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Q73 (IAS/2024) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Nationalist organisations Official Key

Consider the following pairs : 1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh - Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee 2. Socialist Party - C. Rajagopalachari 3. Congress for Democracy - Jagjivan Ram 4. Swatantra Party - Acharya Narendra Dev How many of the above are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B (Only two pairs are correctly matched).

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was formed in 1951 with Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as its founder-President[1], making pair 1 correct. Jagjivan Ram, Nandini Satpathy and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna left the Congress of Indira Gandhi to form their own party, Congress for Democracy (CFD)[2], making pair 3 correct as well.

However, pair 2 is incorrect because C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party[3], not the Socialist Party. Pair 4 is also incorrect since the Swatantra Party was founded by C. Rajagopalachari, not Acharya Narendra Dev.

Therefore, only two pairs (1 and 3) are correctly matched, making option B the correct answer.

Sources
  1. [1] Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) > p. 39
  2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > View > p. 676
  3. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatantra_Party
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Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
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got it right
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following pairs : 1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh - Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee 2. Socialist Party - C. Rajagopalachari 3. Congress…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10

This is a 'Reward Question' for reading the NCERT Class XII Political Science book (Politics in India since Independence). The examiner simply took the four most prominent opposition parties mentioned in Chapters 2 and 6 and swapped the founders for two of them. It confirms that Post-Independence History is best covered through NCERTs, not bulky reference books.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee the founder of the Indian political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) > p. 39
Presence: 5/5
“The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was formed in 1951 with Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as its founder-President. Its lineage however can be traced back to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu Mahasabha before independence. The Jana Sangh was different from other parties in terms of ideology and programmes. It emphasised the idea of one country, one culture and one nation and believed that the country could become modern, progressive and strong on the basis of Indian culture and traditions. The party called for a reunion of India and Pakistan in Akhand Bharat. The party was in forefront of the agitation to replace English with Hindi as the official language of India and was also opposed to the granting of concessions to religious and cultural minorities.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly names the Bharatiya Jana Sangh as formed in 1951 with Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as its founder‑President.
  • Provides direct attribution of party founding to Mukherjee, making the claim unambiguous.
Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Era of One-party Dominance 41 > p. 42
Presence: 5/5
“Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (1901-1953): Leader of Hindu Mahasabha; founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh; Minister in Nehru's first cabinet after independence; resigned in 1950 due to differences over relations with Pakistan; Member of Constituent Assembly and later, the first Lok Sabha; was opposed to India's policy of autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir; arrested during Jana Sangh's agitation against Kashmir policy; died during detention. coalition. The key role of the Congress in the freedom struggle thus gave it a head start over others. As the ability of the Congress to accommodate all interests and all aspirants for political power steadily declined, other political parties started gaining greater significance.”
Why this source?
  • Summarises Mukherjee's biography and explicitly lists him as the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
  • Connects his prior roles (Hindu Mahasabha leader, minister) to his founding role, reinforcing authorship.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Bharatiya Jana Sangh > p. 642
Presence: 4/5
“Similarly, it took a strident stand in favour of Sanskritised Hindi as an official link language of India. (In 1965 it gave up this demand in view of expansion of party in non-Hindi belt and accepted the decision to retain English along with Hindi so long as the non-Hindi states wanted this.) Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who had resigned from the Nehru cabinet in April 1951 over the Liaquat-Nehru Pact, was the main force behind the formation of the Jana Sangh. Mukherjee claimed it to be a non-communal party aiming to build a broad-based democratic opposition to the Congress. But in the absence of any effective alternative ideology or programme, and mass support, the party became a subsidiary of the RSS.”
Why this source?
  • Describes Mukherjee as the main force behind the formation of the Jana Sangh, supporting his central role in founding the party.
  • Notes his resignation from Nehru's cabinet and political motivations that led to the party's formation.
Statement 2
Was C. Rajagopalachari the founder of the Indian political party Socialist Party?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Founder | C. Rajagopalachari"
Why this source?
  • Passage explicitly identifies C. Rajagopalachari as the founder of the Swatantra Party.
  • Shows Rajagopalachari's founding role was with Swatantra Party, not the Socialist Party named in the question.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
""C. Rajagopalachari") founded the Swatantra Party."
Why this source?
  • Directly states that C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party.
  • Reinforces that his known founding association is with Swatantra Party rather than the Socialist Party.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"* [Socialist Party](/wiki/Socialist_Party_(India) "Socialist Party (India)"), including:"
Why this source?
  • Lists the Socialist Party (India) as a distinct party (e.g., in mergers forming Janata Party).
  • Indicates the Socialist Party is a separate entity from the Swatantra Party that Rajagopalachari founded.

Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Communist victory in Kerala > p. 34
Strength: 5/5
“The origins of the Socialist Party can be traced back to the mass movement stage of the Indian National Congress in the pre-independence era. The Congress Socialist party (CSP) was formed within the Congress in 1934 by a group of young leaders who wanted a more radical and egalitarian Congress. In 1948, the Congress amended its constitution to prevent its members from having a dual party membership. This forced the Socialists to form a separate Socialist Party in 1948. The Party's electoral performance caused much disappointment to its supporters. Although the Party had presence in most of the states of India, it could achieve electoral success only in a few pockets.”
Why relevant

Explains the Socialist Party's origin from the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) and that Socialists formed a separate Socialist Party in 1948.

How to extend

A student could check CSP leadership lists or 1948 party records to see who led the split and thereby test Rajagopalachari's connection.

Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System > Ram Manohar > p. 78
Strength: 4/5
“Lohia (1910-1967): Socialist leader and thinker; freedom fighter and among the founders of the Congress Socialist Party; after the split in the parent party, the leader of the Socialist Party and later the Samyukta Socialist Party; Member, Lok Sabha, 1963- 67; founder editor of Mankind and Jan, known for original contribution to a non-European socialist theory; as political leader, best known for sharp attacks on Nehru, strategy of non-Congressism, advocacy of reservation for backward castes and opposition to English.”
Why relevant

Identifies Ram Manohar Lohia as a founder of the Congress Socialist Party and later a leader of the Socialist Party.

How to extend

Compare names of recognised founders/leaders (like Lohia) with Rajagopalachari to evaluate plausibility of Rajagopalachari being founder.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 37: First General Elections > 632 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India > p. 632
Strength: 4/5
“Castes Federation (which was later named the Republican Party). Another high-profile Congress leader, J. B. (Acharya) Kripalani, founded the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party. Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaya Prakash Narayan, were the forces behind the Socialist Party. And the communists (then united), having just abandoned an armed struggle in Telangana, too contested. There were 53 political parties participating in the first general elections for the Lok Sabha seats. These included the 14 national parties, according to the report by the Election Commission of India. Besides, there were the independents. There were a total number of 1,874 candidates, including 533 independents.”
Why relevant

States Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan were the forces behind the Socialist Party (in early post‑independence politics).

How to extend

A student can use these named leaders as primary candidates for founding roles and see if Rajagopalachari appears alongside them in primary sources.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > The Swatantra Party > p. 642
Strength: 5/5
“Founded in August 1959, the Swatantra Party was a nonsocialist, constitutionalist and secular conservative party having distinguished leaders like C. Rajagopalachari (who resigned from the Congress), Minoo Masani, N.G. Ranga and”
Why relevant

Shows C. Rajagopalachari as the founder/leader of the Swatantra Party (a nonsocialist party founded in 1959), linking him to a different political formation.

How to extend

Use the fact Rajagopalachari founded Swatantra Party to question his role in founding a socialist party and cross‑check timelines and ideological alignment.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Praja Socialist Party > p. 640
Strength: 3/5
“In September 1952, the Socialist Party and the KMPP merged to form Praja Socialist Party (PSP), with J.B. Kripalani as the chairman and Ashoka Mehta as the general secretary. With the merger, it became the largest opposition party to the Congress with all India presence. But the party could not maintain its cohesion for long. In June 1953, at the party's Betul conference, Ashok Mehta called for support to the ruling party, as he believed that in a backward country like India the crucial task was economic development—a common challenge for all political parties. Mehta's thesis was rejected by the rest of the party which accepted Rammanohar Lohia's approach.”
Why relevant

Notes organisational developments among socialist groups (merger of Socialist Party with KMPP into Praja Socialist Party and leaders like J.B. Kripalani and Ashoka Mehta), showing multiple known leaders in socialist party history.

How to extend

A student can survey these merger records and named leaders to see whether Rajagopalachari is listed among founders or not.

