Q1: The 1896 session of the Indian National Congress is best known for which among the following?
1. India’s national song was sung for the first time
2. India’s national anthem was sung for the first time
3. India’s tricolour flag was hoisted for the first time
4. None of the above
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: The song Vande Mataram holds a significant place in India’s history and culture. It was originally composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterji and is featured in his famous novel Anand Math, published in 1882. The song, with its fervent patriotism and devotion to the motherland, achieved an equal status with the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana. It was set to music by Rabindranath Tagore and first sung publicly during the 12th annual session of the Indian National Congress in 1896, held in Calcutta. In 1937, the song was officially declared as the National Song of India through a resolution.
Q2: The first meeting of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in 1885 A.D. under the leadership of whom?
1. Dadabhai Naoroji
2. Sir C. Sankaran Nair
3. Womesh Chandra Banerjee
4. Badruddin Tyabji
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: The Indian National Congress (INC) had its first meeting organized by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired civil service officer, on December 28, 1885, at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. The INC, in its early years, aimed to secure greater participation in governance and civil services for educated Indians under British rule. Womesh Chandra Banerjee was elected as its first President. This marked the first organized expression of the Indian national movement on an all-India scale.
Q3: The biographical memoir of A.O. Hume was written by whom?
1. Sir William Wedderburn
2. Lord Dufferin
3. J. Charles
4. None of the above
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: Sir William Wedderburn, a Scottish civil servant and politician in India, wrote a biographical memoir of A.O. Hume, who played a pivotal role as the founder of the Indian National Congress. Hume’s efforts in organizing the first INC meeting in 1885 are well-documented.
Q4: Which among the following organisations merged with Congress in 1886?
1. East Indian Association
2. Indian National Association
3. British Indian Association
4. Indian League
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: The second session of the Indian National Congress took place in 1886 in Calcutta, with Dadabhai Naoroji serving as the President. During this session, the Indian Association, founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose in 1876, merged with the INC. This merger signified the growing strength and unity of the Indian nationalist movement.
Q5: The first Englishman to preside over a Congress session was whom?
1. George Yule
2. Dufferin
3. W. Wedderburn
4. None of the above
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: George Yule, a Scottish businessman, became the fourth President of the Indian National Congress in 1888. His presidency marked the first instance of a non-Indian holding this prestigious office, reflecting the diversity and inclusivity of the INC during its early years.
Q6: The Congress is in reality a civil war without arms. Who made the above statement?
1. Sir William Wedderburn
2. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan
3. D.W. Bethune
4. Lord Dufferin
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, a prominent Islamic reformer and philosopher in the 19th century, made a candid critique of the Indian National Congress. He likened it to a civil war without arms, expressing his reservations about the effectiveness and inclusivity of the INC as a representative body.
Q7: Who was the Governor-General of India at the time of the formation of the Indian National Congress?
1. Lord Chelmsford
2. Lord Dalhousie
3. Lord Dufferin
4. None of these
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: Lord Dufferin served as the Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888, succeeding Lord Ripon in December 1884. He was known for his diplomatic skills and contributions to British administration in India.
Q8: Who was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress?
1. Hakim Azmal Khan
2. Abul Kalam Azad
3. Rafi Ahmad Kidwai
4. Badruddin Taiyabji
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: Badruddin Taiyabji was a significant figure in India, being the first Indian Barrister in Bombay and the second Indian Chief Justice. He was a founding member of the Bombay Presidency Association and the Indian National Congress (INC). Taiyabji also presided over the third Congress session in Madras in 1887.
Q9: Who among the following is credited for the founding of the Indian National Congress?
1. A.O. Hume
2. A.O. Hume and Dinshaw Edulji Wacha
3. Dadabhai Naoroji, A.O. Hume, and Dinshaw Edulji Wacha
4. None of the above
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a pivotal role in organizing the first meeting of the Indian National Congress in Bombay in 1885. He worked alongside notable figures like Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Justice K. T. Telang, N. G. Chandavarkar, William Wedderburn, and Pherozeshah Mehta, among others, in founding the INC.
Q10: Which of the following is related to Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit pathshala?
1. First Meeting of Indian National Congress
2. Second Session of Indian National Congress
3. First fast of Gandhi Ji
4. First Ashram of Gandhi Ji
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: The first meeting of the INC was organised by A.O. Hume at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College on 28th December 1885 in Bombay. Its first President was W.C. Bonnerjee. It was the first organised expression of the Indian National movement on an all-India scale.
Q11: In which year was a British Committee of INC founded?
1. 1885
2. 1887
3. 1889
4. 1891
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: The British Committee of the Indian National Congress was established in Britain in 1889 by the INC. Its primary objective was to raise awareness about Indian issues and concerns among the British public, to whom the Government of India was responsible. William Wedderburn served as the first chairman, and William Digby was its secretary.
Q12: In which session of the Indian National Congress was Dadabhai Naoroji elected president for the first time?
