Q80. Which statement best describes the role of Gopal Krishna Gokhale in the early Indian national movement?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 20 June 2026, Shift 3]
(A) He pursued constitutional reforms through moderate methods and was Gandhi’s political mentor
(B) He led the Salt March of 1930 against the salt tax
(C) He organised an armed revolutionary campaign against British rule
(D) He founded the Swaraj Party in 1923
Answer: (A) He pursued constitutional reforms through moderate methods and was Gandhi’s political mentor
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a leading Moderate who believed in representative institutions, administrative reform and reasoned constitutional pressure. He founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 and influenced Gandhi’s early political thought; he neither led the Salt March nor founded the Swaraj Party.
Q79. Which measure was central to the non-cooperation programme adopted at the Calcutta Congress session in 1920?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 16 June 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Entry into councils to negotiate reforms
(B) Boycott of schools, courts and councils, with promotion of khadi
(C) Trade negotiations with imperial authorities
(D) Creation of armed village guards
Answer: (B) Boycott of schools, courts and councils, with promotion of khadi
Explanation: At its special Calcutta session in September 1920, presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai, Congress supported non-cooperation against colonial institutions. Boycotting schools, courts and legislative councils was intended to withdraw popular support from British administration through non-violent means.
Q78. Why were the earliest Congress leaders of 1885–1905 described as Moderates?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 14 June 2026, Shift 1]
(A) They favoured underground resistance
(B) They rejected discussion and petitions
(C) They sought reforms through constitutional petitions and dialogue
(D) They called for immediate independence through violent confrontation
Answer: (C) They sought reforms through constitutional petitions and dialogue
Explanation: Moderate nationalists believed that public discussion, memorials, petitions and constitutional demands could secure administrative reforms. Their programme focused on representation, civil rights and fairer governance; mass agitation and militant resistance became more prominent among later nationalist factions.
Q77. On which date was the Indian National Congress founded?
[DSSSB Court Attendant, 2 June 2026, Shift 1]
(A) 2 October 1892
(B) 15 August 1874
(C) 28 December 1885
(D) 26 January 1845
Answer: (C) 28 December 1885
Explanation: The Indian National Congress began its first meeting on 28 December 1885 in Bombay, now Mumbai. Allan Octavian Hume helped organise the gathering, while Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided. Its foundation created an all-India political platform for early nationalist demands.
Q76. At which Congress session was the objective of Purna Swaraj adopted?
[UPSSSC Lekhpal Mains, 21 May 2026]
(A) Karachi, 1931
(B) Lahore, 1929
(C) Lucknow, 1916
(D) Surat, 1907
Answer: (B) Lahore, 1929
Explanation: At the Lahore session of December 1929, with Jawaharlal Nehru as president, the Congress adopted complete independence as its goal. The declaration represented a shift beyond dominion status, and 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day.
Q75. Which reformer is especially associated with the founding of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 7 May 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Gopal Hari Deshmukh
(B) Mahadev Govind Ranade
(C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(D) Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: (B) Mahadev Govind Ranade
Explanation: Mahadev Govind Ranade is closely linked with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, established in 1870 with figures such as Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi. The body sought to represent public grievances and mediate between ordinary people and colonial administration in western India.
Q74. Who was the first president of the Indian National Congress?
[DSSSB MTS, 28 April 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Dadabhai Naoroji
(B) Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
(C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: (B) Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, a barrister from Bengal, presided over the inaugural Bombay session of December 1885. Allan Octavian Hume helped organise the Congress but was not its first president. Dadabhai Naoroji presided over the subsequent Calcutta session in 1886.
Q73. In which year did Dadabhai Naoroji become a vice-president of the Bombay Presidency Association?
[DSSSB MTS, 19 April 2026, Shift 2]
(A) 1886
(B) 1906
(C) 1892
(D) 1885
Answer: (D) 1885
Explanation: The Bombay Presidency Association was organised in 1885 by leaders including Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji and K. T. Telang. Naoroji was associated with its early leadership. Such regional political associations helped prepare the organisational ground for the Indian National Congress.
Q72. Arrange these events: (a) Tilak’s Home Rule League, (b) INC foundation, (c) Surat Split, (d) Swadeshi Movement.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor (History), 19 April 2026, Shift 1]
(A) c, b, d, a
(B) d, b, c, a
(C) b, c, d, a
(D) b, d, c, a
Answer: (D) b, d, c, a
Explanation: Congress was founded in 1885, followed by the Swadeshi Movement after Bengal’s partition in 1905. The Surat division between Moderates and Extremists occurred in 1907, while Bal Gangadhar Tilak began his Home Rule League in 1916.