Statement 3
Was Jagjivan Ram the founder of the Indian political party Congress for Democracy?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: The Crisis of Democratic Order > Lok Sabha Elections, 1977 > p. 104
Presence: 5/5
“Credit: R. K. Laxman in The Times of India 29 March 1977 A cartoonist's reading of who won and what was defeated in the 1977 election. Those standing with the common man include Jagjivan Ram, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Atal Behari Vajpayee. Some other Congress leaders also came out and formed a separate party under the leadership of Jagjivan Ram. This party named as Congress for Democracy, later merged with the Janata Party. The Janata Party made this election into a referendum on the Emergency. Its campaign was focused on the non-democratic character of the rule and on the various excesses that took place during this period.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly says Congress leaders formed a separate party under the leadership of Jagjivan Ram.
  • Names that party as 'Congress for Democracy' and notes its later merger with Janata Party.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > View > p. 676
Presence: 5/5
“Political prisoners were released and press censorship lifted, even as political parties were allowed to campaign freely. Opposition Gets Together In the elections, the Congress of Indira Gandhi was opposed by an alliance of opposition parties. The Jan Sangh, Congress (O), Bharatiya Lok Dal led by Charan Singh, and the Socialist Party got together to form the Janata Party. In February, Jagjivan Ram, Nandini Satpathy and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna left the Congress of Indira Gandhi to form their own party, Congress for Democracy (CFD). The CFD, Akali Dal, DMK and the CPM allied with the Janata Party to fight the elections in opposition to the Congress and its allies, the CPI and AIADMK.”
Why this source?
  • States Jagjivan Ram (with Nandini Satpathy and H.N. Bahuguna) left Congress to form Congress for Democracy in February.
  • Directly attributes party formation to Jagjivan Ram and his colleagues.
Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: The Crisis of Democratic Order > Janata Government > p. 105
Presence: 3/5
“The Janata Party government that came to power after the 1977 elections was far from cohesive. After the election, there was stiff competition among three leaders for the post of Prime Minister – Morarji Desai, who was the rival to Indira Gandhi ever since 1966-67; Charan Singh, leader of the Bharatiya Lok Dal and a farmers' leader from UP; and Jagjivan Ram, who had vast experience as a senior minister in the Congress governments. Eventually Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister but that did not bring the power struggle within the party to an end.”
Why this source?
  • Describes Jagjivan Ram as a senior Congress leader with vast ministerial experience and prominence in post-election leadership contests.
  • Supports his position as a leading figure who could found or lead a breakaway party.
Statement 4
Was Acharya Narendra Dev the founder of the Indian political party Swatantra Party?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Founder | C. Rajagopalachari"
Why this source?
  • Passage explicitly lists the party founder.
  • Names C. Rajagopalachari as the founder, not Acharya Narendra Dev, so the statement is incorrect.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
""C. Rajagopalachari") founded the Swatantra Party."
Why this source?
  • Passage states who founded the Swatantra Party in prose form.
  • Identifies C. Rajagopalachari as the founder, contradicting the claim that Acharya Narendra Dev was the founder.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"the Swatantra Party was founded by the first and only Indian Governor General of Independent India C Rajagopalachari;"
Why this source?
  • Independent news source also names the founder.
  • States the Swatantra Party was founded by C. Rajagopalachari, not Acharya Narendra Dev.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > The Swatantra Party > p. 642
Strength: 5/5
“Founded in August 1959, the Swatantra Party was a nonsocialist, constitutionalist and secular conservative party having distinguished leaders like C. Rajagopalachari (who resigned from the Congress), Minoo Masani, N.G. Ranga and”
Why relevant

States Swatantra Party was founded in August 1959 and names founders such as C. Rajagopalachari, Minoo Masani and N.G. Ranga (no mention of Narendra Dev).

How to extend

A student could note the explicit founder names and founding year and check whether Narendra Dev appears among these founders or could have been active then.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Praja Socialist Party > p. 640
Strength: 5/5
“Lohia believed in a position of equidistance from both the Congress and the Communists, and supported the organisation of militant mass movements. Lohia and his group left the PSP at the end of 1955. While Acharya Narendra Dev died in 1956, Jayaprakash Narayan, in 1954, announced that he would dedicate his life to Bhoodan and other constructive activities. In 1957, after the general elections, Jayaprakash Narayan left active politics, declaring that party politics was not suitable for India and campaigned for 'partyless democracy'. Kripalani, in 1960, left the party too, and three years later, Ashok Mehta agreed to become the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.”
Why relevant

Notes that Acharya Narendra Dev died in 1956.

How to extend

Compare this death date with Swatantra Party's 1959 founding to see a chronological inconsistency with Dev being a founder.

Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > Growth of Socialist Ideas > p. 293
Strength: 4/5
“Joshi and the foundation of the Congress Socialist Party under the leadership of Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai Prakash Narayan. In 1938, Subhash Chandra Bose had been re-elected president of the Congress even though Gandhi had opposed him.”
Why relevant

Identifies Acharya Narendra Dev as a leader in founding the Congress Socialist Party (a socialist grouping).