1. Bombay
2. Calcutta
3. Lucknow
4. Karachi
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first President of the INC, serving in the 1885 Bombay Session. Dadabhai Naoroji succeeded him and became the second President in the 1886 Calcutta Session. Mahatma Gandhi served as the Congress President in the 1924 Belgaum session, and Subhash Chandra Bose held the position in 1938 and 1939.
Q13: A body like the Congress which represents not the mass of the population, but a single and very limited class, could not be called national. The above statement in context with the Indian National Congress was given by which among the following personalities?
1. Nabagopal Mitra
2. Rishi Arubindo Ghose
3. Lala Lajpat Rai
4. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Rishi Aurobindo, also known as Arubindo Ghose, was a multifaceted Indian philosopher, yogi, guru, poet, and nationalist. He expressed reservations about the Indian National Congress, believing it represented a limited class rather than the entire Indian population.
Q14: In which of the following sessions of the Indian National Congress was Dadabhai Naoroji elected president for the first time?
1. Bombay
2. Calcutta
3. Lucknow
4. Karachi
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first President of INC, elected in the 1885 Bombay Session. Dadabhai Naoroji was the second President, elected in the 1886 Calcutta Session. Mahatma Gandhi was elected Congress President in the 1924 Belgaum session, and Subhash Chandra Bose was elected Congress president in 1938 & 1939.
Q15: Who made the statement, Congress is, in reality, a civil war without arms?
1. Lord Dufferin
2. Lala Lajpat Rai
3. Mohammad Ali Jinnah
4. Syed Ahmad Khan
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: Syed Ahmad Khan, an Islamic reformer and philosopher of the 19th century during British rule in India, made the statement about the Indian National Congress, calling it a civil war without arms.
Q16: Who gave the safety valve theory for the Indian National Congress?
1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
2. Lala Lajpat Rai
3. Bipinchandra Pal
4. MN Roy
Show Answer
ansAnswer: 2
Answer: 2
Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai presented the safety valve theory in the pages of Young India in 1916, attributing this idea to Lord Dufferin. The theory posited that the British allowed the formation of the Indian National Congress to let out political steam, thereby preventing more significant, potentially violent opposition to British rule.
Q17: During the period of the late 1860s and 1870s, which of the following statements are correct?
1. Younger and more radical nationalist intellectuals entered into politics.
2. Some of the older organisations became reactionary and moribund.
3. The first English newspapers were established.
Choose the right option
1. Only 1 & 2
2. Only 2 & 3
3. Only 1 & 3
4. 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: The late 1860s and 1870s saw the entry of younger and more radical nationalist intellectuals into politics, with new associations emerging. Some older organizations, like the British Indian Association of Bengal, took a more conservative stance, while this period saw the establishment of the first English-language newspapers in India, which played a vital role in shaping public opinion and the nationalist movement.
Q18: What were the major objectives of the early Congress?
1. To educate and mobilise people on an all India basis.
2. To propagate anti-colonial nationalist ideology.
3. To take up social reforms.
4. To strive for internalisation and indigenization of political democracy.
Choose the right option.
1. Only 1 & 2
2. Only 1, 2 & 4
3. Only 1, 3 & 4
4. Only 1 & 4
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: In its early years, the major objectives of the Indian National Congress included educating and mobilizing people on an all-India basis, propagating anti-colonial nationalist ideology, and striving for the internalization and indigenization of political democracy. The INC primarily focused on political reforms and representation within the British colonial system rather than taking up social reforms as part of its objectives.
Q19: Regarding the All-India Spinners’ Association, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It was set up as an expert organisation for the development of hand-spinning and Khaddar with independent existence and powers.
2. It was established as an integral part of the Congress organisation.
3. It consisted of members, associates, and donors with an executive council.
Choose the right option
1. Only 1 & 2
2. Only 1 & 3
3. Only 2 & 3
4. 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: The All-India Spinners’ Association was created as an expert organization to promote hand-spinning and the use of Khadi (homespun cloth) as a symbol of self-reliance and a tool for resisting British-made textiles. It was not established as an integral part of the Indian National Congress but worked in alignment with its principles.
Q20: What was the main idea behind the establishment of the United Patriotic Association by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1888?
1. To launch a parallel organisation to Congress for Muslims
2. To show British allegiance of Muslims
3. To voice Indian grievances in England
4. To oppose Congress
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: In 1888, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan established the United Patriotic Association as a parallel organization to the Indian National Congress, specifically for Muslims who were opposed to the INC’s objectives or policies.
Q21: Which of the following statements are correct?
1. In the First session of the Congress, it adopted a resolution expressing dissatisfaction with the current system of governance and demanded reforms in the Councils.
2. The Indian Councils Act 1892 was enacted partially due to the efforts of the Indian National Congress.
3. For the first time, the Indian Councils Act authorised universities, District Boards, Municipalities, Zamindars, and Chambers of Commerce to send members to Provincial councils.
