Who was the Education Minister in the first Cabinet of independent India ?
- A.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- B.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- C.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- D.Acharya Narendra Dev
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Maulana Azad was India's first Education Minister, serving in Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet from 1947 until his death in 1958.
Azad was a scholar, journalist and Congress leader who had been the youngest president of the Indian National Congress in 1923 and its president again from 1940 to 1946. As Education Minister he set up the University Grants Commission, the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, and the Sangeet Natak, Lalit Kala and Sahitya Akademis. His birthday, 11 November, is observed as National Education Day. He received the Bharat Ratna after his death, in 1992.
A is wrong because Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan headed the University Education Commission of 1948 and later became Vice-President and President. B is wrong because Sardar Patel was Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. D is wrong because Acharya Narendra Dev was a socialist leader and educationist, not a minister.
Exam tip: first Cabinet: Nehru PM, Patel Home, Azad Education, Ambedkar Law, Shanmukham Chetty Finance.
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following pairs : Inventions — Inventors I. Flying shuttle loom — John Kay II. Water frame — James Hargreaves III. Spinning jenny — Richard Arkwright How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.One
- B.Two
- C.All the three
- D.None
Show answer
Only the first pair is right: John Kay invented the flying shuttle.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was the founder of the Avadh Kingdom in the 18th century?
- A.Murshid Quli Khan
- B.Saadat Khan
- C.Alivardi Khan
- D.Sarfaraz Khan
Show answer
Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk was appointed governor of Avadh by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah in 1722 and made it a virtually independent state.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following crops was introduced by the Portuguese in India?
- A.Opium
- B.Coffee
- C.Betel leaf
- D.Chilli
Show answer
Chilli is native to the Americas and reached India through the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, after their voyages linked the New World with Asia.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about the Ain-i-Akbari is not correct ?
- A.It was written by Abu'l Fazl.
- B.It is a part of a larger work called Akbar Nama.
- C.It describes the Mughal Empire as having a diverse population and a composite culture.
- D.It was later revised by Sadullah Khan on the orders of Shah Jahan.
Show answer
No such revision took place; the Ain-i-Akbari remained Abu'l Fazl's own work, completed in Akbar's reign. Abu'l Fazl, a leading noble and close friend of Akbar, wrote the Akbar Nama in three volumes.
Read the full explanation →At which among the following Harappan sites are fire altars found?
- A.Kalibangan
- B.Harappa
- C.Mohenjo-daro
- D.Rakhi Garhi
Show answer
Excavations at Kalibangan in Rajasthan found a row of fire altars, the clearest evidence of a fire ritual in the Harappan civilisation.
Read the full explanation →