Q71. Arrange chronologically: (I) INC foundation, (II) Bengal partition, (III) Swadeshi Movement, (IV) Lucknow Pact.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor (Sociology), 18 April 2026, Shift 1]
(A) II, I, III, IV
(B) I, III, II, IV
(C) I, II, III, IV
(D) II, III, I, IV
Answer: (C) I, II, III, IV
Explanation: The Congress was established in 1885. The 1905 partition of Bengal triggered the Swadeshi movement, and the Congress–Muslim League Lucknow Pact followed in 1916. Remembering these historical milestones provides the sequence I, II, III and IV.
Q70. Who established the Indian Association in Calcutta?
[OSSSC Forester / Forest Guard, 17 April 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(C) Dadabhai Naoroji
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: (D) Surendranath Banerjee
Explanation: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose founded the Indian Association in 1876. It promoted political education, a broader national consciousness and constitutional reforms. The organisation was an important predecessor to Congress and helped connect emerging educated middle-class political opinion.
Q69. Which Congress meeting witnessed the organisational conflict that resulted in the 1907 split?
[DSSSB MTS, 11 April 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Calcutta session and Swadeshi programme
(B) Lucknow session and Congress–League pact
(C) Lahore session and Purna Swaraj
(D) Surat session and the Moderate–Extremist split
Answer: (D) Surat session and the Moderate–Extremist split
Explanation: The Surat meeting of 1907 brought sharp disagreements over leadership and methods to a head. Moderates preferred constitutional agitation, while Extremists pressed for stronger boycott and Swadeshi programmes. Rash Behari Ghosh presided over the disrupted session.
Q68. Which statement best describes the early Congress position on communal politics?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 March 2026, Shift 2]
(A) It accepted religion-based political programmes
(B) It pursued a broadly secular agenda in public demands
(C) It represented only one religious community
(D) It restricted membership to a single religious group
Answer: (B) It pursued a broadly secular agenda in public demands
Explanation: The Congress Moderates tried to build a common political platform across communities rather than organise national demands exclusively by religion. Their resolutions emphasised civil liberties, expanded legislative representation, public services and administrative reform within a national constitutional framework.
Q67. Which method was characteristic of Moderate nationalists in the early Congress?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 17 March 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Constitutional reforms
(B) Swadeshi mass mobilisation
(C) Vedic educational revival
(D) Complete boycott of all foreign institutions
Answer: (A) Constitutional reforms
Explanation: Moderate leaders worked through petitions, speeches, public associations and legislative reform proposals. They hoped that reasoned constitutional pressure would lead to greater Indian participation in government, expenditure reform and civil liberties, particularly during the period from 1885 to 1905.
Q66. When and where did the Indian National Congress meet for the first time?
[RRB Technician Grade I, 13 March 2026]
(A) 12 January 1885, Calcutta
(B) 28 December 1852, Poona
(C) 28 December 1885, Bombay
(D) 28 December 1885, Poona
Answer: (C) 28 December 1885, Bombay
Explanation: The first Congress session opened on 28 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. Although an earlier plan envisaged Poona, the gathering moved to Bombay. Seventy-two delegates participated, and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee served as president.
Q65. At which INC session did the Moderates and Extremists formally split?
[RRB Technician Grade III, 9 March 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Surat, 1907
(B) Bombay, 1910
(C) Delhi, 1912
(D) Calcutta, 1906
Answer: (A) Surat, 1907
Explanation: The 1907 Surat Congress split amid disputes about leadership and the extent of boycott and national agitation. Rash Behari Ghosh chaired the session. The break exposed differences between petition-based Moderate politics and the more assertive methods of the Extremists.
Q64. Which Moderate demand most directly sought greater Indian participation in colonial lawmaking?
[RRB JE CBT-I, 25 February 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Expansion of legislative councils
(B) Lower indirect taxes alone
(C) Immediate transfer of all political power
(D) Preferential allocation of all bureaucratic jobs
Answer: (A) Expansion of legislative councils
Explanation: Expanding legislative councils would give Indian representatives more opportunities to question budgets and influence policy. The Moderates also sought Indianisation of services and financial reform, but council enlargement most directly concerned participation in colonial legislative decision-making.
Q63. Whom did Mahatma Gandhi regard as his political mentor?
[SSC MTS 2025 paper, 10 February 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Lala Lajpat Rai
(B) Dadabhai Naoroji
(C) Subhas Chandra Bose
(D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: (D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale was an influential Moderate Congress leader and founder of the Servants of India Society. Gandhi respected his judgement and political training. Gokhale advised Gandhi to understand Indian conditions through travel before entering domestic political struggles.
Q62. At which Congress session was a resolution passed to conduct Congress work in Hindi?
[MP Police SI, 18 January 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Lucknow
(B) Kanpur
(C) Prayag
(D) Kashi
Answer: (B) Kanpur
Explanation: The exam identifies the Kanpur session as the meeting connected with adopting Hindi for Congress work. The 1925 Kanpur annual session was presided over by Sarojini Naidu, the first Indian woman to chair an INC annual session.
Q61. In which year did ideological conflict split the INC into Moderates and Extremists?
