Civil Disobedience Movement

1. Consider the following statements about ‘Dandi March’: The march was

Consider the following statements about ‘Dandi March’:

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • The march was widely covered by the European and American press.
  • It was the first nationalist activity in which women participated in large numbers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statement 1 is correct. The Dandi March and the subsequent Salt Satyagraha attracted significant international attention and were widely reported by newspapers and media outlets in Europe and America, highlighting the non-violent nature of the Indian independence movement under Gandhi’s leadership. Statement 2 is incorrect. While the Civil Disobedience Movement, including the Dandi March, saw massive participation of women, it was not the *first* nationalist activity with large female participation. Women had actively participated in earlier movements like the Swadeshi Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement in significant numbers.
– The Dandi March began on March 12, 1930, as a protest against the British salt tax.
– Gandhi led the march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, where he symbolically broke the salt law.
– The movement triggered widespread civil disobedience across India.
– Sarojini Naidu was a prominent leader who joined Gandhi at Dandi and later led a raid on the Dharasana salt works.
Prominent women participants in earlier movements included Sarla Devi Chaudhurani and Basanti Devi in the Non-Cooperation Movement, and participation in Swadeshi protests. The scale of women’s participation increased significantly during the Civil Disobedience Movement, making it highly visible, but it was not the absolute first instance of large-scale involvement.

Subscribe on YouTube

2. Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast to break t

Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast to break the Salt Law in April 1930?

Subscribe on YouTube
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai
C. Rajagopalachari
K. Kamaraj
Annie Besant
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2015
Download PDFAttempt Online
During the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930, parallel to Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March, C. Rajagopalachari (C.R.) organized and led a salt march in Tamil Nadu. The march started from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam on the Tanjore (Thanjavur) coast to break the salt law.
– C. Rajagopalachari led the Salt Satyagraha in Tamil Nadu in 1930.
– The march was from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam on the Tanjore coast.
– This was part of the wider Civil Disobedience Movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi.
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai was a freedom fighter associated with Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company and the Swadeshi movement in Tamil Nadu, but not the 1930 salt march. K. Kamaraj was a prominent Congress leader and later Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, but his significant role was in post-independence politics and the freedom movement in general, not this specific event. Annie Besant was a key figure in the Home Rule Movement, earlier than the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Join Our Telegram Channel

3. Which one of the following is NOT correct about Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi

Which one of the following is NOT correct about Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi Yatra or Salt March ?

Join Our Telegram Channel
It was the first national activity in which women participated in large numbers
Gandhiji allowed the women's participation at the request of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
The march was fully covered by the Western press
The march began after the failure of the First Round Table Confer-ence in London
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2020
Download PDFAttempt Online
The statement “The march began after the failure of the First Round Table Conference in London” is NOT correct. The Dandi March (Salt March) began on March 12, 1930, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement. The First Round Table Conference was held later, from November 1930 to January 1931. The Civil Disobedience Movement was initiated before the conference.
The Dandi March was a key event in 1930 that marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement, separate from the timing of the First Round Table Conference.
The Dandi March was indeed the first major national movement with widespread and visible participation of women. Gandhiji initially hesitated but included women at the persuasion of leaders like Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. The march garnered significant international attention, with extensive coverage by the Western press.

Subscribe on YouTube

4. The Salt Satyagraha

The Salt Satyagraha

Join Our Telegram Channel
encouraged Indians to manufacture salt
showed to the government that Indians would break unfair laws
proved that Mahatma Gandhi was a mass leader
was designed to destroy the finances of the colonial government
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2013
Download PDFAttempt Online
The Salt Satyagraha, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi with the Dandi March in 1930, was a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience. Its primary purpose was to defy the British salt tax and monopoly, which Gandhi saw as an unjust law affecting the poorest Indians. By marching to Dandi and making salt from seawater, Gandhi and his followers deliberately broke the law. This action aimed to demonstrate to the British government, and the world, that Indians were willing and able to peacefully defy unfair colonial laws, thereby challenging British authority and mobilizing mass support for the independence movement.
– The Salt Satyagraha was a form of civil disobedience against the British salt law.
– Breaking the law (making salt) was the central action.
– The goal was to demonstrate the willingness of Indians to defy unjust authority non-violently.
While the Salt Satyagraha did encourage Indians to manufacture salt (A) and proved Gandhi’s ability to mobilize masses (C), option B encapsulates the core political message and strategic aim of this act of civil disobedience aimed directly at the government. Option D is incorrect; while the salt tax was a source of revenue, the movement wasn’t primarily about destroying government finances.

