UPSC Static Quiz – History : 4 April 2026

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect; the McDonnell Commission (1900)was appointed following the famine of 1899–1900, not the Orissa Famine (which occurred in 1866). While it suggested remissions, it did not mandate a universal suspension of revenue.
• Statement 2 is correct; the Commission advocated for a “Moral Strategy,”which meant intervening early with advances (Takavi loans) for seeds and cattle, sinkage of wells, and the appointment of a Famine Commissioner. Curzon sought to ensure that the peasantry did not lose their means of future production.
• Statement 3 is incorrect; the Irrigation Commission of 1901emphasized the State’s role in developing irrigation facilities and recommended a massive expansion of the canal network, particularly in the Punjab and frontier regions, rather than relying solely on private enterprise. Curzon viewed irrigation as a vital infrastructure component to ensure revenue stability and avoid the political risks associated with recurring mass starvation.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect because the Official Secrets Act of 1904was significantly broadened rather than limited; it extended to civil matters and empowered the government to penalize the press for criticizing general administration, not just military secrets.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because Curzon actually withdrew regular British troopsfrom the frontier and replaced them with tribal militias (like the Khassadars) trained by British officers. He believed this would be more cost-effective and less provocative to the local tribes. Curzon’s frontier policy focused on securing borders through road construction and consolidating territories like the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), created in 1901.

Solution: D

• The Gandhi-Irwin Pact, though significant for its symbolic value, fell short of the core nationalist aspirations in several concrete ways.
• Statement 1 is incorrectbecause the government did not repeal the Salt Act; it only granted a limited concession allowing people in coastal villages to collect or manufacture salt for their own private use (personal consumption), not for commercial sale.
• Statement 2 is incorrectbecause the agreement for the return of confiscated property was strictly limited to those lands and assets that had not yet been sold to third parties.
• Statement 3 is incorrectbecause the British government did not grant or even promise Dominion Status within a fixed timeframe; the pact only stipulated that the Congress would participate in the Second Round Table Conference to discuss future “constitutional reforms”.

Solution: B

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct, while Statement 3 is incorrect.
• Women’s participation was one of the most liberating and transformative aspects of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Large numbers of women came out of their homes to participate in public political action, especially through picketing liquor shops and foreign cloth dealers, breaking salt laws, and courting arrest. This marked a significant departure from earlier, more limited forms of involvement and helped redefine women’s role in nationalist politics, giving the movement a strong moral and symbolic force.
• The business community, particularly Indian industrialists and merchants, also played an important supportive role. Figures such as D. Birla actively encouraged traders to boycott foreign textiles and promote swadeshi goods. Many businessmen provided financial assistance to the Congress, seeing the movement as aligned with their long-term interests against colonial economic policies, even though their support often fluctuated depending on the intensity of repression.
• However, the claim that the movement saw the first-ever organized participation of the industrial working class on a pan-India scale is incorrect. Organized working-class participation had already occurred during earlier phases of the national movement, especially during the Non-Cooperation Movement and through trade union activities in the 1920s. During the Civil Disobedience Movement, workers did participate, but their involvement was uneven and limited.

Solution: A

• Maulana Azad (I) was the President of the Congress during the Shimla Conference; his presence was a powerful symbol that the Congress was a nationalist organization representing all communities, including Muslims, which directly challenged Jinnah’s narrative.
• Lord Wavell (II) is associated with the “Breakdown Plan,” which was a military contingency plan to withdraw British officials and forces if the political deadlock became permanent.
• Jawaharlal Nehru (III) played a pivotal role in rejecting the initial “Plan Balkan” (also known as the Dickie Bird Plan) because he realized it would encourage every province to declare independence, leading to the fragmentation of India into multiple weak states.
• A. Jinnah (IV) was the primary cause of the Shimla Conference’s failure because he demanded that the Muslim League be recognized as the sole representative of Indian Muslims, refusing to accept any Muslim member nominated by the Congress.