Q31. The widespread mass agitation known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha was triggered directly by the passage of the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act. What was the primary justification given by the British government for passing this Act?
Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events: RAS Prelims MCQs
65 RAS Prelims MCQs on the Gandhian era follow Gandhi from South Africa to Noakhali. Champaran, the Ahmedabad Mill Strike, Non-Cooperation, the Dandi March, the Round Table Conferences, Quit India and the constitutional proposals from the August Offer to the Wavell Plan are asked as facts, sequences and statements.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 31–40 of 65 questions
Q32. Consider the following statements regarding the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946):
I. Section A included Hindu-majority provinces like Madras, Bombay, UP, Bihar, Central Provinces, and Orissa.
II. Section B included the Muslim-majority provinces in the northwest: Punjab, NWFP, and Sindh.
III. Section C included Bengal and Assam.
IV. It proposed a highly centralized and strong Union government with residual powers vested in the Centre.
V. It strongly recommended the immediate creation of a sovereign state of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements are incorrect?
I. Section A included Hindu-majority provinces like Madras, Bombay, UP, Bihar, Central Provinces, and Orissa.
II. Section B included the Muslim-majority provinces in the northwest: Punjab, NWFP, and Sindh.
III. Section C included Bengal and Assam.
IV. It proposed a highly centralized and strong Union government with residual powers vested in the Centre.
V. It strongly recommended the immediate creation of a sovereign state of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements are incorrect?
Explanation
The Cabinet Mission Plan proposed a weak central government with limited powers over defense, foreign affairs, and communications. Residual powers were to be vested in the provinces. Crucially, the plan officially rejected the demand for a separate, sovereign state of Pakistan. Instead, it suggested a three-tier structure with the grouping of provinces into three sections based on their religious majority status.
Q33. During the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, Mahatma Gandhi famously promised the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ within a specific timeframe if the constructive and boycott programmes were fully implemented. What was this timeframe?
Explanation
At the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhi declared that Swaraj could be attained within one year if the program of non-violent resistance and constructive work was fully adopted. He believed that a total withdrawal of Indian cooperation would cause the British administration to collapse. While the target was not met, the movement succeeded in politicizing the masses on an unprecedented scale.
Q34. Arrange the following critical events leading up to the partition of India in their correct chronological order:
I. Arrival of the Cabinet Mission
II. Observation of Direct Action Day by the Muslim League
III. Prime Minister Clement Attlee’s declaration setting a deadline for British withdrawal
IV. Announcement of the Mountbatten Plan
Select the correct order from the options given below:
I. Arrival of the Cabinet Mission
II. Observation of Direct Action Day by the Muslim League
III. Prime Minister Clement Attlee’s declaration setting a deadline for British withdrawal
IV. Announcement of the Mountbatten Plan
Select the correct order from the options given below:
Explanation
The final steps toward independence began with the Cabinet Mission’s arrival in March 1946. Tensions rose after the Muslim League’s Direct Action Day in August 1946. In February 1947, Prime Minister Attlee announced the deadline for the British departure. Finally, the Mountbatten Plan of June 3, 1947, outlined the procedure for the partition of British India into two sovereign nations.
Q35. The following question consists of two statements, one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other labeled as Reason (R). Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Assertion (A): The Poona Pact (1932) abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
Reason (R): B.R. Ambedkar was convinced by the British government to accept joint electorates in exchange for a position in the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
Assertion (A): The Poona Pact (1932) abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
Reason (R): B.R. Ambedkar was convinced by the British government to accept joint electorates in exchange for a position in the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
Explanation
The Poona Pact of 1932 resulted in the abandonment of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes in favor of reserved seats within joint electorates. This agreement was reached after Gandhi’s fast unto death highlighted the potential for a permanent split within Hindu society. Ambedkar agreed to the pact to save Gandhi’s life, securing more reserved seats than was originally proposed.
Q36. Rajkumar Shukla, a local cultivator, persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to visit Champaran and investigate the plight of indigo farmers. In which session of the Indian National Congress did Shukla meet Gandhi for this purpose?
Explanation
Rajkumar Shukla, a persistent peasant from Bihar, met Gandhi at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in 1916. He traveled there specifically to bring Gandhi’s attention to the systematic exploitation of indigo farmers by European planters in Champaran. His persistence eventually succeeded, leading Gandhi to visit the region in 1917 and launch his first successful Satyagraha campaign.
