66th Prelims Re 2021

Explanation:

The Charter Act of 1833 made the Governor General of Bengal the 'Governor General of India'. Lord William Bentinck, who had been Governor General of Bengal from 1828 to 1833, became the first Governor General of India. As Governor General of Bengal, he abolished Sati in 1829, annexed Mysore in 1831, and signed a treaty of perpetual friendship with Ranjit Singh. As Governor General of India (1833-35), he implemented Macaulay's Minute of 1835 and abolished provincial courts of appeal and circuits set by Lord Cornwallis. Lord Canning was the last Governor General of India and the first Viceroy under the Government of India Act 1858. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Lord Clive is considered the 'Founder of British Empire in India'. He joined the British army after resigning from a clerk's post and played a key role in establishing British power in India. He served as Governor of Bengal twice, from 1757-60 and 1765-67, and introduced the system of 'Dual Administration' in Bengal. Clive returned to England and tragically committed suicide in 1774. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The Revolt of 1857 began at Meerut on 10th May 1857. The immediate cause was the punishment of some sepoys for refusing to use the greased cartridges. The sepoys, along with civilians, went on a rampage shouting 'Maro Firangi Ko', broke open jails, murdered Europeans, burned houses, and moved towards Delhi. On 11th May 1857, they reached Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah II as Emperor of India. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The Munda Revolt took place in 1899-1900 and was led by Birsa Munda. Also known as 'Ulgulan' or the 'Great Tumult', it occurred in the Chotanagpur region due to unfair land-grabbing practices by British authorities, slow abolition of the Khuntkattidar system, exploitation of tribals by outsiders (Dikus), and interference by missionaries in traditional culture. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 in Bombay. Born Mulshankar in Gujarat, he promoted the revival of Vedic learning and purity of religion, rejecting idol worship, rituals, and incarnations. He authored 'Satyarth Prakash' and hoisted 'Pakhand Khandini Pataka' in 1863. Arya Samaj was a North Indian Hindu reform organization advocating widow remarriage, girls' education, and religious reform. Its headquarters were later shifted to Lahore, and it launched the Shuddhi movement. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Rahimtulla Mahmud Sayani was the second Muslim President of the Indian National Congress, presiding over the Calcutta annual session in 1896. The national song 'Vande Mataram' was sung for the first time at this session, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterji. The first Muslim President was Badruddin Tyabji in 1887. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The University Commission of 1902, appointed by Lord Curzon, included Thomas Raleigh, Syed Hussain Bilgrami, and Justice Gurudas Banerjee. The commission's objective was to recommend reforms in university education, ultimately leading to the Indian Universities Act, 1904. During Curzon's tenure (1899-1905), he also oversaw the Calcutta Corporation Act, Ancient Monument Preservation Act, Partition of Bengal, and Younghusband's Mission to Tibet. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded in 1870 by Mahadev Govind Ranade. It was a socio-political organization that acted as a mediator between the government and Indian people, popularizing peasants' legal rights. In 1875, it petitioned the House of Commons for India's representation in the British Parliament. Eminent leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, and Maharishi Annasaheb Patwardhan served as its presidents. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The second session of the Indian National Congress took place under Dadabhai Naoroji in Calcutta, 1886. Delegates increased from 72 in the first session to 434 in the second. As per BPSC's final answer key, 33 Muslim delegates participated. The session also decided to set up Provincial Congress Committees across the country. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

More than one of the above options were not part of the objectives pointed out by W.C. Banerjee in 1885. In his presidential address at the first session of INC, W.C. Banerjee emphasized formulating popular demands for the government, promoting national unity, training public opinion, and bringing together leaders from different parts of India. Hence, option 3 (D) is correct. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Vinay Damodar Savarkar founded the Abhinav Bharat Society in 1906 in London. It was a secret revolutionary society aiming to end British rule in India. Savarkar, during his studies in London, compiled 'Mazzini Charitra', a translation of Giuseppe Mazzini's revolutionary writings. The society's ideology ultimately influenced the assassination of Colonel William Curzon Wyllie by Madan Lal Dhingra in 1909. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The All India Muslim League began holding annual conventions regularly from 1925 AD. Founded in 1906 at Dhaka, it aimed to safeguard Muslim interests in India. The League's genesis was in the Shimla Deputation led by Agha Khan, which met Lord Minto on 1st October 1906 to demand separate electorates. Founding members included Salimullah Khan, Agha Khan, and Mohsin-ul-Mulk. The first session was held at Karachi on 29th December 1907. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh led the establishment of an interim government in Kabul with German support during the Ghadar Movement. The Ghadar Party, headquartered in San Francisco, organized revolutions against British rule in India. Indian revolutionaries in Europe sent missions to Baghdad, Persia, Turkey, and Kabul. Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, along with Barkatullah and Obaidullah Sindhi, organized a provisional Indian government in Kabul with the support of Crown Prince Amanullah. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The Tebhaga Movement (1946-47) was a peasant movement in Bengal where sharecroppers demanded two-thirds of their produce instead of the customary half. The movement had support from the Kisan Sabha and the Communist Party of India. Leaders included Kampram Singh and Bhavan Singh. Another contemporary movement was the Telangana movement (1946-51), directed against feudal conditions in Hyderabad, also led by the CPI. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The statement was actually made by Mahatma Gandhi while stressing the ill effects of communalism. None of the provided options were correct, hence option E ('None of the above') is the correct choice. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]

Explanation:

The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 within the Indian National Congress by Jay Prakash Narayan and Acharya Narayan Dev. Jay Prakash Narayan served as General Secretary and Acharya Narayan Dev as President. The party promoted decentralized socialism and worked for socio-economic reforms within the Congress framework. [66TH BPSC PRELIMS RE-EXAM, 2021]