1 Mark Questions
Question 1. Name the political party which came to power at the centre in 1977. (All India 2014)
Answer: The Janata Party and its allies came to power at the centre by defeating the Congress Party.
Question 2. Mention the main reason for the defeat of Congress Party in the election of 1977? (Delhi 2014)
Answer: The main reason for the defeat of the Congress Party was the declaration of Emergency by the then Prime Minister and the anti-democratic nature of their government.
Question 3. Who led the Railway Strike in 1974? What was its main demand? (All India 2013)
Answer: The Railway Strike of 1974 was led by George Fernandes. Its main demand was related to bonus and service conditions.
Question 4. Students of which two states started agitation against the rising food prices in 1974? (All India 2012)
Answer: The students of Gujarat and Bihar started agitation against the rising food prices in 1974.
Question 5. Why did the magazines like ‘Seminar’ and ‘Mainstream’ choose to close down after the declaration of Emergency in 1975? (Delhi 2012)
Answer: They chose to close down after the declaration of Emergency in 1975 due to censorship of the press.
Question 6. What was the main demand of the railway workers during the railway strike led by George Fernandes in 1974? (Delhi 2012)
Answer: Their demand was for a bonus and improved service conditions.
Question 7. Who was Charu Majumdar? (Delhi 2010)
Answer: Charu Majumdar was the leader of the Naxalbari uprising. He was the founder of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and adopted guerrilla warfare tactics.
Question 8. Describe any two outcomes of the Naxalite movements. (All India 2010)
Answer:
The Naxalite movement, which was initially strong in West Bengal, spread to different parts of India, affecting nine states.
Human rights activists alleged that the government used violence and harsh measures against them, criticizing it for violating the Constitution.
Question 9. How many Lok Sabha seats were won by the Janata Party and its allies in the General Elections of March 1977? (All India 2010)
Answer: The Janata Party and its allies won 330 out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha. The Janata Party itself won 295 seats.
Question 10. What was the Naxalite movement? (All India 2008)
Answer: The Naxalite movement was led by a Marxist-Leninist group that believed in violent means to achieve its goals. They forcibly took land from rich landlords and distributed it to landless peasants.
2 Mark Questions
Question 1. Match the following meaningfully from the names in Column ‘A’ with the information in Column ‘B’: (All India 2017)
Column A | Column B |
(i) Indira Gandhi | (c) Nationalisation of banks |
(ii) Ram Manohar Lohia | (d) Best known for his sharp intellect |
(iii) Jai Prakash Narayan | (b) Symbol of opposition during the Emergency of 1975 |
(iv) Jagjiwan Ram | (a) A Member of Parliament from 1952 till his death |
Question 2. Match the following in Column ‘A’ with those in Column ‘B’ in a meaningful way: (All India 2016)
Column A | Column B |
(i) Head of the Commission of Inquiry | (c) JC Shah |
(ii) Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1967 to 1969 | (d) Morarji Desai |
(iii) Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1977–79 | (a) Choudhary Charan Singh |
(iv) Union Minister of India from 1952–1977 | (b) Jagjiwan Ram |
Question 3. Which characteristics made Congress an ideological coalition during the freedom movement of India? (All India 2015)
Answer: The inclusive and accommodative nature of the Congress made it an ideological coalition during the freedom movement of India. It successfully brought together diverse groups whose interests were often contradictory.
Question 4. What was the ‘Shah Commission of Inquiry’? How did the government react to it? (Delhi 2010)
Answer: The Shah Commission was appointed by the Janata Party government in 1977 to inquire into allegations of abuse of authority, excesses, and malpractices committed during the Emergency. The Government of India accepted the findings, observations, and recommendations contained in the two interim reports.
Question 5. Describe any two outcomes of the Naxalite movement. (All India 2010)
Answer:
Naxalite movements used force to seize land from rich landowners and distribute it to the poor and landless.
It challenged the government system, leading to harsh countermeasures.
Question 6. Mention any two reasons why the Janata Party won the election of 1977? (Delhi 2008)
Answer:
The non-democratic character of the Congress during the Emergency.
Public opinion turned against Congress, leading to the Janata Party’s victory in 1977.
