Foundation of the Indian National Congress MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Foundation of the Indian National Congress - Download Free PDF

Key Points

• The only Indian National Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi was held at Belgaum in 1924.
• This session was significant as it marked Gandhi’s leadership within the Congress during the crucial phase of India’s freedom struggle.
• The Belgaum session emphasized the importance of non-violence and civil disobedience as strategies for achieving independence.

Additional Information

• Indian National Congress:
  • The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, and others.
  • It played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
  • The INC served as a platform for leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru to voice their demands for self-rule.
  • Over the years, it evolved from being a moderate reformist organization into a strong advocate of complete independence (Purna Swaraj).
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Leadership:
  • Mahatma Gandhi joined the Indian freedom struggle after returning from South Africa in 1915.
  • He introduced the principles of non-violence (Ahimsa) and civil disobedience as effective tools for resistance against British rule.
  • Gandhi’s leadership transformed the Indian National Congress into a mass movement that included people from all walks of life.
  • His campaigns like the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), and Quit India Movement (1942) were milestones in the fight for independence.
• Belgaum Session, 1924:
  • The Belgaum session is unique because it was the only session of the Indian National Congress presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
  • During this session, Gandhi emphasized the importance of unity among Indians irrespective of religion, caste, or region.
  • The session also discussed key issues concerning India's independence and the strategies to be employed in the freedom struggle.
  • The Belgaum session was a turning point as it strengthened Gandhi’s leadership within the Congress and among the masses.
• Other Sessions of Indian National Congress:
  • Karachi Session (1931): Presided by Vallabhbhai Patel, this session endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and passed resolutions on fundamental rights and national economic policy.
  • Nagpur Session (1920): Presided by C. Vijayaraghavachariar, it marked the adoption of the Non-Cooperation Movement under Gandhi’s leadership.

The correct answer is Option 1

Key Points

• The Congress Socialist Party was formed in January 1934:
  • This statement is incorrect.
  • The Congress Socialist Party (CSP) was actually formed in 1934, but it was not formed in January specifically.
  • It emerged from within the Indian National Congress (INC) during the 1934 Congress session after discussions among socialists within the INC, particularly by the efforts of leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, and Subhas Chandra Bose.
• Jawaharlal Nehru formally joined this party due to his sympathy for socialism:
  • This statement is also incorrect.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru never formally joined the Congress Socialist Party.
  • He was a strong supporter of socialist ideals, but he never became a formal member of the CSP. Nehru's association was more with the Indian National Congress, where he was a prominent leader.
  • While he sympathized with the socialist ideals, he did not align himself exclusively with the CSP.
• Hence, the correct answer is neither 1 nor 2.

The correct answer is 2.

Key Points

• The Constituent Assembly of India had two Vice Presidents.
• The first Vice President of the Constituent Assembly was H. C. Mookerjee.
• The second Vice President was V. T. Krishnamachari.
• These Vice Presidents were pivotal in assisting Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who was the President of the Constituent Assembly.

Additional Information

• Constituent Assembly:
  • It was formed in 1946 to draft the Constitution of India.
  • It consisted of members elected by the provincial assemblies and nominated by the princely states.
  • The assembly met for the first time on December 9, 1946.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad:
  • He was the first President of the Constituent Assembly of India.
  • He later became the first President of independent India.
• Drafting Committee:
  • It was chaired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
  • The committee was responsible for drafting the text of the Constitution.
• Adoption of the Constitution:
  • The Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949.
  • It came into effect on January 26, 1950, celebrated as Republic Day.

The correct answer is Allan Octavian Hume.

Key Points

• Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, was instrumental in the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
• He is often referred to as the "Father of the Indian National Congress" for his pivotal role in its establishment.
• The Indian National Congress was founded to create a platform for civil and political dialogue among educated Indians.
• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay (now Mumbai) in December 1885.