How to extend

Use the ideological label (socialist) to contrast with Swatantra Party's described nonsocialist/conservative orientation and assess plausibility of Dev founding it.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 1. Personalities Associated with Specific Movements > p. 812
Strength: 3/5
“K.M. Ashraf, who became India's first Marxist historian, was associated with the movement. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who was an upholder of Gandhian policies since 1920's, began to drift away with the launch of Harijan campaign by Gandhi. He started a breakaway Congress Nationalist Party. Satyamurthy, Bhulabhai Desai, M.A. Ansari and B.C. Roy demanded a return to electoral politics by way of a revived Swarajya Party. Jayaprakash Narayan, Achhut Patwardhan, Yusuf Mehrali, Ashok Mehta and Minoo Masani wanted the Congress to have affinity with left-wing. Sampurnanand formulated 'A Tentative Socialist Programme' for India and a Congress Socialist Party was started in 1934, which was supported by Narendra Dev.”
Why relevant

States the Congress Socialist Party was started in 1934 and was supported by Narendra Dev, reinforcing his association with socialist politics.

How to extend

Combine this with Swatantra Party's nonsocialist character to judge whether a socialist leader would plausibly found that party.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 37: First General Elections > 632 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India > p. 632
Strength: 3/5
“Castes Federation (which was later named the Republican Party). Another high-profile Congress leader, J. B. (Acharya) Kripalani, founded the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party. Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaya Prakash Narayan, were the forces behind the Socialist Party. And the communists (then united), having just abandoned an armed struggle in Telangana, too contested. There were 53 political parties participating in the first general elections for the Lok Sabha seats. These included the 14 national parties, according to the report by the Election Commission of India. Besides, there were the independents. There were a total number of 1,874 candidates, including 533 independents.”
Why relevant

Gives examples of other party founders (e.g., Kripalani founding Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party), illustrating that founders are typically named and documented separately.

How to extend

Apply this pattern: if Narendra Dev had founded a major party like Swatantra, sources would likely list him explicitly as a founder (as done for others).

Pattern takeaway: UPSC loves the 'Reciprocal Swap' in Match-the-Column questions. They took the founder of Pair 4 (Swatantra) and pasted him in Pair 2, and vice versa. Recognizing this swapping pattern often helps you eliminate two pairs instantly.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct evidence in NCERT Class XII (Politics in India since Independence), Chapters 2 & 6.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Post-Independence History: The rise of opposition parties against Congress dominance and the 1977 Janata experiment.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Opposition Matrix': 1) KMPP → J.B. Kripalani, 2) Scheduled Castes Federation → B.R. Ambedkar, 3) Bharatiya Lok Dal → Charan Singh, 4) DMK → C.N. Annadurai (1949), 5) CPI Split (1964) → CPI vs CPI(M).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When reading political history, 'Who founded What' is the primary data point. Do not just read the text; visualize a table of Organization | Founder | Year | Core Ideology. If you see 'Socialist' paired with 'Rajagopalachari' (a known free-market liberal), your ideological alarm bells must ring.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Founding of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951)
💡 The insight

Identifies the Jana Sangh's founding year and Mukherjee as its founder/founder‑President.

High‑yield for questions on post‑independence party formation and political realignments; links party origins to broader narratives about opposition to Congress and emergence of alternate political strands. Mastering this helps answer questions on party genealogy and timelines in modern Indian politics.

📚 Reading List :
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) > p. 39
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Era of One-party Dominance 41 > p. 42
🔗 Anchor: "Was Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee the founder of the Indian political party Bharat..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Organisational and ideological lineage: Jana Sangh → BJP; links with RSS and Hindu Mahasabha
💡 The insight

Shows the Jana Sangh's roots in the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha and its later revival as the BJP.

Crucial for answering questions on continuity in right‑wing politics, party mergers and revivals (e.g., Jana Sangh merging into Janata Party and later BJP formation). Helps integrate party evolution with ideological strands like cultural nationalism.

📚 Reading List :
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) > p. 39
  • Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Political Parties > Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Formed on 26 November 2012, following the 2011 > p. 54
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Recent Developments in Indian Politics > Communalism, Secularism, Democracy > p. 148
🔗 Anchor: "Was Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee the founder of the Indian political party Bharat..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Personal political trajectory of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
💡 The insight

Links Mukherjee's ministerial resignation, Hindu Mahasabha background, and activism to his role in creating the Jana Sangh.

