Indian National Movement III (1930-1947): UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
4 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Indian National Movement III (1930-1947) (Modern History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–4 of 4 questions
UPSC 1999Modern History · Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)
Q1. "It made its proposals in May. It still wanted a united India. There was to be a Federal Union composed of British provinces." The above quotation is related to:
Explanation
The quotation refers to the Cabinet Mission of 1946. It proposed a Federal Union for India, which included both British provinces and the princely states. The mission, which visited India in 1946, aimed at resolving the political deadlock between the British government and Indian leaders and laid out plans for a united India with a federal structure while also suggesting a provision for autonomy for Muslim-majority areas. It did not propose partition, which was later carried out in 1947. The Simon Commission (1927) was tasked with reviewing constitutional reforms in India but faced widespread protests as it lacked Indian representation. It had no proposals for a federal union. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was an agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin in 1931 to end the Civil Disobedience Movement. It focused on specific concessions rather than constitutional proposals. The Cripps Mission (1942) proposed dominion status for India with the option for provinces to secede. However, it did not advocate a federal union like the Cabinet Mission.
UPSC 1999Modern History · Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)
Q2. Which Indian nationalist leader looked upon a war between Germany and Britain as a God-sent opportunity which would enable Indians to exploit the situation to their advantage?
Explanation
Subhash Chandra Bose saw World War II as an opportunity for India to leverage Britain’s vulnerability. He believed the war could be exploited to push for India’s independence, leading to his efforts to collaborate with Axis powers like Germany and Japan to form the Indian National Army (INA).
UPSC 1999Modern History · Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)
Q3. Which one of the following leaders of the Congress was totally in favour of the Cabinet Mission Plan?
Explanation
Sardar Patel was one of the prominent Congress leaders who supported the Cabinet Mission Plan. He saw it as a pragmatic approach to achieving independence while preserving India’s unity, even though it meant compromises like grouping provinces. Mahatma Gandhi was skeptical of the Cabinet Mission Plan as he felt it complicated India’s unity by endorsing groupings and did not adequately ensure safeguards for weaker sections. Jawaharlal Nehru initially supported the plan but later expressed reservations, particularly about the grouping of provinces, which he felt could weaken a strong central authority. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad supported the Cabinet Mission Plan but was more cautious about its implementation, especially due to the communal tensions it could exacerbate.
UPSC 1999Modern History · Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)
Q4. Assertion (A): Lord Linlithgow described the August Movement of 1942 as the most serious rebellion since Sepoy Mutiny. Reason (R): There was massive upsurge of the peasantry in certain areas.
Explanation
The Quit India Movement (1942), also called the August Movement, saw widespread participation from peasants, students, and workers, making it a mass struggle. A is true: The Quit India Movement (1942 saw unprecedented participation from all sections of society, and its intensity led Lord Linlithgow to compare it to the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. R is true: Peasantry participation was significant in regions like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Bengal, as the movement mobilized rural masses. R the correct explanation of A: The scale of peasantry uprising during August Movement made it clear that independence was imminent, and rebellion against British rule was very serious.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
1999
(d) Cabinet Mission
2
1999
(c) Subhash Chandra Bose
3
1999
(c) Sardar Patel
4
1999
(a) Both A and R are true but R is the correct explanation ofA
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)?
This page covers 4 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Indian National Movement III (1930-1947) (Modern History), asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Indian National Movement III (1930-1947)?
Questions on Indian National Movement III (1930-1947) (Modern History) are available for 24 years, from 1996 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
