UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I
Question 60: History and Culture
What was the reason for Mahatma Gandhi to organize a satyagraha on behalf of the peasants of Kheda ?
- 1.The Administration did not suspend the land revenue collection in spite of a drought.
- 2.The Administration proposed to introduce Permanent Settlement in Gujarat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
AnswerThe answer is (a).
In 1918 crops failed in the Kheda district of Gujarat, yet the government refused to suspend the collection of land revenue. Gandhi, with Vallabhbhai Patel, led the peasants in a satyagraha asking for suspension, urging them to refuse payment. The Permanent Settlement dated from 1793 in Bengal and was not proposed for Gujarat in this period, so statement 2 is false.
- 1. Revenue was not suspended despite crop failure.
- 2. No Permanent Settlement was proposed for Gujarat.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: Revenue was not suspended despite crop failure.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (c) goes: it includes 2.
What you needed to know: No Permanent Settlement was proposed for Gujarat.
Only (a) 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) Right: the refusal to suspend revenue after crop failure caused the satyagraha.
- (b) No Permanent Settlement was proposed for Gujarat.
- (c) Statement 2 is false.
- (d) Statement 1 is true, and statement 2 is false.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2011, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.