Additional Information

• W C Banerjee: He was the first president of the Indian National Congress. His full name was Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee.
• Dadabhai Naoroji: Also known as the "Grand Old Man of India," he was a prominent member of the Indian National Congress and the first Indian to be elected to the British Parliament.
• Annie Besant: A British socialist and supporter of Indian self-rule, she became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.
• Formation of Congress: The Indian National Congress aimed to obtain a greater share in government for educated Indians, and its early leaders were primarily moderate in their demands.
• Legacy: The Indian National Congress played a major role in the Indian independence movement and became the principal leader of the Indian independence struggle against British rule.

The correct answer is 1896.

Key Points

• 'Vande Mataram' song was sung for the first time at the Indian National Congress session at Calcutta in 1896.
• The president of the Calcutta session was Rahmatullah M. Sayani.
• Vande Mataram song:
  • The song was Sung by Rabindranath Tagore.
  • The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1874.
  • The song was published in the Bengali novel Anandamath in 1882.​​

Important Points

• Indian National Congress(INC):
  • Indian National Congress was founded on 28 December 1885.
  • Father of INC: Allan Octavian Hume
  • First President: W.C Bonnerjee

Additional Information

The correct answer is Indian Association.

Key Points

• Indian Association was merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886.
  • It was during the second session of the Indian National Congress held in 1886 in Calcutta.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji served as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1886.
• Indian Association was a nationalist political group in India that favoured local self-government in India.
  • The Indian Association was established in 1876.
  • It was the first avowed nationalist organization founded in British India.
  • Indian Association was founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose.
  • It was mainly supported by younger professional men among the Bengali intelligentsia.
  • Indian Association objected to the Vernacular Press Act, which stifled the Indian press.

Additional Information 

• The East India Association was a London-based organization founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866.
• The Bombay Presidency Association was founded by Badruddin Tyabji and others in 1885.
• The Young Bengal Movement was started by Henry Vivian Derozio in Calcutta.

Important Points

Congress was the natural and inevitable product of various forces of the 19th century.

• The credit for the birth of the Congress is often given to AO Hume, who with the help of the Viceroy Lord Dufferin successfully organised the prominent political leaders and founded the Indian National Congress.

Formation of Indian National Congress:

• Indian National Congress was finally formed on 28th December 1885.
• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held on 28th December 1885 at Tejpal Sanskrit Pathshala, Bombay under the Presidentship of WC Banerjee.
• In 1886, the number of delegates to Congress became 436.
• Moderate leaders dominated Congress in its early phase. 

Thus, we can conclude that in 1885 the Indian National Congress was formed.

The correct answer is Badruddin Tyabji.

• Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of INC and third president of INC in 1887.
• Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee (WC Banerjee) is the first president of INC in 1885.
• Dadabhai Naroji was the second president of INC in 1886. He was also a member of Indian National Association founded by Surendranath Banerjee from Calcutta.
• In 1888, George Yule was first foreigner to be the president of Congress. 
• He served as Sheriff of Calcutta and as President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Key Points

• Tyabji was the first Indian to practice as a barrister of the High Court of Bombay.
• He formed the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885 along with Pherozeshah Mehta and Kashinath Trimbak Telang.

Additional Information

• Annie Besant was the first woman president of INC.
• Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman Indian president of INC. 

The correct answer is 3.

• Dadabhai Naoroji:
  • He was known as the Grand Oldman of India.
  • He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress (INC).
  • He became the President of INC three times i.e in the 1886 Calcutta session, 1893 Lahore session, and 1906 Calcutta session.
  • He was the first Indian Member of Parliament elected to the UK House of Commons.
  • He established the London Indian Society in the year 1865 and the East India Association in the year 1866. 

The correct answer is 2 and 3.

Important Points

• The leading figures during the first phase of the National Movement (1885-1905) were moderates.

Leading moderates were:

• A.O. Hume, W.C. Banerjee, Surendra Nath Banerjee, Phirozshah Mehta, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Badruddin Tyabji, Justice Ranade, G.Subramanya Aiyar.
• The closing decade of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of a new and younger group within the Indian National Congress, which was sharply critical of the ideology and the methods of the old leadership.

These extremists were:

• Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghose.

The correct answer is Allan Octavian Hume.