Subscribe on YouTube

5. Inspired by the Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi, in Tamilnadu, C Rajagop

Inspired by the Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi, in Tamilnadu, C Rajagopalachari led a salt march from

Join Our Telegram Channel
Tirunelveli to Nagercoil
Kanchipuram to Mahabalipuram
Trichinopoly to Vedaranniyam on Tanjore coast
Chennai to Vellore
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2024
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is C) Trichinopoly to Vedaranniyam on Tanjore coast.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March in 1930, C. Rajagopalachari organized a similar salt march in South India, specifically in Tamil Nadu. This march is known as the Vedaranyam Salt March.
The Vedaranyam Salt March, led by C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), took place in April 1930, starting from Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli) and ending at Vedaranyam on the Tanjore (Thanjavur) coast. The aim was to protest against the British salt tax by illegally manufacturing salt, mirroring Gandhi’s march to Dandi. This was a significant event in the Civil Disobedience Movement in South India.

Subscribe on YouTube

6. Which one among the following American newsmagazines was highly scepti

Which one among the following American newsmagazines was highly sceptical of Gandhiji’s Dandi march initially but within a week completely changed its opinion and saluted him as a Saint and Statesman ?

Join Our Telegram Channel
Saturday Evening Post
Readers Digest
Time
Life
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is C) Time.
The American newsmagazine *Time* is noted for initially ridiculing Mahatma Gandhi and the Dandi March, describing him in unflattering terms (e.g., “the half-naked fakir”). However, within weeks, as the scale and impact of the movement became evident, *Time* magazine changed its stance and acknowledged Gandhi’s significant influence, calling him a “saint” and “statesman”.
This shift in perspective by a prominent Western publication highlighted the growing international recognition and moral authority of Gandhi and the Indian independence movement based on nonviolent principles.

Subscribe on YouTube

7. Which of the following statements with regards to the Civil Disobedien

Which of the following statements with regards to the Civil Disobedience movement is/are correct ?

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • 1. The movement received massive response from business groups and peasantry
  • 2. The movement coincided with large scale labour upsurge in Maharashtra
  • 3. The movement was marked by the mass participation of lawyers and students

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2016
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statement 3 is correct: The movement was marked by mass participation of lawyers and students, who boycotted courts and educational institutions respectively as part of the non-cooperation and civil disobedience programmes. Statement 2 is also considered correct: While the Civil Disobedience Movement had various facets, there was indeed significant labour unrest and strikes in industrial centres like Bombay (Maharashtra) during the early 1930s, coinciding with the period of the movement and influenced by the economic depression and political climate. Statement 1 is incorrect: While peasants responded massively to calls for no-revenue and no-rent campaigns, the response from ‘business groups’ as a whole was mixed. Large capitalists were often hesitant or opposed due to disruptions, while smaller merchants might have supported boycotts. Describing the response from business groups as “massive” is generally inaccurate. Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are correct.
The Civil Disobedience Movement saw widespread participation from diverse sections of society including peasants, students, women, and urban populations. Lawyers boycotting courts and students leaving schools/colleges were specific programmes of the movement. While labour movements had their own drivers, significant unrest in major industrial areas coincided temporally with the CDM.
The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934) was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi with the Dandi Salt March. Key features included the Salt Satyagraha, boycott of foreign goods, picketing of liquor shops, no-tax campaigns (especially against land revenue), and boycott of government institutions (courts, schools). Women participated in large numbers, particularly in picketing. The movement’s impact varied across regions and social groups.