Choose the right option.
1. Only 1 is correct
2. Only 1 & 2 are correct
3. Only 2 & 3 are correct
4. All are correct
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: The first session of the Indian National Congress adopted a resolution demanding reforms in the Councils. The Indian Councils Act of 1892 was influenced by the Congress’s efforts, authorizing various entities to send members to Provincial councils, marking an early step toward representative government.
Q22: What was the basic objective of the Indian National Congress when it was founded in 1885?
1. To oppose the annexation of Upper Burma with India
2. To launch the Indian Freedom Movement
3. To secure a greater share in government for educated Indians
4. To hold the Indian Civil Services Examination in India
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: The primary objective of the Indian National Congress when it was founded in 1885 was to secure a greater share in the government for educated Indians and advocate for their right to participate in higher civil services under British Administration.
Q23: What was the reason for shifting the venue of the first session of the Indian National Congress from Poona to Bombay?
1. Cholera outbreak
2. Mass revolt
3. Communal violence
4. Curfew declared by the British
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: The venue of the first session of the Indian National Congress was shifted from Poona to Bombay due to a severe cholera outbreak in Poona, highlighting the practical considerations of public health.
Q24: Who was the President of the second session of the Indian National Congress?
1. W.C. Banerjee
2. Dadabhai Naoroji
3. A.O. Hume
4. Rasbehari Ghosh
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji served as the President of the second session of the Indian National Congress, held in 1886 in Calcutta. His leadership marked an important phase in the early years of the organization.
Q25: Which time phase is considered the moderate phase of the Indian National Congress?
1. 1880-1920
2. 1901-1925
3. 1885-1905
4. 1905-1911
Show Answer
Answer: 3
Explanation: The Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress was active from 1885 to 1905. The Moderates believed in settling with the British Government and advocated for gradual reforms rather than adopting radical or confrontational approaches.
Q26: What was the journal of the British Committee of the Indian National Congress, set up in 1889?
1. India
2. Indian Sociologist
3. Young India
4. Foreign India
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: The journal of the British Committee of the Indian National Congress, established in 1889, was named India and served as a platform for publishing the views and activities of the Congress.
Q27: Who criticised the Indian National Congress by saying it was the microscopic minority of the people?
1. Lord Dufferin
2. Lord Cross
3. Lord Hamilton
4. Lord Curzon
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: In 1887, Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of India, criticized the Congress, describing its members as a body of microscopic minority, reflecting his perspective on the limited representation and impact of the Congress at that time.
Q28: Who said, The Congress is tottering to its fall, and one of my great ambitions, while in India, is to assist it to a peaceful demise?
1. Lord Hamilton
2. Lord Cross
3. Lord Dufferin
4. Lord Curzon
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: Lord Curzon, who served as Viceroy of India in 1898, expressed his belief that the Indian National Congress was tottering to its fall and aimed to assist in its peaceful decline. This statement exemplifies his approach to dealing with the Congress during his tenure.
Q29: Who demanded self-government within the British Government even before Dadabhai Nouroji?
1. MG Ranade
2. GK Gokhale
3. SN Banerjee
4. None of the above
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, in 1905, demanded self-government within the British Government, which preceded Dadabhai Naoroji’s call for self-government or Swaraj during the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1906. These demands signaled a growing desire for Indian self-rule.
Q30: Which of the following clearly defines the Policy of 3 Ps’ of the Indian National Congress?
1. Pray Please Protest
2. Pray Promise Protest
3. Pray Promise Perfect
4. People Please Peace
Show Answer
Answer: 2
Explanation: The working policy of the Indian National Congress was known as the Policy of 3 Ps, which stood for Pray, Promise, Protest. This approach encompassed advocating for Indian interests through petitions, seeking promises for reforms, and organizing protests when necessary.
Q31: Who made the statement, In my belief, Congress is tottering to its fall, and one of my great ambitions while in India is to assist it to a peaceful demise?
1. Lord Curzon, in a letter to the Secretary of States in 1900
2. Lord Curzon, while announcing the partition of Bengal
3. Lord Dufferin, during the farewell speech at Calcutta
4. Lord Minto, while addressing the Muslim delegation which met him at Simla in 1906
Show Answer
Answer: 1
Explanation: Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India in 1898, made the statement. He was known for his keenness to suppress the Indian national movement and expressed his ambition to assist the Congress to a peaceful demise.
Q32: Which of the following initial presidents of the Indian National Congress also served as Sheriff of Calcutta?
1. Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee
2. Surendranath Banerjee
3. Anand Mohan Bose
4. George Yule
Show Answer
Answer: 4
Explanation: George Yule, who served as the fourth President of the Indian National Congress, also held the position of Sheriff of Calcutta. He was one of the early non-Indian figures to hold the office of Congress President, reflecting the diverse leadership within the organization during its formative years.