Useful for biographical questions that connect individual agency to institutional formation; aids in explaining causes of party formation and policy positions (e.g., Kashmir stance, language agitation). Connects modern political history with personalities and policy debates.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Bharatiya Jana Sangh > p. 642
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Era of One-party Dominance 41 > p. 42
  • Democratic Politics-I. Political Science-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN > Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar AmbedkarAmbedkar > p. 26
🔗 Anchor: "Was Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee the founder of the Indian political party Bharat..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Congress Socialist Party and the 1948 split
💡 The insight

The Socialist Party originated when Congress Socialists left the Indian National Congress after a 1948 rule banning dual party membership.

High-yield for questions on party origins and post-independence party realignments; links to studies of intra‑party movements, factionalism, and formation of new parties. Enables answers about causes and immediate consequences of party splits in early independent India.

📚 Reading List :
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Era of One-party Dominance > Communist victory in Kerala > p. 34
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 1. Personalities Associated with Specific Movements > p. 812
🔗 Anchor: "Was C. Rajagopalachari the founder of the Indian political party Socialist Party..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Key leaders of the Socialist movement (Lohia, JP)
💡 The insight

Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan were central figures in founding and leading the Socialist Party tradition.

Essential for identifying personalities driving non-Congress alternatives; helps in comparative questions about ideological differences among opposition leaders and party leadership dynamics. Useful for tracing leadership influence across party mergers and splits.

📚 Reading List :
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System > Ram Manohar > p. 78
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 37: First General Elections > 632 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India > p. 632
🔗 Anchor: "Was C. Rajagopalachari the founder of the Indian political party Socialist Party..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Rajagopalachari and the Swatantra Party (non-socialist alternative)
💡 The insight

C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party in 1959, a conservative, non-socialist alternative after leaving the Congress.

Important to distinguish ideological positions and founders of major post-independence parties; assists in questions contrasting socialist and non-socialist opposition to Congress and in mapping individual leaders to parties they actually founded.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > The Swatantra Party > p. 642
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Political Developments > p. 643
🔗 Anchor: "Was C. Rajagopalachari the founder of the Indian political party Socialist Party..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Congress for Democracy (CFD) — 1977 Congress breakaway
💡 The insight

Congress for Democracy was formed when senior Congress leaders, led by Jagjivan Ram, left the Congress to create a separate party.

High-yield for UPSC because party splits in 1977 were central to the end of Congress dominance and the anti-Emergency verdict; understanding CFD helps explain voter realignment and coalition politics in the 1977 elections. This concept links to questions on Emergency, opposition unity, and party system change.

📚 Reading List :
  • Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: The Crisis of Democratic Order > Lok Sabha Elections, 1977 > p. 104
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > View > p. 676
🔗 Anchor: "Was Jagjivan Ram the founder of the Indian political party Congress for Democrac..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The immediate trigger for C. Rajagopalachari to found the Swatantra Party was the 'Nagpur Resolution' of the Congress (1959) which advocated cooperative farming. This specific cause-and-effect link is a potential future question.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Use the 'Ideological Mismatch' heuristic. C. Rajagopalachari was India's leading conservative/liberal voice (Swatantra). Acharya Narendra Dev was a doyen of Socialism. Seeing Rajaji matched with 'Socialist Party' is an oxymoron—like matching Adam Smith with Communism. If the ideology doesn't fit the person, the pair is 100% wrong.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS Paper 1 (Post-Independence India): The ideological diversity in the 1950s (Socialist vs. Swatantra vs. Jana Sangh) created the template for the coalition era of 1977 and 1989. Use these parties as examples of 'dissent within democracy'.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2017 · Q37 Relevance score: 3.87

Consider the following pairs : 1. Radhakanta Deb - First President of the British Indian Association 2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty - Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha 3. Surendranath Banerjee - Founder of the Indian Association Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched ?

IAS · 2019 · Q23 Relevance score: 2.35

Consider the following pairs : 1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga 2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery 3. Hampi : Malaprabha Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

IAS · 2014 · Q88 Relevance score: 2.28

Consider the following pairs: 1. Garba - Gujarat 2. Mohiniattam - Odisha 3. Yakshagana - Karnataka Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

CDS-II · 2015 · Q55 Relevance score: 1.68

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Leader) A. Shyama Prasad Mukheijee B. Minoo Masani C. S. A. Dange D. Ashok Mehta List-II (Party) 1. Communist Party of India 2. Bharatiya Jana Sangh 3. Swatantra Party 4. Praja Socialist Party Code :

IAS · 2019 · Q6 Relevance score: 1.30

Consider the following pairs : Movement/ Organization : Leader 1. All India Anti-Untouchability League : Mahatma Gandhi 2. All India Kisan Sabha : Swami Sahajanand Saraswati 3. Self-Respect Movement : E. V. Ramaswami Naicker Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?