Q80. Which of the following statements regarding the Constituent Assembly of India are correct?
1. Its members were chosen through indirect elections by the provincial legislatures.
2. Indian princely states were allotted representation in the Constituent Assembly.
[UPSC CDS (II), 13 September 2026]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: The Constituent Assembly was formed under the Cabinet Mission framework of 1946. Representatives from British Indian provinces were indirectly elected, while princely-state representatives were to be nominated. After Partition, the Assembly continued as the constitution-making body of independent India.
Q79. Who became the first Indian Governor-General of independent India?
[SSC GD Constable, 29 May 2026, Shift 3]
(A) C. Rajagopalachari
(B) Vallabhbhai Patel
(C) Rajendra Prasad
(D) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: (A) C. Rajagopalachari
Explanation: C. Rajagopalachari succeeded Lord Mountbatten as Governor-General on 21 June 1948. He was the first and only Indian to hold this office. His tenure ended on 26 January 1950 when India became a republic and replaced the Governor-General with the President.
Q78. Consider the following statements about the Constitution of India:
1. No Article specifies that the Constitution shall be called the Constitution of India.
2. No Article explicitly repeals the Indian Independence Act, 1947, and the Government of India Act, 1935.
3. No Article mentions 26 January 1950 as the commencement date of the Constitution.
Which conclusion is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 24 May 2026]
(A) All three statements are correct.
(B) None of the statements is correct.
(C) Only two statements, including statement 3, are correct.
(D) Only one statement is correct.
Answer: (B) None of the statements is correct.
Explanation: Article 393 specifies the Constitution’s short title. Article 395 repeals the Indian Independence Act, 1947, and the Government of India Act, 1935. Article 394 specifies the commencement of the Constitution, including its general commencement on 26 January 1950. All three statements are therefore incorrect.
Q77. Assertion (A): The Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947 marked a shift toward accepting Partition to resolve political deadlock and communal violence.
Reason (R): The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 had already accepted immediate Partition into two sovereign states.
[UP PGT History, 9 May 2026]
(A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A.
(B) Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A.
(C) A is true, but R is false.
(D) A is false, but R is true.
Answer: (C) A is true, but R is false.
Explanation: The Cabinet Mission Plan sought to preserve Indian unity through a weak central union and provincial groupings. It rejected immediate Partition. The subsequent failure of political negotiations and growing communal violence contributed to the acceptance of the Mountbatten Plan in June 1947.
Q76. Which statement best explains the structural causes of the Partition of India in 1947?
[UP PGT History, 9 May 2026]
(A) It resulted solely from economic backwardness.
(B) It occurred spontaneously without political causes.
(C) It was imposed exclusively by international organizations.
(D) It arose from failed negotiations, communal politics and conflicting demands for power-sharing.
Answer: (D) It arose from failed negotiations, communal politics and conflicting demands for power-sharing.
Explanation: Partition emerged from several interconnected factors, including Congress–League disagreements, competing constitutional visions, communal mobilization and the failure of compromise proposals. The weakening of British authority and escalating violence aggravated the crisis, making political settlement increasingly difficult by early 1947.
Q75. Which of the following best describes the immediate consequences of India’s Partition in 1947?
[UP PGT History, 9 May 2026]
(A) Complete elimination of colonial institutions without replacement
(B) Smooth administrative transition without disruption
(C) Mass displacement, administrative breakdown and reorganization of state structures
(D) Negligible effects on governance and public administration
Answer: (C) Mass displacement, administrative breakdown and reorganization of state structures
Explanation: Partition caused large-scale refugee movements, communal violence and substantial loss of life. Government departments, armed forces, financial assets and administrative services had to be divided. The newly independent dominions faced enormous challenges involving rehabilitation, security, economic coordination and governmental reorganization.
Q74. Which statement best explains the major factors responsible for India’s independence in 1947?
[UP PGT History, 9 May 2026]
(A) Constitutional negotiations alone secured independence without popular movements.
(B) British colonial economic prosperity made independence possible.
(C) Independence resulted entirely from voluntary British goodwill.
(D) Mass nationalist movements, post-war British decline and changing international conditions contributed to independence.
Answer: (D) Mass nationalist movements, post-war British decline and changing international conditions contributed to independence.
Explanation: Decades of nationalist struggles challenged British legitimacy. The Second World War weakened Britain’s economy and imperial capacity. Popular mobilization, political negotiations and changing international attitudes toward colonialism collectively accelerated the decision to transfer power in 1947.
Q73. Which statement correctly explains the role of constitutional negotiations in India’s independence under the Indian Independence Act, 1947?
[UP PGT History, 9 May 2026]
(A) Independence was imposed without consultation with Indian leaders.
(B) Negotiations had no significant role in the transfer of power.
(C) Constitutional negotiations, including the Cabinet Mission process, contributed to the eventual legal transfer of power.
(D) Independence resulted exclusively from armed revolution.
Answer: (C) Constitutional negotiations, including the Cabinet Mission process, contributed to the eventual legal transfer of power.
Explanation: Constitutional discussions progressively shaped Britain’s withdrawal strategy. Although the Cabinet Mission failed to secure a united arrangement, subsequent negotiations produced the Mountbatten Plan. The Indian Independence Act translated the political settlement into a legal framework for transferring sovereignty to two dominions.
Q72. Who among the following strongly opposed the Partition of India in 1947?
[SSC GD Constable, 5 May 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(B) Chaudhary Rahmat Ali
(C) Liaquat Ali Khan
(D) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Answer: (D) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Explanation: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as Frontier Gandhi, opposed Partition and supported a united India. His Khudai Khidmatgar movement advocated nonviolence. He was particularly disappointed by the political settlement concerning the North-West Frontier Province and its referendum arrangements.
Q71. Where was Mahatma Gandhi on 15 August 1947 while India celebrated independence in New Delhi?
[DSSSB MTS, 1 May 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Bombay
(B) Delhi
(C) Calcutta
(D) Lahore
Answer: (C) Calcutta
Explanation: Gandhi remained in Calcutta, particularly the Beliaghata area, working to restore communal harmony rather than participating in official independence celebrations. He continued his peace efforts amid the violence surrounding Partition, emphasizing reconciliation between religious communities and protection of vulnerable populations.