[Delhi Police Constable, 6 January 2026, Shift 2]
(A) 1905
(B) 1907
(C) 1919
(D) 1920
Answer: (B) 1907
Explanation: The split occurred at Surat in 1907, although disagreements had increased during the movement against Bengal’s partition. Extremists advocated wider boycott and popular mobilisation, whereas Moderate politicians pressed constitutional reforms. The factions later cooperated again at Lucknow in 1916.
Q60. Who delivered the presidential address at the Congress session of 1887?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science, 7 November 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Badruddin Tyabji
(C) Dadabhai Naoroji
(D) Allan Octavian Hume
Answer: (B) Badruddin Tyabji
Explanation: Badruddin Tyabji presided over the third Indian National Congress session, held in Madras in 1887. He became the first Muslim president of the organisation. His leadership illustrated the founders’ intention to build a political association beyond religious boundaries.
Q59. In which city did the Indian National Congress hold its first session in 1885?
[OSSSC CRE Prelims, 26 October 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Calcutta
(B) Madras
(C) Delhi
(D) Bombay
Answer: (D) Bombay
Explanation: The opening Congress session took place in Bombay, not Calcutta or Pune. W. C. Bonnerjee chaired the December 1885 gathering, attended by seventy-two delegates. The event established a recurring all-India forum for nationalist political petitions and resolutions.
Q58. Which period is conventionally called the Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress?
[OSSSC CRE Prelims, 10 October 2025, Shift 3]
(A) 1895–1920
(B) 1875–1910
(C) 1865–1915
(D) 1885–1905
Answer: (D) 1885–1905
Explanation: The years from the Congress foundation in 1885 to approximately 1905 are generally designated the Moderate phase. Leaders such as Naoroji, Gokhale and Mehta relied on constitutional means, administrative criticism and demands for representation rather than militant mass action.
Q57. At which Congress session was Subhas Chandra Bose first elected its president?
[OSSSC CRE Prelims, 8 October 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Allahabad
(B) Lahore
(C) Haripura
(D) Surat
Answer: (C) Haripura
Explanation: Subhas Chandra Bose was elected Congress president at Haripura in 1938. The session was held in Gujarat. He supported national planning and a more assertive independence strategy, later winning re-election at Tripuri in 1939 amid political controversy.
Q56. Which of these were Moderate leaders: 1. Naoroji; 2. Gokhale; 3. Pherozeshah Mehta; 4. Surendranath Banerjee?
[IB ACIO Grade-II, 16 September 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) All four
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) Only 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (B) All four
Explanation: All four were associated with the Moderate tradition, which advocated constitutional agitation, publicity campaigns and gradual reforms. Naoroji highlighted economic exploitation; Gokhale pressed administrative and educational improvements; Mehta and Banerjee strengthened political organisation and public opinion.
Q55. Place these political associations in chronological order: Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1), Indian Association (2), Madras Mahajan Sabha (3), Bombay Presidency Association (4).
[UPSC CDS-II General Knowledge, 14 September 2025]
(A) 1, 2, 3, 4
(B) 4, 3, 2, 1
(C) 1, 2, 4, 3
(D) 3, 4, 1, 2
Answer: (A) 1, 2, 3, 4
Explanation: The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha originated in 1870, the Indian Association in 1876, the Madras Mahajan Sabha in 1884 and the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885. Their development shows how regional political organisations prepared the way for an all-India Congress.
Q54. In which year was the Indian National Congress founded?
[RRB MI Junior Translator Hindi, 11 September 2025, Shift 3]
(A) 1905
(B) 1885
(C) 1895
(D) 1875
Answer: (B) 1885
Explanation: The Congress was founded in December 1885 through the initiative of Allan Octavian Hume and Indian public leaders. Its first meeting in Bombay was chaired by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee. The new organisation coordinated constitutional political activity across provinces.
Q53. Which event marked the formal division of Congress into Moderate and Extremist camps?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 9 September 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Surat session
(B) Arrival of Simon Commission
(C) Partition of Bengal
(D) Formation of Muslim League
Answer: (A) Surat session
Explanation: The Congress formally split at its 1907 Surat session. Although the 1905 partition of Bengal intensified differences, the organisational break occurred later. The immediate dispute concerned political methods and leadership between the Moderate and Extremist wings.
Q52. Which political technique most closely represents the early Moderates?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 7 August 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Armed revolution
(B) Guerrilla warfare
(C) Petitions and prayers
(D) Secret military training
Answer: (C) Petitions and prayers
Explanation: Moderates relied on petitions, memorials, public meetings and constitutional discussions to press the colonial government for reforms. They hoped to persuade British politicians through evidence and argument. Their approach contrasted with later campaigns of mass boycott and direct action.
Q51. For what Congress-related contribution is Badruddin Tyabji especially remembered?
