UPSC Prelims 2025 Q12: Modern History – Gandhian Mass Movements (1915 - 1942)
Consider the following subjects with regard to Non - Cooperation Programme:
I. Boycott of law - courts and foreign cloth
II. Observance of strict non - violence
III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public
IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes
How many of the above were parts of Non - Cooperation Programme?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All the four
Answer: (c) Only three
Explanation
Non-Cooperation Programme Elements:
| Non-Cooperation Programme Element | Included? |
|---|---|
| Boycott of law courts | YES - lawyers were asked to stop appearing in British courts |
| Boycott of foreign cloth | YES - burning of foreign cloth was a prominent act |
| Observance of strict non-violence | YES - fundamental principle of the entire movement |
| Establishment of panchayats | YES - to replace British dispute resolution courts |
| Surrender of titles and honours | YES - titles like "Rai Bahadur" were to be surrendered (RETURNED), not retained |
Key trap: The question tests whether titles were surrendered (returned) or retained.
Gandhi's programme required surrendering titles — retaining titles was NOT part of the programme.
Answer: (c) Only three.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Only one is too few — boycott of courts, foreign cloth, non-violence, and panchayats are all part of the programme. More than one element is correct.
- (b) Incorrect. Only two is not enough — at least three elements are correctly identified as part of Non-Cooperation.
- (c) CORRECT. Boycott of law courts, boycott of foreign cloth, and establishment of panchayats are all correctly described. The fourth element (retention of titles) is the trap — titles were surrendered, not retained.
- (d) Incorrect. All four cannot be correct — retaining titles was NOT part of the programme. Titles were to be surrendered.
Key point
Non-Cooperation (1920-22) = boycott courts + boycott foreign cloth + non-violence + establish panchayats. Titles were SURRENDERED (given back), NOT retained.
Remember
Non-Cooperation (1920) = boycott courts + foreign cloth + non-violence + panchayats. Titles SURRENDERED, not retained.
Common mistakes
- Confusing surrender with retention of titles. The programme required giving back titles like "Rai Bahadur" — retaining them would contradict the spirit of non-cooperation.
- Forgetting that non-violence was the central principle — its violation at Chauri Chaura (1922) caused Gandhi to withdraw the entire movement.
- Not knowing panchayats were part of the constructive programme — to provide Indian dispute resolution as an alternative to British courts.
Exam tip
3 valid + 1 trick: Courts boycott ✓, cloth boycott ✓, non-violence ✓, panchayats ✓ — all YES. Retention of titles = NO (surrender required). The word "retention" is the UPSC trap here.
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History Part III
- Spectrum Modern Indian History