Who was the outspoken leader of The Progressives, the group formed in Bombay in 1946?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Francis Newton Souza
Option (1) M. F. Husain — Incorrect. Husain was a member of the group, not its leader. He is known for joining a modern style with Indian themes.
Option (2) K. H. Ara — Incorrect. Ara is named among the members of the group, not as its leader.
Option (3) Francis Newton Souza — Correct. Souza was the outspoken leader. He wanted to question the conventions of art schools.
Option (4) H. A. Gade — Incorrect. Gade is named among the members of the group, not as its leader.
Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.
NCERT (2026-27): “The Progressive Artists’ Group of Bombay and the Multifaceted Indian Art The desire for freedom — political, as well as, artistic — soon spread widely among young artists, who witnessed Independence from the British Raj. In Bombay, another set of artists formed a group, called The Progressives in 1946. Francis Newton Souza was the outspoken leader of the group, which included M. F. Husain, K. H. Ara, S. A. Bakre, H. A. Gade and S. H. Raza. Souza wanted to question the conventions that had prevailed in art schools.” |