Indian National Movement MCQs for UPSC Prelims with Answers

This UPSC Prelims practice paper on the Indian National Movement has 15 questions covering the period from the founding of the Congress in 1885 to Independence in 1947. Modern Indian history is a regular scoring area in the Prelims, and the freedom struggle also gives important content to GS Paper 1 in the Mains. Each answer has a short explanation, and the sections after the key give a timeline, a table of the Gandhian movements, the constitutional acts and some memory tricks.

Why the Freedom Struggle Is Important for UPSC

The UPSC asks the freedom struggle in different styles: chronology, persons and their organisations, causes and effects, and statement questions on a particular movement. Many questions can be solved if you understand the story and the order of events, and not by memorising random dates. In the Mains, you can use the movements to write on nationalism, social reform, leadership and constitutional development. Always connect an event with its year, its leader and its result.

Instructions

• Total questions: 15. Suggested time: 15 minutes.
• Each correct answer gives 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks, as in the real Prelims.
• Attempt all the questions first and check the answer key only after you finish.

Practice Questions

Q1. The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 and its first President was
(a) A. O. Hume
(b) W. C. Bonnerjee
(c) Dadabhai Naoroji
(d) Surendranath Banerjee

Q2. The Partition of Bengal in 1905 was announced by
(a) Lord Ripon
(b) Lord Curzon
(c) Lord Minto
(d) Lord Hardinge

Q3. The All India Muslim League was founded in 1906 at
(a) Lucknow
(b) Dhaka
(c) Aligarh
(d) Lahore

Q4. The Congress split into Moderates and Extremists at the session held at
(a) Calcutta in 1906
(b) Surat in 1907
(c) Lucknow in 1916
(d) Allahabad in 1910

Q5. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was an agreement between
(a) Moderates and Extremists
(b) Congress and the Muslim League
(c) Congress and the British
(d) Gandhi and Ambedkar

Q6. Gandhi's first Satyagraha in India was at
(a) Kheda
(b) Ahmedabad
(c) Champaran
(d) Bardoli

Q7. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on
(a) 13 April 1919
(b) 13 April 1920
(c) 30 January 1919
(d) 9 August 1919

Q8. The Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn after the incident at
(a) Kakori
(b) Chauri Chaura
(c) Meerut
(d) Peshawar

Q9. The Lahore session of the Congress in 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, declared the goal of
(a) Dominion status
(b) Purna Swaraj
(c) Separate electorates
(d) Home rule

Q10. The Salt March of Gandhi began from Sabarmati Ashram on
(a) 6 April 1930
(b) 12 March 1930
(c) 26 January 1930
(d) 5 March 1931

Q11. The Poona Pact of 1932 was signed between
(a) Gandhi and Irwin
(b) Gandhi and Ambedkar
(c) Nehru and Jinnah
(d) Gandhi and Wavell

Q12. The slogan 'Do or Die' was given by Gandhi during the
(a) Non-Cooperation Movement
(b) Civil Disobedience Movement
(c) Quit India Movement
(d) Swadeshi Movement

Q13. The Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) was revived in 1943 under the leadership of
(a) Rash Behari Bose
(b) Subhas Chandra Bose
(c) Mohan Singh
(d) Lakshmi Sahgal

Q14. The Cabinet Mission arrived in India in
(a) 1942
(b) 1944
(c) 1946
(d) 1947

Q15. The Indian Independence Act was passed by the British Parliament in
(a) 1935
(b) 1946
(c) 1947
(d) 1949