[BPSC District Statistical Officer, 3 August 2025]
(A) Chairing Lahore Congress in 1929
(B) Founding the Forward Bloc
(C) Becoming the first Muslim president of Congress
(D) Launching the Aligarh Movement
Answer: (C) Becoming the first Muslim president of Congress
Explanation: Badruddin Tyabji became the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress when he chaired its Madras session in 1887. He also helped establish the Bombay Presidency Association, illustrating his important role in pre-Congress and early-Congress politics.
Q50. Who presided over the 1886 Calcutta Congress session that demanded simultaneous civil-service examinations?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 20 June 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Badruddin Tyabji
(B) Dadabhai Naoroji
(C) W. C. Bonnerjee
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: (B) Dadabhai Naoroji
Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji chaired the second Congress session in Calcutta in 1886. Early nationalists demanded that Indian Civil Service examinations be held simultaneously in India and England so Indian candidates would not face the expense and disadvantage of travelling abroad.
Q49. Consider: (a) Congress was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume; (b) its first session was held at Pune under W. C. Bonnerjee. Which is correct?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 5 June 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Only (b)
(B) Only (a)
(C) Neither statement
(D) Both statements
Answer: (B) Only (a)
Explanation: The founding year and A. O. Hume’s organising role are correctly stated. However, the first session was actually held in Bombay in December 1885 under Bonnerjee, not Pune. The proposed meeting place had been changed before the gathering.
Q48. Which was NOT among the main demands of the early Congress Moderates?
[AP Police Constable Mains, 1 June 2025]
(A) More legislative council representation
(B) Greater Indian share in public services
(C) Reduction of excessive land revenue
(D) Immediate complete independence
Answer: (D) Immediate complete independence
Explanation: The early Moderates pressed for financial relief, representative councils and Indianisation of administration. Immediate Purna Swaraj was not their initial objective; complete independence was adopted as the formal Congress goal much later, at the Lahore session in 1929.
Q47. After the Surat division, who chaired the Moderates’ Allahabad convention to reorganise Congress?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History, 1 June 2025]
(A) Madan Mohan Malaviya
(B) Surendranath Banerjee
(C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(D) Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: (B) Surendranath Banerjee
Explanation: Following the 1907 Surat split, the Moderate leadership attempted to rebuild Congress organisation on constitutional lines. The Allahabad convention referred to in this paper was chaired by Surendranath Banerjee, a major early nationalist and founder of the Indian Association.
Q46. Where did Moderate leaders want the Indian Civil Service examinations to be held simultaneously?
[RPF Constable, 9 March 2025, Shift 2]
(A) India and Canada
(B) India and England
(C) India and Australia
(D) India and the United States
Answer: (B) India and England
Explanation: Moderate leaders argued that conducting the examination only in Britain disadvantaged Indian candidates. Holding it simultaneously in India and England would reduce travel barriers and help Indianise the civil services, a key administrative demand of early nationalists.
Q45. Which group criticised the early Moderates for a policy of political mendicancy?
[RPF Constable, 5 March 2025, Shift 1]
(A) British officials
(B) Socialists
(C) Extremists
(D) Constitutionalists
Answer: (C) Extremists
Explanation: The Extremist faction considered repeated petitions and appeals to British rulers insufficient for national advancement. They described this dependence as mendicancy and advocated more assertive tactics, including Swadeshi, boycott and public mobilisation, culminating in the 1907 organisational conflict.
Q44. At which Congress session did the Moderates and Extremists split?
[RPF SI CBT-I, 3 December 2024, Shift 3]
(A) Lahore
(B) Calcutta
(C) Allahabad
(D) Surat
Answer: (D) Surat
Explanation: The split took place at Surat in December 1907. Its disputes reflected divisions over presidential choice and methods of resistance to British rule. The Congress later reunited its factions at the 1916 Lucknow session under Ambica Charan Mazumdar.
Q43. Which Congress session was presided over by Sarojini Naidu?
[SSC MTS, 13 November 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Lahore, 1929
(B) Karachi, 1931
(C) Kanpur, 1925
(D) Madras, 1927
Answer: (C) Kanpur, 1925
Explanation: Sarojini Naidu chaired the 1925 Kanpur session, becoming the first Indian woman president of Congress. Annie Besant had earlier become its first woman president at Calcutta in 1917. Distinguishing those two milestones is essential to interpreting such questions.
Q42. Who presided over the Benares Congress session of 1905?
[SSC MTS, 21 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Subhas Chandra Bose
(C) Jawaharlal Nehru
(D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: (D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a leading Moderate, chaired the 1905 Benares session. It took place in the year of Bengal’s partition, when nationalist methods were becoming contentious. Gokhale continued to advocate reasoned political demands and constitutional reforms.
Q41. Match Congress sessions with presidents: Bombay 1885 (1), Calcutta 1896 (2), Surat 1907 (3), Kanpur 1925 (4); (a) Sayani, (b) R. B. Ghosh, (c) Sarojini Naidu, (d) W. C. Bonnerjee.
