Read the passage and answer the questions:
Vision of the Constitution
The Constituent Assembly was expected to express the aspirations of those who had participated in the movement for independence. Democracy, equality and justice were ideals that had become intimately associated with social struggles in India since the nineteenth century. When the social reformers in the nineteenth century opposed child marriage and demanded that widows be allowed to remarry, they were pleading for social justice. When Swami Vivekananda campaigned for a reform of Hinduism, he wanted religions to become more just. When Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra pointed to the suffering of the depressed castes, organised workers and peasants, they were demanding economic and social justice. The national movement against a government that was seen as oppressive and illegitimate was inevitably a struggle for democracy and justice. In fact, as the demand for representation grew, the British had been forced to introduce a series of constitutional reforms. A number of Acts were passed, gradually enlarging the space for Indian participation in provincial governments. The executive was made partly responsible to the provincial legislature in 1919, and almost entirely so under the Government of India Act of 1935. When elections were held in 1937, under the 1935 Act, the Congress came to power in eight provinces. While the earlier constitutional experiments were in response to the growing demand for a representative government, the Acts were not directly debated and formulated by Indians. They were enacted by the colonial government. The electorate that elected the provincial bodies had expanded over the years, but even in 1935 it remained limited to no more than 10 to 15 per cent of the adult population: there was no universal adult franchise. The legislatures elected under the 1935 Act operated within the framework of colonial rule, and were responsible to the Governor appointed by the British. The vision was trying to outline on 13 December 1946 was of the Constitution of an independent, sovereign Republic of India.
Identify the correct statements among the following:
A. Swami Vivekanand wanted the religions to be more just.
B. Jyotiba Phule was from United Provinces.
C. Many Acts were passed in 1909, 1919 and 1935.
D. In 1937, Congress came to power in eight out of eleven provinces.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A, C and D only
A. Swami Vivekanand wanted the religions to be more just. Correct. The passage says that when Swami Vivekananda campaigned for a reform of Hinduism, he wanted religions to become more just. This was one of the social struggles that made justice an ideal of the national movement.
B. Jyotiba Phule was from United Provinces. Incorrect. Jyotiba Phule worked in Maharashtra, where he spoke for the depressed castes. The United Provinces is the old name of present-day Uttar Pradesh.
C. Many Acts were passed in 1909, 1919 and 1935. Correct. The passage says that ‘a number of Acts were passed’ as the demand for representation grew. These Acts were passed in 1909, 1919 and 1935; the full paragraph below names the three years.
D. In 1937, Congress came to power in eight out of eleven provinces. Correct. In the elections of 1937, held under the Act of 1935, the Congress came to power in eight of the eleven provinces. The passage says ‘eight provinces’; the full paragraph gives the total of 11.
NCERT (2025-26): “2.1 The will of the people … The Constituent Assembly was expected to express the aspirations of those who had participated in the movement for independence. Democracy, equality and justice were ideals that had become intimately associated with social struggles in India since the nineteenth century. When the social reformers in the nineteenth century opposed child marriage and demanded that widows be allowed to remarry, they were pleading for social justice. When Swami Vivekananda campaigned for a reform of Hinduism, he wanted religions to become more just. When Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra pointed to the suffering of the depressed castes, or Communists and Socialists organised workers and peasants, they were demanding economic and social justice. The national movement against a government that was seen as oppressive and illegitimate was inevitably a struggle for democracy and justice, for citizens’ rights and equality. In fact, as the demand for representation grew, the British had been forced to introduce a series of constitutional reforms. A number of Acts were passed (1909, 1919 and 1935), gradually enlarging the space for Indian participation in provincial governments. The executive was made partly responsible to the provincial legislature in 1919, and almost entirely so under the Government of India Act of 1935. When elections were held in 1937, under the 1935 Act, the Congress came to power in eight out of the 11 provinces.” |