Answer Key with Explanations

1. Q1: (b) A. O. Hume, a retired civil servant, helped found the Congress, but W. C. Bonnerjee presided over the first session held at Bombay.
2. Q2: (b) Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905. It led to the Swadeshi and Boycott movement, and the partition was annulled in 1911.
3. Q3: (b) The Muslim League was formed at Dhaka in December 1906 under the leadership of Nawab Salimullah and others.
4. Q4: (b) The split happened at Surat in 1907, mainly over the issues of Swadeshi, boycott and the choice of the president.
5. Q5: (b) In 1916, the Congress and the Muslim League reunited the Moderates and Extremists in the Congress and agreed on a joint demand for self-government with separate electorates.
6. Q6: (c) The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was against the forced indigo cultivation (tinkathia system) in Bihar.
7. Q7: (a) On 13 April 1919 at Amritsar, troops under General Dyer fired on a peaceful gathering. It happened on Baisakhi day.
8. Q8: (b) Gandhi withdrew the movement in February 1922 after a mob burnt a police station at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh.
9. Q9: (b) The Lahore session adopted the Purna Swaraj (complete independence) resolution and it was decided to observe 26 January 1930 as Independence Day.
10. Q10: (b) Gandhi started the march with 78 followers on 12 March 1930 and broke the salt law at Dandi on 6 April 1930.
11. Q11: (b) The Pact replaced the separate electorates for the Depressed Classes announced in the Communal Award with reserved seats in the general electorate.
12. Q12: (c) Gandhi gave the call at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay on 8 August 1942, at the start of the Quit India Movement.
13. Q13: (b) Subhas Chandra Bose took over the leadership at Singapore in 1943 from Rash Behari Bose and gave the slogan 'Delhi Chalo'.
14. Q14: (c) The Cabinet Mission of 1946 proposed a loose federal union and an interim government, but the plan could not be fully implemented.
15. Q15: (c) The Act of July 1947 created the two dominions of India and Pakistan from 15 August 1947.

Timeline of the Freedom Struggle

Gandhian Movements at a Glance

Important Constitutional Acts

• Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms): Introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
• Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms): Introduced dyarchy in the provinces.
• Government of India Act, 1935: Provincial autonomy, a proposed federation and the Federal Court.
• Indian Independence Act, 1947: Ended British rule and created India and Pakistan.

Famous Slogans and Who Gave Them

Tricks for the Chronology Questions

Build a single line of the major years: 1885, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1942, 1946, 1947. Learn them as groups. Remember that 1919 has the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms. Remember that the 1930s begin with the Dandi March and end with the Government of India Act. When two events look close in time, ask which came first as per the story: protest, then repression, then talks. For deeper study, read our modern Indian history notes and the notes on Moderates and Extremists.

A Simple Revision Plan

Revise one phase of the timeline each day for a week, and on the seventh day solve this paper again. Write a one-line summary for every movement: who led it, why it began, what happened and how it ended. Keep a special note on the Congress sessions, because their places, presidents and decisions are asked often.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing the Moderates and the Extremists: The Moderates used petitions; the Extremists used boycott and Swadeshi.
• Confusing movements: Non-Cooperation (1920) is not the Civil Disobedience (1930).
• Forgetting the result: Questions often ask what happened after the movement.
• Ignoring the revolutionaries: Groups like the HSRA and persons like Bhagat Singh also appear in the exam.

When you finish this test, try the Indian history MCQs and revise your weak topics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who founded the Indian National Congress?

A. O. Hume helped to found the Congress in 1885, and W. C. Bonnerjee was its first President.

Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905?

Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal, officially for administrative reasons, but it was widely seen as a move to divide the nationalist movement.

What was the Lucknow Pact?

It was a 1916 agreement between the Congress and the Muslim League on a joint demand for self-government.

Which was Gandhi's first Satyagraha in India?

The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 in Bihar was Gandhi's first Satyagraha in India.

Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn?

Gandhi withdrew it in February 1922 after violence at Chauri Chaura, where a mob burnt a police station.

What was decided at the Lahore session of 1929?

The Congress adopted the goal of Purna Swaraj, or complete independence.

What was the Dandi March?

It was the Salt March led by Gandhi from Sabarmati to Dandi in March-April 1930 to break the salt law, starting the Civil Disobedience Movement.

What was the Poona Pact?

It was a 1932 agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar that gave reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in the general electorate.

When did the Quit India Movement start?

It started on 8 August 1942 with Gandhi's call of 'Do or Die'.

Who led the Indian National Army in 1943?

Subhas Chandra Bose led the INA from 1943 after taking charge from Rash Behari Bose.

What was the Cabinet Mission of 1946?

It was a British mission that proposed a federal union and an interim government for India.

How should I study the freedom struggle for the Prelims?

Learn the timeline, make tables of movements and acts, understand cause and effect, and solve topic-wise MCQs.