[SSC MTS, 17 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A) 1-d, 2-a, 3-c, 4-b
(B) 1-d, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c
(C) 1-d, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a
(D) 1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c
Answer: (D) 1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c
Explanation: Bonnerjee chaired Bombay in 1885; Rahimtullah M. Sayani chaired Calcutta in 1896; Rash Behari Ghosh presided over Surat in 1907; Sarojini Naidu chaired Kanpur in 1925. Matching all four pairings identifies option four.
Q40. In which year was the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha founded?
[OSSC Excise Sub-Inspector Mains, 17 October 2024, Shift 2]
(A) 1868
(B) 1869
(C) 1870
(D) 1867
Answer: (C) 1870
Explanation: The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was established in 1870 as a political platform for public grievances and reform. Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi and Mahadev Govind Ranade were prominent figures associated with it. It preceded the formation of the Indian National Congress.
Q39. Where in Bihar was the Indian National Congress session of 1912 held?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 24 September 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Sasaram
(B) Gaya
(C) Bankipore
(D) Madhubani
Answer: (C) Bankipore
Explanation: The 1912 Congress annual session convened in Bankipore, a locality of Patna. Raghunath Narasinha Mudholkar presided. This was the first INC annual session held in Bihar and shows how Congress meetings increasingly rotated between regional centres.
Q38. Who founded the Indian Association?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III, held 18 August 2024]
(A) Aurobindo Ghosh
(B) Surendranath Banerjee
(C) Bipin Chandra Pal
(D) Surya Sen
Answer: (B) Surendranath Banerjee
Explanation: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose founded the Indian Association in 1876 in Calcutta. It helped organise political education, protests over civil-service issues and national-level political conferences before the expansion of the Indian National Congress.
Q37. Who, with Pherozeshah Mehta and K. T. Telang, founded the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 9 July 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Badruddin Tyabji
(B) Behramji Malabari
(C) A. K. Fazlul Huq
(D) Zakir Husain
Answer: (A) Badruddin Tyabji
Explanation: Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta and Kashinath Trimbak Telang organised the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885. Tyabji later presided over the Madras Congress session in 1887, becoming the organisation’s first Muslim president.
Q36. Which statements are correct: (1) A. O. Hume was first INC president; (2) Muslim League formed in 1906; (3) All India Kisan Sabha formed in 1936; (4) Ghadar Party was founded abroad?
[IB ACIO Grade-II, 17 January 2024, Shift 1]
(A) 1, 3 and 4
(B) 2, 3 and 4
(C) 1, 2 and 4
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 2, 3 and 4
Explanation: Statement one is false because W. C. Bonnerjee, not A. O. Hume, was the first Congress president. The other statements identify the 1906 Muslim League, the 1936 Kisan Sabha and the overseas origins of the Ghadar movement.
Q35. In which city did the 1907 Congress split into Moderates and Extremists occur?
[MPPSC State Services Prelims, 17 December 2023]
(A) Bombay
(B) Surat
(C) Calcutta
(D) Nagpur
Answer: (B) Surat
Explanation: Congress divided at Surat in 1907 under the presidency of Rash Behari Ghosh. The episode was a culmination of differences about leadership and the response to colonial policies, particularly the use of boycotts compared with constitutional tactics.
Q34. Who established the Indian Association in 1876?
[Bihar Teacher TRE 2.0, 14 December 2023]
(A) W. C. Bonnerjee
(B) Sisir Kumar Ghosh
(C) Surendranath Banerjee
(D) None of these
Answer: (C) Surendranath Banerjee
Explanation: Surendranath Banerjee founded the Indian Association with Ananda Mohan Bose in Calcutta in 1876. It organised political awareness and common grievances across communities. Sisir Kumar Ghosh, by contrast, is associated with the earlier Indian League founded in 1875.
Q33. In which year was the Bombay Presidency Association started by Tyabji, Mehta and Telang?
[Delhi Police Constable, 2 December 2023, Shift 3]
(A) 1887
(B) 1885
(C) 1886
(D) 1888
Answer: (B) 1885
Explanation: The Bombay Presidency Association was founded in January 1885 by Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta and K. T. Telang. Its political work reflected rising public protest against discriminatory colonial measures and coincided with the founding year of Congress.
Q32. Who founded the Indian League in 1875?
[SSC JE Civil, 10 October 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Ananda Mohan Bose
(B) Dadabhai Naoroji
(C) Surendranath Banerjee
(D) Sisir Kumar Ghosh
Answer: (D) Sisir Kumar Ghosh
Explanation: Sisir Kumar Ghosh, associated with the Amrita Bazar Patrika, founded the Indian League in 1875. It aimed to stimulate nationalism and political education. The later Indian Association of 1876 was established by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose.
Q31. At which year’s Madras session did Congress seek an all-parties constitution-drafting initiative?
