UPSC Prelims 2025 Q20: Modern History – Modern India
- (a) I only
- (b) II only
- (c) Both I and II
- (d) Neither I nor II
Answer: (c) Both I and II
Explanation
Non-Cooperation Movement - Key Facts
Statement I: CORRECT.
At the Nagpur Session of Congress (December 1920), the party formally declared "Swaraj" (self-rule) as its objective - the first time Congress adopted this as an explicit goal.
Statement II: CORRECT.
The movement was designed with a phased approach:
- Phase 1: Non-cooperation (boycott of British institutions, titles, courts, cloth)
- Phase 2 (if Phase 1 succeeded): Civil disobedience and tax refusal
Gandhi's strategy was deliberate and staged - escalate only if earlier phases did not achieve results.
Both statements are correct and describe the movement's formal declaration and strategic structure.
Non-Cooperation Movement - Structure:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formal adoption | Nagpur Session of Congress (December 1920) - Swaraj declared as Congress objective |
| Phase 1 | Non-cooperation: boycott of titles, courts, councils, foreign cloth and schools |
| Phase 2 (conditional) | Civil disobedience and tax refusal - only if Phase 1 insufficient |
| Gandhi's strategy | Phased escalation: disciplined, non-violent, and reversible at each stage |
Answer: (c) Both I and II.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Only Statement I alone is insufficient. Statement II about phased implementation is also correct.
- (b) Incorrect. Only Statement II alone is insufficient. The Swaraj declaration at Nagpur (Statement I) is equally correct.
- (c) CORRECT. Both statements are accurate — Swaraj was declared at Nagpur 1920 (I) and the movement used a phased strategy with civil disobedience as the next stage (II).
- (d) Incorrect. Both statements are factually correct based on documented Congress resolutions and Gandhi's stated strategy.
Key point
Non-Cooperation (1920) = Swaraj declared at Nagpur Session. Phased strategy: boycott first, then civil disobedience. Gandhi planned escalation in stages.
Remember
Non-Cooperation Movement declared Swaraj as goal + planned phased civil disobedience as the next stage.
Common mistakes
- Thinking Swaraj was always Congress's goal. It was formally declared only at Nagpur 1920 — before this, Dominion Status (not full independence) was the stated goal.
- Not knowing the movement had a deliberate two-phase structure — Gandhi did not plan immediate civil disobedience; boycott and non-cooperation came first.
- Confusing the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) with the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) — these are separate movements a decade apart.
Exam tip
Gandhi movements in sequence: Non-Cooperation (1920-22) → Civil Disobedience/Salt March (1930) → Quit India (1942). Non-Cooperation was PHASE 1 of Gandhi's escalation strategy, not the final step.
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History Part III
- Spectrum Modern Indian History - Gandhian Era