The principle that the framing of the new Constitution for independent India should be primarily (though not solely) the responsibility of Indians themselves, was for the first time conceded in the
- A.Government of India Act, 1935
- B.August Offer of Viceroy Linlithgow
- C.Cripps Proposals
- D.Cabinet Mission
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, August Offer of Viceroy Linlithgow. Made on 8 August 1940, it was the first time the British government accepted that framing India's new constitution should be mainly the responsibility of Indians.
In 1940, needing Indian support in the Second World War, Viceroy Linlithgow announced an offer: dominion status as the objective, a body of representative Indians to frame a new constitution after the war, expansion of the Viceroy's Executive Council with more Indians, and a war advisory council. It also assured minorities that no future constitution would be adopted without their consent. The Congress rejected it and launched the individual satyagraha, but the principle it conceded was carried forward by later proposals.
A is wrong because the Government of India Act, 1935 was framed entirely by the British Parliament. C is wrong because the Cripps Proposals of 1942 came later and offered an elected constitution-making body after the war. D is wrong because the Cabinet Mission of 1946 set up the actual Constituent Assembly, well after the principle was first accepted.
Exam tip: August Offer 1940 – first concession of Indian constitution-making; Cripps 1942; Cabinet Mission 1946.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following was the author of the famous Sanskrit work 'Mrichchhakatika'?
- A.Kalidasa
- B.Bhasa
- C.Valmiki
- D.Shudraka
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Mrichchhakatika, meaning 'The Little Clay Cart', is a ten-act Sanskrit play attributed to King Shudraka. The play tells the love story of Charudatta, a generous Brahmin merchant of Ujjayini who has lost his wealth, and Vasantasena, a rich and noble courtesan.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the technological innovations during the Industrial Revolutions are correct ? 1. Mule was the nickname for a machine invented in 1779, that allowed the spinning of strong and fine yarn. 2. Water Frame, invented in 1769 by Richard Arkwright, made it possible to weave pure cotton clothes. 3. Power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1787, could be used to weave any kind of materials. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 2 and 3
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.3 only
Show answer
All three statements correctly describe the spinning and weaving machines that drove the British cotton industry in the late eighteenth century.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following was NOT a Panch Sheel principle ?
- A.Peaceful Co-existence
- B.Mutual respect for territorial integrity
- C.Nuclear deterrence
- D.Non-interference in internal affairs
Show answer
Panchsheel is a set of five principles of peaceful relations between states, and the threat of nuclear weapons has no place in it.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Rabatak inscription is not correct ?
- A.It throws important light on Kushana genealogy.
- B.It refers to Kanishka as 'a king of kings and a son of God'.
- C.The 23-line inscription is written in Gandhari language.
- D.It mentions names of States which were part of Kanishka's empire.
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The Rabatak inscription is written in the Bactrian language using the Greek script, not in Gandhari. The inscription was found in 1993 at Rabatak in northern Afghanistan.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements : 1. Terracotta models of the plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali (Haryana). 2. There is evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan associated with the mature phase of the Harappan civilization. 3. The ploughed field at Kalibangan had two sets of furrows crossing at right angles to each other suggesting two different crops were grown together in it. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- A.1, 2 and 3
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.None of the above
Show answer
The ploughed field at Kalibangan belongs to the Early Harappan levels, not the mature phase, so statement 2 is wrong.
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