[SSC MTS 2022 paper, 3 May 2023, Shift 3]
(A) 1922
(B) 1932
(C) 1927
(D) 1915
Answer: (C) 1927
Explanation: The 1927 Madras Congress session, presided over by Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari, supported the preparation of a constitutional scheme through an all-parties process. This political initiative preceded the 1928 Nehru Report on constitutional arrangements.
Q30. Which Congress session was the first to have a woman president?
[SSC MTS 2022 paper, 2 May 2023, Shift 2]
(A) Calcutta, 1917
(B) Kanpur, 1925
(C) Lahore, 1929
(D) Surat, 1907
Answer: (A) Calcutta, 1917
Explanation: Annie Besant became the first woman president of Congress at its Calcutta session in 1917. Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to preside over Congress, doing so at Kanpur in 1925. These were different historical milestones.
Q29. Which political organisation among these was founded in 1884?
[DDA Junior Engineer, 29 March 2023, Shift 3]
(A) Indian National Congress
(B) Bombay Presidency Association
(C) Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
(D) Madras Mahajan Sabha
Answer: (D) Madras Mahajan Sabha
Explanation: The Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded in 1884 by leaders including M. Viraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer and P. Anandacharlu. Congress and the Bombay Presidency Association both emerged in 1885, while the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha dates to 1870.
Q28. How many delegates met in Bombay when Congress was established in December 1885?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 13 March 2023, Shift 1]
(A) 34
(B) 72
(C) 108
(D) 156
Answer: (B) 72
Explanation: Seventy-two delegates participated in the first Congress session in December 1885. W. C. Bonnerjee chaired the event at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College. Although initially small and largely composed of educated Indians, the organisation later expanded nationwide.
Q27. Which association was established by Surendranath Banerjee in 1876?
[Rajasthan 3rd Grade Teacher Social Science, 26 February 2023]
(A) Indian Association
(B) British Indian Association
(C) Calcutta Native Association
(D) Bombay Association
Answer: (A) Indian Association
Explanation: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose established the Indian Association of Calcutta in 1876. It differed from the British Indian Association of 1851, which chiefly represented landed interests and was associated with Radhakanta Deb and Debendranath Tagore.
Q26. Who founded the East India Association in London in 1866?
[SSC GD Constable, 1 February 2023, Shift 2]
(A) Raja Rammohan Roy
(B) Dadabhai Naoroji
(C) Satyendranath Tagore
(D) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Answer: (B) Dadabhai Naoroji
Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji founded the East India Association in London in 1866. It publicised Indian concerns to British politicians and the public. The association was one of several organisations that helped develop a broader Indian nationalist movement before 1885.
Q25. In which year was the Indian Association established in Bengal?
[SSC Stenographer, 18 November 2022, Shift 2]
(A) 1867
(B) 1872
(C) 1879
(D) 1876
Answer: (D) 1876
Explanation: The Indian Association originated in Calcutta in 1876 under Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. It mobilised educated opinion across provincial boundaries and spoke against discriminatory administrative practices. It became an important predecessor to national Congress politics.
Q24. Where was the first session of the Indian National Congress held?
[RRB Group D, 26 August 2022, Shift 3]
(A) Patna
(B) Madras
(C) Lucknow
(D) Bombay
Answer: (D) Bombay
Explanation: The first session of the INC assembled at Bombay in 1885. W. C. Bonnerjee presided, with seventy-two delegates participating. It was an important landmark in developing an all-India organisation advocating political and administrative reforms through constitutional means.
Q23. What earlier name was connected with the Sarvajanik Sabha before its reorganisation in 1870?
[MPSC Subordinate Services Mains (ASO), 31 July 2022]
(A) Deccan Sabha
(B) Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
(C) Maharashtra Association
(D) Poona Association
Answer: (D) Poona Association
Explanation: The earlier Poona Association preceded the reorganisation that produced the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha in 1870. The later body became an important public organisation involving Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi, Mahadev Govind Ranade and other western Indian reform-minded leaders.
Q22. Which statement correctly identifies the Indian Association?
[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant, 5 April 2022, Shift 3]
(A) It was founded in Poona in 1870
(B) It was founded in London in 1871
(C) It was established in Calcutta in 1876
(D) It was formed in Amritsar in 1872
Answer: (C) It was established in Calcutta in 1876
Explanation: The Indian Association was founded in Calcutta in 1876. It brought together Surendranath Banerjee, Ananda Mohan Bose and other nationalist organisers seeking political education and reforms. It should not be confused with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, formed in 1870.
Q21. Consider: I. Rash Behari Ghosh presided over the 1907 Congress; II. Moderates and Extremists split there; III. S. P. Sinha presided over their 1916 reunion. Which is true?
[CGPSC 2021 Prelims, held 13 February 2022]
(A) I, II and III
(B) None
(C) I and II only
(D) III only
Answer: (C) I and II only
Explanation: The 1907 Surat Congress was chaired by Rash Behari Ghosh and suffered the Moderate–Extremist split. The factions reunited at Lucknow in 1916, presided over by Ambica Charan Mazumdar, not S. P. Sinha. Thus, statement three is false.
