[Mission 2024] STATIC QUIZ, 17 July 2023 – History

Solution: b)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

Depressed Class Welfare Institute (Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha) is a central institution formed by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for removing difficulties of the untouchables and placing their grievances before government.

Jyotiba Phule was an Indian social activist, thinker, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. He wrote ‘Gulamgiri’ and ‘Sarvajanik Satyadharma Pustak’.

As a labour member in Viceroy’s Executive Council from 1942 to 1946, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar evolved numerous policies in the water, power and labour welfare sectors.

His farsightedness helped in establishing the Central Water Commission in the form of the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWINC), Central Technical Power Board.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

Cripps Mission:

In the midst of worsening wartime international situation, the British Government in its continued effort to secure Indian cooperation sent Sir Stafford Cripps to India on 23 March 1942. This is known as Cripps Mission.

The main proposals of the mission were as follows.

1. An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies.

2. After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
3. The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
4. In the meantime, defence of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general’s powers would remain intact.

Departures from the Past and Implications

The proposals differed from those offered in the past in many respects—

• The making of the constitution was to be solely in Indian hands now (and not ‘mainly’ in Indian hands—as contained in the August Offer).
• A concrete plan was provided for the constituent assembly.
• Option was available to any province to have a separate constitution—a blueprint for India’s partition.
• Free India could withdraw from the Commonwealth.
• Indians were allowed a large share in the administration in the interim period.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Rajagopalachari’s formula (or C. R. formula or Rajaji formula) was a proposal formulated by C.Rajagopalachari to solve the political deadlockbetween the All India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress on the independence of British India.
• The League’s positionwas that the Muslims and Hindus of British India were two separate nations and henceforth the Muslims had the right to their own nation.
• The Congress, which included both Hindu and Muslim members, opposed the idea of partitioning India.

The Rajagopalachari Formula

The main points in the CR Plan were:

• Muslim League to endorse Congress demand for independence.
• League to cooperate with Congress in forming a provisional government at centre.
• After the end of the war, the entire population of Muslim majority areas in the North-West and North-East India to decide by a plebiscite, whether or not to form a separate sovereign state.
• In case of acceptance of partition, agreement to be made jointly for safeguarding defence, commerce, communications, etc.
• The above terms are to be operative only if England transferred full powers to India.

Reactions to the formula

• The formula was a tacit acceptanceof the League’s demand for Pakistan. And Gandhiji supported the formula.
• Jinnahwanted the Congress to accept the two-nation theory.
• He wanted only the Muslims of North-West and North-East to vote in the plebiscite and not the entire population. He also opposed the idea of a common centre.

Solution: c)

Bhulabhai Desai, leader of the Congress Party in the Central Legislative Assembly, met Liaqat Ali Khan, deputy leader of the Muslim League in that Assembly, and both of them came up with the draft proposal for the formation of an interim government at the centre, consisting of:

• An equal number of persons nominated by the Congress and the League in the central legislature.
• 20% reserved seats for minorities.

No settlement could be reached between the Congress and the League on these lines.

Solution: d)

During Civil Disobedience Movement, a powerful agitation was organised in Assam against the infamous ‘Cunningham circular’ which forced parents, guardians and students to furnish assurances of good behaviour.