UPSC Prelims 2007 Q48: Indian Polity – Union & State Executive
Consider the following statements:
1. Jawaharlal Nehru was in his fourth term as the Prime Minister of India at the time of his death.
2. Jawaharlal Nehru represented Rae Bareilly constituency as a member of Parliament.
3. The first non - Congress Prime Minister of India assumed office in the year 1977.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1 only
- (d) 1 and 3
Answer: (d) 1 and 3
Explanation
Nehru's tenure, constituency, and India's first non-Congress PM
| Statement | Fact check |
|---|---|
| 1. Nehru was in his 4th term as PM at death | True per the officially accepted key — counting his initial 1947 tenure alongside his terms following the 1952, 1957, and 1962 general elections, his 1964 death fell within the conventionally counted fourth term |
| 2. Nehru represented Rae Bareli as an MP | False — Nehru represented Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh); Rae Bareli was represented by Feroze Gandhi and later Indira Gandhi |
| 3. India's first non-Congress PM assumed office in 1977 | True — Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister in 1977, after the Janata Party's post-Emergency election victory |
Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
Answer: (d) 1 and 3.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 2 (Rae Bareli) is false — Nehru represented Phulpur, not Rae Bareli.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 1 is also correct per the accepted key, so it's not "3 only".
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 3 (1977, Morarji Desai) is also correct, so it's not "1 only".
- (d) CORRECT. Statements 1 (Nehru's fourth term at death) and 3 (first non-Congress PM, 1977) are both correct; statement 2 (Rae Bareli) is false.
Key point
Nehru represented Phulpur (not Rae Bareli); Morarji Desai became India's first non-Congress PM in 1977; Nehru's 1964 death fell within his accepted "fourth term" count.
Remember
Nehru represented Phulpur; Morarji Desai (1977) was India's first non-Congress PM.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Nehru's constituency (Phulpur) with the Nehru-Gandhi family's later stronghold, Rae Bareli.
- Not knowing Morarji Desai was specifically India's first non-Congress Prime Minister (1977).
- Miscounting Nehru's terms by not including his pre-1952 interim tenure in the officially accepted term count.
Exam tip
Nehru's own seat was Phulpur, not Rae Bareli (that's the Gandhi family's later seat); Morarji Desai (1977) broke the Congress PM streak.
Sources
- Lok Sabha Secretariat — Members Bioprofile: Jawaharlal Nehru (Phulpur constituency)
- Election Commission of India — Statistical Reports on General Elections to the Lok Sabha, 1952, 1957 and 1962