Q20. Regarding the 1931 Karachi Congress resolution on rights and economic policy, consider: 1. Ambalal Sarabhai opposed it; 2. it demanded civil liberties and adult suffrage. Which is correct?
[UPSC NDA-II General Ability, 14 November 2021]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: The Karachi Congress session in 1931 was chaired by Vallabhbhai Patel and adopted an influential statement on fundamental rights and national economic policy. The resolution supported civil liberties and adult franchise. The first assertion is not accepted as correct.
Q19. In what year was the Indian Association founded?
[SSC CGL 2020 Tier-I, 17 August 2021, Shift 1]
(A) 1881
(B) 1876
(C) 1856
(D) 1903
Answer: (B) 1876
Explanation: The Indian Association of Calcutta was established in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. It championed political rights and challenged colonial restrictions. The association predates the Indian National Congress, which began in 1885.
Q18. When and where did Congress demand Purna Swaraj as its goal?
[UPSC NDA-I General Ability, 18 April 2021]
(A) Bombay, 1885
(B) Lahore, 1929
(C) Kheda, 1917
(D) Bombay, 1942
Answer: (B) Lahore, 1929
Explanation: The Lahore Congress meeting of December 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, adopted complete independence as the political objective. Earlier Congress demands had focused on political reforms and later dominion status. The decision was a decisive constitutional turning point.
Q17. Match:
A. Indian Association;
B. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha;
C. Bombay Presidency Association;
D. Madras Mahajan Sabha;
with
1. Anandacharlu;
2. S. N. Banerjee;
3. M. G. Ranade;
4. Pherozeshah Mehta.
[UPPSC RO/ARO General Studies, 20 September 2020]
(A) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
(B) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
(C) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
(D) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Answer: (A) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
Explanation: Banerjee founded the Indian Association; Ranade was closely associated with the Poona Sabha; Mehta helped found the Bombay Presidency Association; and Anandacharlu helped establish the Madras Mahajan Sabha. These associations laid organisational foundations for later Congress nationalism.
Q16. Who is commonly called the father of the Indian National Congress?
[WBCS Prelims 2020]
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) A. O. Hume
(C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: (B) A. O. Hume
Explanation: Allan Octavian Hume played the key organisational role in convening the Congress in 1885. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was its first president, not Hume. Congress initially emphasised constitutional reform and the consolidation of national political opinion.
Q15. Who was the first president of the British Indian Association?
[CGPSC Civil Service Prelims 2020]
(A) Surendranath Banerjee
(B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(C) Radhakanta Deb
(D) Ananda Mohan Bose
Answer: (C) Radhakanta Deb
Explanation: Raja Radhakanta Deb was the first president of the British Indian Association, established in Calcutta in 1851. The organisation chiefly articulated the concerns of Indian landholders while petitioning British authorities about constitutional, administrative and revenue issues.
Q14. On which date was the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha established by associates of Ranade and G. V. Joshi?
[Haryana Civil Services Prelims, 31 March 2019]
(A) 2 April 1870
(B) 2 April 1869
(C) 2 April 1871
(D) 2 April 1872
Answer: (A) 2 April 1870
Explanation: The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was organised on 2 April 1870. Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi and Mahadev Govind Ranade were important figures associated with it. The organisation represented grievances and sought a stronger public voice in government matters.
Q13. Which statement about the inaugural Indian National Congress session is NOT true?
[RPSC 2nd Grade Social Science, 17 February 2019]
(A) It was originally proposed for Poona
(B) It met at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College
(C) It was attended by 72 delegates
(D) It passed twelve resolutions
Answer: (D) It passed twelve resolutions
Explanation: The first Congress session was held in Bombay in 1885 with seventy-two delegates under W. C. Bonnerjee. It passed nine resolutions, not twelve. The original plan to meet at Poona was changed before the session.
Q12. Arrange: (i) Madras Mahajan Sabha, (ii) Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, (iii) Indian Association, (iv) Bombay Presidency Association.
[UGC NET History, 18 December 2018]
(A) (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)
(B) (ii), (iv), (iii), (i)
(C) (ii), (iii), (i), (iv)
(D) (iii), (iv), (ii), (i)
Answer: (C) (ii), (iii), (i), (iv)
Explanation: Poona Sarvajanik Sabha dates to 1870, the Indian Association to 1876, Madras Mahajan Sabha to 1884 and Bombay Presidency Association to 1885. Comparing foundation years gives the sequence (ii), (iii), (i), (iv).
Q11. Which first major voluntary association, founded in Calcutta in 1851, primarily represented the interests of Indian landlords?
[UPSC NDA-I General Ability, 22 April 2018]
(A) British Indian Association
(B) Landholders Society
(C) Madras Native Association
(D) Bombay Association
Answer: (A) British Indian Association
Explanation: The British Indian Association was formed in 1851 by merging the Landholders Society and the Bengal British India Society. It reflected the political concerns of wealthy Bengali landowners and submitted petitions seeking reform in British Indian administration.