Subscribe on YouTube

8. The Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of the God) was organized by

The Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of the God) was organized by

Join Our Telegram Channel
Mahatma Gandhi
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
M. A. Jinnah
M. M. Malaviya
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement was organized by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Bacha Khan or Frontier Gandhi, founded this non-violent Pashtun movement in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of British India. Its members wore red shirts and were dedicated to non-violent resistance against British rule.
The Khudai Khidmatgar movement was closely allied with the Indian National Congress during the independence struggle. Their commitment to non-violence was remarkable among the predominantly Pashtun population, who were traditionally known for their martial culture.

Subscribe on YouTube

9. Which one of the following Princely States did NOT support the Congres

Which one of the following Princely States did NOT support the Congress during the course of the Civil Disobedience Movement ?

Subscribe on YouTube
Bhavnagar
Mysore
Junagadh
Kathiawar
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
Among the given options, all princely states generally did NOT support the Congress during the Civil Disobedience Movement against the British Crown. However, the question asks to identify one specific state that fits this description. While all fit the general truth, Junagadh stands out historically for its ruler’s strong inclination away from alignment with the Indian Union path envisioned by Congress, particularly evident in 1947. This suggests a consistent political stance divergent from Congress goals, making it a plausible answer for “did NOT support” in a comparative sense, assuming the question intends to differentiate based on the degree or nature of non-support or opposition.
Princely states were under British paramountcy and their rulers were generally loyal to the British Crown. Supporting the Indian National Congress’s Civil Disobedience Movement, which aimed to challenge British rule, would have been an act against the paramount power, which no ruler would officially endorse. Therefore, none of the princely states *supported* Congress against the British. The question is likely asking which one most clearly exemplified the stance of non-support, or perhaps had a ruler particularly known for their antagonism towards the nationalist movement.
Praja Mandal movements advocating for responsible government and aligned with Congress goals emerged within many princely states, including Mysore, Bhavnagar, and Junagadh. These movements were generally suppressed by the state administrations, demonstrating the rulers’ lack of support for the nationalist agenda. Junagadh’s later history of attempting to join Pakistan despite its population’s majority being Hindu and its geographical location within India is indicative of a ruler with a clear stance opposed to the Congress vision for India, which might be seen as a continuation of its earlier non-support for Congress activities against the British. While Bhavnagar smoothly acceded to India and Mysore was also integrated, Junagadh’s Nawab’s actions in 1947 are a strong marker of its historical position vis-a-vis the Indian nationalist mainstream led by Congress.

Join Our Telegram Channel

10. Which one of the following was NOT the fallout of Gandhiji’s Salt Sa

Which one of the following was NOT the fallout of Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha?

Join Our Telegram Channel
Refusal to pay the rural <i>chaukidari</i> tax in eastern India
Defiance of forest laws in Maharashtra
Picketing of shops selling foreign liquors by women
Declaration that no Indians should serve in the British-Indian Government
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
The declaration that no Indians should serve in the British-Indian Government was not a direct or prominent outcome of Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha or the subsequent Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34). While the movement encouraged non-cooperation and resignation from government posts as part of the broader protest, a sweeping declaration demanding *all* Indians to cease service was not the primary focus or a achieved fallout of this specific movement.
The Salt Satyagraha and the Civil Disobedience Movement involved widespread defiance of specific unjust laws, including the salt law, forest laws, and refusal to pay certain taxes like the chaukidari tax. Picketing of foreign goods and liquor shops by women was also a significant feature.
The call for resignation from government jobs was more strongly associated with the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22). The Civil Disobedience Movement focused on breaking laws to challenge the legitimacy of British rule and extract political concessions, primarily Purna Swaraj. While many government employees did resign, it wasn’t mandated or declared as a universal requirement for all Indians as a direct fallout of the Salt Satyagraha.

Subscribe on YouTube
Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5