explanation: The National Education Policy (NEP 2020), approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, replaced the previous National Policy on Education of 1986.
944. The first Indian woman to go to space was:
A. Kalpana Chawla
B. Sunita Williams
C. Ritu Karidhal
D. Tessy Thomas
Answer: A
Explanation: Kalpana Chawla, an American astronaut of Indian origin, was the first woman of Indian descent to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Sunita Williams is also an American astronaut of Indian descent, Ritu Karidhal and Tessy Thomas are prominent Indian scientists.
945. The first Indian satellite launched in 1975 was:
A. Bhaskara
B. INSAT-1A
C. Aryabhata
D. Rohini
Answer: C
Explanation: India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, named after the ancient Indian astronomer, was launched on April 19, 1975, by the Soviet Union.
946. The founder of ISRO was:
A. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
B. K. Radhakrishnan
C. Vikram Sarabhai
D. Homi Bhabha
Answer: C
Explanation: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is widely regarded as the “Father of the Indian Space Programme” and was the primary visionary and founder of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969.
947. The Green Revolution in India began during the time of:
A. Nehru
B. Indira Gandhi
C. Lal Bahadur Shastri
D. Morarji Desai
Answer: C
Explanation: While the full impact and expansion of the Green Revolution were seen during Indira Gandhi’s premiership, the foundational efforts, including the introduction of High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) and intensive agricultural development, largely began in the mid-1960s, specifically during the period of Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Prime Ministership (1964-1966).
948. The first woman Prime Minister of India was:
A. Indira Gandhi
B. Sarojini Naidu
C. Vijayalakshmi Pandit
D. Sonia Gandhi
Answer: A
Explanation: Indira Gandhi became the first and, to date, only woman Prime Minister of India in 1966, serving multiple terms.
949. India’s first general elections were held in:
A. 1947
B. 1948
C. 1950
D. 1951–52
Answer: D
Explanation: India’s first general elections for the Lok Sabha were held from October 25, 1951, to February 21, 1952.
950. The First Five-Year Plan (1951–56) emphasized:
A. Industry
B. Agriculture
C. Trade
D. Infrastructure
Answer: B
Explanation: The First Five-Year Plan (1951–56), formulated primarily by Jawaharlal Nehru, laid strong emphasis on the development of the agriculture sector, including irrigation and power projects, to address food scarcity and establish a strong base for future industrialization.