UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I
Question 16: History and Culture
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939 ?
- 1.Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
- 2.The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
- 3.The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
- 4.The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
Select the answer using the code given below :
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Bose won the 1939 Congress presidency against Gandhi's candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya but could not run the Working Committee in the face of Gandhi's opposition, and resigned. Gandhi's lack of confidence in him (1), a Congress Left that was divided and did not back him (2), and supporters of M.N. Roy and socialists like Jayaprakash Narayan who put Congress unity ahead of supporting Bose (4) pushed him to form the Forward Bloc in May 1939. Statement 3 is not counted among the factors in this question.
- 1. Bose could not win Gandhi's confidence and had to resign.
- 2. The Congress Left was divided and did not support him.
- 3. UPSC's key leaves it out; the Communists' stance is not part of the usual list of causes.
- 4. Roy's followers and socialists like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: Bose could not win Gandhi's confidence and had to resign.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 3.
What you needed to know: UPSC's key leaves it out; the Communists' stance is not part of the usual list of causes.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 2 or 4.
This follows UPSC’s provisional key; the final key could change it.
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) Wrong: it includes statement 3 and leaves out statement 4.
- (b) Right: statements 1, 2 and 4 are the factors.
- (c) Wrong: it includes statement 3 and omits statement 2.
- (d) Incomplete: statement 1, Gandhi's lack of confidence, is also a factor.
Worth knowing: Whether the Communists' non-support counts as a cause is not clear from standard histories; the explanation follows UPSC's key.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.