2010 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2010 · General Studies

Question 84: History and Culture

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Dr. Rajendra Prasad persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to come to Champaran to investigate the problem of peasants.
  2. 2.Acharya J. B. Kriplani was one of Mahatma Gandhi’s colleagues in his Champaran investigation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (b).

Rajkumar Shukla, a peasant of Champaran, persuaded Gandhi to visit Bihar in 1917 to look into the grievances of indigo cultivators under the tinkathia system; Rajendra Prasad did not bring Gandhi there, so statement 1 is wrong. Rajendra Prasad, J. B. Kripalani, Mazharul Haque, Mahadev Desai and others did assist Gandhi once he arrived, so statement 2 is correct. Remember: Champaran (1917) = Rajkumar Shukla invited Gandhi; Kripalani and Rajendra Prasad helped.

  • 1. It was Rajkumar Shukla who persuaded Gandhi to come to Champaran.
  • 2. J. B. Kripalani was among Gandhi's colleagues in the Champaran inquiry.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.

    What you needed to know: It was Rajkumar Shukla who persuaded Gandhi to come to Champaran.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 2 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 2 out.

    What you needed to know: J. B. Kripalani was among Gandhi's colleagues in the Champaran inquiry.

Only (b) is left. This one needs every statement.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Statement 1 is wrong: Rajkumar Shukla, not Rajendra Prasad, persuaded Gandhi.
  • (b) Right: only statement 2 is correct.
  • (c) Statement 1 is wrong, so 'both' fails.
  • (d) Statement 2 is correct, so 'neither' fails.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2010, General Studies, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.