Q37. Consider the following statements regarding the Ahmedabad Mill Strike of 1918:
I. The central dispute was between the mill owners and the workers over the withdrawal of the ‘plague bonus’.
II. Mahatma Gandhi advised the workers to go on strike and demand a 35 percent wage hike.
III. The mill owners initially offered a 50 percent hike before Gandhi’s intervention, which the workers rejected.
Which of the above statements are correct?
I. The central dispute was between the mill owners and the workers over the withdrawal of the ‘plague bonus’.
II. Mahatma Gandhi advised the workers to go on strike and demand a 35 percent wage hike.
III. The mill owners initially offered a 50 percent hike before Gandhi’s intervention, which the workers rejected.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
The Ahmedabad Mill Strike of 1918 centered on the workers’ demand for a thirty-five percent wage increase to compensate for inflation.
Q38. Which of the following prominent leaders from Rajputana strictly adhered to Gandhian principles, established the Charkha Sangh in Ajmer, and famously surrendered his title of ‘Rai Bahadur’ during the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Explanation
Jamnalal Bajaj, a close follower of Gandhi, set up the Charkha Sangh and gave up his title of Rai Bahadur during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Q39. Consider the following political developments following the withdrawal of the Non- Cooperation Movement:
Statement I: The Swaraj Party was formed by leaders who wanted to contest council elections and disrupt the working of the British legislative councils from within.
Statement II: These leaders, known as the ‘No- Changers’, included prominent figures like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Statement I: The Swaraj Party was formed by leaders who wanted to contest council elections and disrupt the working of the British legislative councils from within.
Statement II: These leaders, known as the ‘No- Changers’, included prominent figures like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
The Swaraj Party was formed to contest council elections and disrupt the councils from within, so Statement I is correct. Its leaders, Das and Motilal Nehru, were the Pro-Changers, not the No-Changers, so Statement II is incorrect.
Q40. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes:
| British Commission/Committee | Primary Purpose/Issue Addressed |
|---|---|
| A. Hunter Commission (1919) | i. Investigating the working of Dyarchy established by the 1919 Act |
| B. Muddiman Committee (1924) | ii. Inquiring into the Jallianwala Bagh massacre |
| C. Simon Commission (1927) | iii. Examining the relationship between the Paramount Power and the Princely States |
| D. Butler Committee (1927) | iv. Reviewing the constitutional framework for further reforms in India |
Explanation
The Hunter Commission looked into Jallianwala Bagh, the Muddiman Committee at Dyarchy, the Simon Commission at further constitutional reform and the Butler Committee at the relations between the Paramount Power and the princely states. This gives A-ii, B-i, C-iv, D-iii.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 31 | (c) To curb the growing threat of revolutionary nationalism and wartime conspiracies |
| 32 | (c) IV and V only |
| 33 | (b) Within one year |
| 34 | (a) I, II, III, IV |
| 35 | (c) A is true but R is false. |
| 36 | (d) Lucknow Session, 1916 |
| 37 | (a) I and II only |
| 38 | (c) Jamnalal Bajaj |
| 39 | (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect |
| 40 | (a) A-ii, B-i, C-iv, D-iii |
Key facts from Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
- Gandhi first used Satyagraha in South Africa against the Asiatic Registration Act; Gokhale advised him to spend a year travelling in India after his return in 1915.
- Champaran (1917) was against the Tinkathia system; Gandhi used a fast in the Ahmedabad Mill Strike.
- The Dandi March began from Sabarmati Ashram and covered about 240 miles.
- Ambedkar attended the Round Table Conferences that the Congress boycotted.
- The Quit India resolution was passed on 8 August 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay; Usha Mehta ran the underground radio.
- The order of plans is August Offer, Cripps Mission, C. R. Formula, Wavell Plan.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events?
This page has 65 practice MCQs on Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events (Modern Indian History). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Where did the Dandi March start?
At Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, on 12 March 1930. Gandhi walked about 240 miles to Dandi on the Gujarat coast and broke the salt law, which began the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Where was the Quit India resolution passed?
At Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay on 8 August 1942, at a session of the All India Congress Committee. The senior leaders were arrested the next day, and the movement continued through underground work.
Who persuaded Gandhi to visit Champaran?
Rajkumar Shukla, a local indigo cultivator, who met Gandhi at the Lucknow session of the Congress in 1916. Gandhi’s investigation of the Tinkathia system led to the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917.