UPSC Prelims 1997 · General Studies
Question 18: History and Culture
“A graduate at 18, professor and associated editor of the Sudharak at 20, Secretary of the Sarvajanik Sabha and of the Provincial Conference at 25, Secretary of the National Congress at 29, leading witness before an important Royal Commission at 31, Provincial legislator at 34, Imperial legislator at 36, President of the Indian National Congress at 39 ……… a patriot whom Mahatma Gandhi himself regarded as his master.” This is how a biographer describes
AnswerThe answer is (c).
The career sketched, from a graduate degree at 18 to the Congress presidency at 39, is Gopal Krishna Gokhale's. He taught at Fergusson College, worked with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, sat in the Bombay and then the Imperial Legislative Council, presided over the 1905 Congress at Banaras and founded the Servants of India Society. Gandhi called him his political guru.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Malaviya first presided over the Congress in 1909, at a much later age.
- (b) Ranade was a judge and social reformer who never became Congress president.
- (c) Right: Gokhale, Congress president in 1905 and Gandhi's political guru.
- (d) Tilak was a leading Extremist and never Congress president.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1997, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.