• The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed by the Allan Octavian Hume in 1885.
• INC was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa and it grew to become one of the most important political parties in pre-independence India. 
• The first session of INC was held in Bombay from 28–31 December 1885 under the chairmanship of W.C. Bonnerjee.
• The session of the Indian National Congress is held at the gap of one year.
• INC started as an organization comprising only of the educated elite in India, but it later became a party of commoners with prominent leaders like Lajpat Rai, Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru, Bose, etc. as its members.
• From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi,
• Congress lead India to independence from Great Britain and powerfully influenced other anti-colonial nationalist movements in the British Empire.
• The list of some of the sessions of the Indian National Congress before the Indian Independence.

  Year	Location	President and significance
  1885	Bombay	Womesh Chandra Bannerjee [1st session attended by 72 delegates]
  1886	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji National [Congress and National Conference]
  1887	Madras	Badruddin Tyyabji [fist Muslim President]
  1889	Bombay	Sir William Wedderburn

   

The correct answer is Mrs. Anne Besant.Key Points

• The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant in 1917.
• First Indian National Congress President was "Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee" in 1885.
• In 1916 Besant launched the All India Home Rule League along with Lokmanya Tilak, once again modeling demands for India on Irish nationalist practices.

Confusion Points

• Sarojini Naidu was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress Party in 1925, the first-ever Indian woman to assume that position.
• She was appointed the governor of Uttar Pradesh after India achieved independence in 1947.

Important Points

• Some important INC Presidents are following:-
  • Gopal Krishan Gokhale in 1905
  • Dadabhai Naoroji in 1906
  • Madan Mohan Malviya in 1909
  • Motilal Nehru in 1919
  • Lala Lajpat Rai in 1920
  • Hakim Ajmal Khan (Acting President for C.R. Das) in 1921
  • Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in 1922.
  • Mahatma Gandhi in 1924
  • Vallabhbhai Patel in 1931
  • Subhash Chandra Bose in 1938
  • JB Kriplani in 1947

Additional Information

• Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the first and, to date, only female Prime Minister of India.
  • Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India.

The correct answer is George Yule.

Key Points

• The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed by the Allan Octavian Hume in 1885.
• INC was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa and it grew to become one of the most important political parties in pre-independence India. 
• The first session of INC was held in Bombay from 28–31 December 1885 under the chairmanship of W.C. Bonnerjee.
• The session of the Indian National Congress is held at gaps of one year.
• INC started as an organization comprising only of the educated elite in India, but it later became a party of commoners with prominent leaders like Lajpat Rai, Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru, Bose, etc. as its members.
• From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi,
• Congress lead India to independence from Great Britain and powerfully influenced other anti-colonial nationalist movements in the British Empire.

Additional Information

The list of some of the sessions of the Indian National Congress before the Indian Independence.

The correct answer is Allan Octavian Hume.

• Allan Octavian Hume took the initiative to convene the first meeting of the Indian National Union.

Key Points

• In 1884, A.O.Hume founded the Indian National Union.
• Indian National Congress (I.N.C.):
  • The Indian National Union was formed in 1884 A.D by A.O. Hume.
    • He called for a conference in Pune in December 1885 A.D.
  • The conference venue was shifted to Bombay.
  • The leaders decided to rename the Indian National Union as the Indian National Congress.
  • The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay under the presidentship of W.C. Bannerji.
  • It was attended by 72 delegates from all over India.
  • Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy of India during the foundation of INC.
  • The first two decades of INC are described in history as those of moderate demands and a sense of confidence in British justice and generosity.
  • Indian Council Act in 1892 AD allowed some members to be indirectly elected by Indians.

Additional Information

• John Morley was a secretary of state for India during 1906–1910.
• Edwin Montagu was appointed the Secretary of State for India in 1917.

The correct answer is 72.

Key Points

• 72 members participated in the first session of congress in 1885.
  • Indian National Congress was formed in 1885 by A.O Hume a member of the Imperial Civil Service.
  • The first meeting of the Indian National Congress was held on December 28th, 1885.
  • The first session was held at a hall of Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay.
  • Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first president of the Indian National Congress.
  • He was an Indian barrister.
  • In the first session out of 72, 39 were lawyers and this trend continued i.e. more than one-third of delegates were from a legal background.

Additional Information

• Sessions of Indian National Congress: