70. Who signed the Poona Pact on behalf of the Depressed Classes?
[RPF Sub-Inspector (9 December 2024)]
A. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Mahatma Gandhi
D. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Answer: A. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Explanation: Ambedkar negotiated and signed the agreement securing reserved legislative seats in exchange for relinquishing separate electorates. The award had offered separate electorates, while the compromise expanded reserved representation in provincial legislatures. The number and structure of reserved constituencies were central issues.
69. The Jungle Satyagraha in Madhya Pradesh was inspired by which wider movement?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor General Studies (17 November 2024)]
A. Home Rule Movement
B. Non-Cooperation Movement
C. Civil Disobedience Movement
D. Quit India Movement
Answer: C. Civil Disobedience Movement
Explanation: Forest-law defiance reflected the broader 1930s civil disobedience tactic of publicly breaking restrictions considered unjust to local communities. Its early mass phase paused in 1931; protest resumed before the movement was finally withdrawn in 1934. The protest was suspended, revived, and finally ended before independence.
68. Which agreement enabled Gandhi to attend the Second Round Table Conference?
[SSC MTS (13 November 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Gandhi–Irwin Pact
B. Poona Pact
C. Lucknow Pact
D. Treaty of Paris
Answer: A. Gandhi–Irwin Pact
Explanation: The 1931 pact tied a temporary suspension of the civil disobedience campaign to Congress’s participation in the next constitutional conference. The government made concessions concerning nonviolent prisoners, confiscated property and limited salt production. The agreement was nevertheless criticized for leaving major demands unresolved.
67. At the Second Round Table Conference, Gandhi represented which organization?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (17 September 2024)]
A. Communist Party of India
B. Indian National Congress
C. Forward Bloc
D. All-India Muslim League
Answer: B. Indian National Congress
Explanation: Gandhi went to London as the Congress representative following the March 1931 truce, while several other Indian political interests participated separately. The meetings addressed the constitutional future of British India, including federal arrangements and communal representation. The minority-representation question proved especially difficult to settle.
66. In which year was the Gandhi–Irwin Pact signed?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (13 September 2024, Shift 3)]
A. 1935
B. 1929
C. 1931
D. 1941
Answer: C. 1931
Explanation: The pact was reached on 5 March 1931, between the 1930 Salt Satyagraha and the second Round Table Conference later that year. One major outcome was Congress participation in the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1931.
65. How many Muslim-reserved seats did Congress win in the 1937 provincial elections, according to the exam key?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (12 September 2024)]
A. 10
B. 26
C. 39
D. 41
Answer: B. 26
Explanation: Congress was dominant in numerous general constituencies but secured relatively few Muslim-reserved seats, demonstrating the electoral importance of communal constituencies. The Government of India Act, 1935 introduced provincial autonomy, providing the setting for these elections. Regional political coalitions made provincial outcomes far from uniform.
64. Rajagopalachari’s 1930 salt march proceeded from Trichinopoly to which destination?
[UPSC NDA-II General Ability (1 September 2024)]
A. Tuticorin
B. Nagapattinam
C. Vedaranyam
D. Karaikal
Answer: C. Vedaranyam
Explanation: Rajagopalachari led the Tamil Nadu counterpart of Gandhi’s march, reaching Vedaranyam to defy the colonial salt law. The initial march involved disciplined volunteers and later inspired demonstrations in several other Indian regions. It remains one of the clearest examples of symbolic nonviolent resistance.
63. Who attended the First Round Table Conference and pressed for a separate Odisha province?
[OSSC CGLRE Mains (1 September 2024)]
A. Madhusudan Das
B. Gopabandhu Das
C. Maharaja K. C. Gajapati Deo
D. Rama Devi
Answer: C. Maharaja K. C. Gajapati Deo
Explanation: Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo supported Odisha’s separate provincial status in constitutional discussions; Orissa became a province in 1936. Disagreement about minority safeguards remained a central obstacle to achieving consensus at the London meetings. Congress participation varied between the three London conferences.
62. Which claim about the Poona Pact is NOT correct?
[WBCS Mains History, 2023 cycle (18 August 2024)]
A. It involved Gandhi and Ambedkar
B. It was concluded in 1932
C. It was negotiated at Poona
D. It accepted separate Hindu–Muslim electorates as its core provision
Answer: D. It accepted separate Hindu–Muslim electorates as its core provision
Explanation: The pact addressed representation of the Depressed Classes, replacing separate electorates with reserved seats under a joint electoral system. The debate concerned the political voice of historically excluded communities in colonial legislative institutions. Its implications for political representation continued to attract debate.
61. The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed in which year?
[WBCS Mains History, 2023 cycle (18 August 2024)]
A. 1931
B. 1930
C. 1915
D. 1919
Answer: A. 1931
Explanation: Gandhi’s accord with the viceroy came on 5 March 1931, shortly before the Karachi Congress ratified the arrangement. The truce did not concede complete independence, which remained the Congress’s wider political objective. It represented a negotiated pause rather than the achievement of independence.