Q10. Consider: A. After the 1920 Nagpur Congress, provincial Congress committees were organised linguistically; B. in 1948 Congress rejected immediate linguistic reorganisation. Which is true?
[RPSC RAS Prelims 2018]
(A) A only
(B) B only
(C) Neither
(D) Both A and B
Answer: (D) Both A and B
Explanation: The Nagpur session of 1920 reorganised provincial Congress committees along linguistic lines, helping build mass participation. Following independence, Congress leadership was initially cautious about creating language-based states, citing unity and administrative concerns; hence both statements are treated as correct.
Q9. In what year was the Indian National Congress established?
[WBCS Prelims 2017]
(A) 1883
(B) 1885
(C) 1891
(D) 1905
Answer: (B) 1885
Explanation: The INC began in 1885, when nationalists from different provinces assembled in Bombay. Allan Octavian Hume was instrumental in organising the event, while Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee chaired the first session. The association subsequently met annually in different cities.
Q8. Who was the youngest person to become Indian National Congress president?
[MPPSC General Studies 2017]
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) Abul Kalam Azad
(C) Ananda Mohan Bose
(D) Bhupendranath Bose
Answer: (B) Abul Kalam Azad
Explanation: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad became Congress president at the 1923 Delhi special session when he was about thirty-five years old. He later led the organisation during much of the Second World War and became independent India’s first education minister.
Q7. Consider these pairs: (1) Radhakanta Deb — first president, British Indian Association; (2) Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty — founder, Madras Mahajan Sabha; (3) Surendranath Banerjee — founder, Indian Association. Which are correctly matched?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2017]
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 only
Explanation: Radhakanta Deb headed the British Indian Association, while Surendranath Banerjee co-founded the Indian Association in 1876. The Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded in 1884 by leaders including M. Viraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer and P. Ananda Charlu, not Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty.
Q6. Which organisation is regarded as an important precursor of the Indian National Congress?
[BPSC Combined Competitive Exam 2016]
(A) British Indian Association
(B) Indian Association
(C) Indian National Union
(D) None of these
Answer: (B) Indian Association
Explanation: The Indian Association, founded in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose, developed all-India political contacts and nationalist conferences. It was an influential forerunner of Congress, though the Indian National Union also featured in the immediate organisational history of the Congress.
Q5. Who dismissed the early Indian National Congress as representing a “microscopic minority”?
[UPSC NDA General Ability, 19 April 2015]
(A) Lord Napier
(B) Lord Dufferin
(C) Lord Ripon
(D) Lord Lytton
Answer: (B) Lord Dufferin
Explanation: Lord Dufferin, viceroy when the INC was founded in 1885, criticised its limited social representativeness by calling it a microscopic minority. Many early Congress participants were English-educated professionals, although the organisation later expanded its mass reach.
Q4. Consider: 1. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman president of Congress; 2. Badruddin Tyabji was its first Muslim president. Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2015]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: Annie Besant was the first woman Congress president in 1917, while Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman president in 1925. Badruddin Tyabji chaired the 1887 Madras session and was the first Muslim president. Therefore only statement two is correct.
Q3. Why is the 1929 Lahore session of the Indian National Congress significant?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2014]
(A) It proclaimed self-government within Empire
(B) It adopted Purna Swaraj as the goal
(C) It launched the Non-Cooperation Movement
(D) It agreed to join the Round Table Conference
Answer: (B) It adopted Purna Swaraj as the goal
Explanation: The Lahore Congress, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru in December 1929, adopted complete independence as the national political goal. This replaced more limited constitutional aspirations and led Congress to observe 26 January 1930 as Independence Day.
Q2. Why was the Indian National Social Conference formed during the early nationalist period?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2012]
(A) To unite Bengal-only reform groups
(B) Because Congress kept social-reform debates separate from its proceedings
(C) To replace Congress with a social-reform party
(D) To lead an armed anti-colonial campaign
Answer: (B) Because Congress kept social-reform debates separate from its proceedings
Explanation: Early Congress leaders preferred to keep their national political deliberations separate from contentious social-reform debates. Reformers including Mahadev Govind Ranade consequently developed the Indian National Social Conference as a parallel forum for organised social discussion and change.
Q1. Consider: 1. First INC session was held at Calcutta; 2. second INC session was presided over by Dadabhai Naoroji; 3. Congress and Muslim League concluded Lucknow Pact in 1916. Which is true?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2004]
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 2 only
(C) 2 and 3
(D) 3 only
Answer: (C) 2 and 3
Explanation: The first Congress session took place in Bombay in 1885, making statement one false. Dadabhai Naoroji presided over the second session at Calcutta in 1886. Congress and the Muslim League reached their Lucknow agreement in 1916.