The first mid-term elections in India were held in _____.

1967
1971
1977
1980

The correct answer is (a). The first mid-term elections in India were held in 1967. The Indian National Congress (INC) lost its majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, for the first time since independence. The Janata Party, a coalition of opposition parties, emerged as the largest single party in the Lok Sabha. The elections were held in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The INC was led by Indira Gandhi, who became the first woman prime minister of India. The Janata Party was led by Morarji Desai. The elections were a watershed moment in Indian politics, as they marked the end of the INC’s dominance of Indian politics.

Option (b) is incorrect because the 1971 elections were general elections, not mid-term elections. The 1971 elections were held after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in which India defeated Pakistan and led to the creation of Bangladesh. The INC won the elections with a landslide majority, and Indira Gandhi became the prime minister for the second time.

Option (c) is incorrect because the 1977 elections were general elections, not mid-term elections. The 1977 elections were held after the Emergency, a period of authoritarian rule imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975. The Janata Party won the elections, and Morarji Desai became the prime minister.

Option (d) is incorrect because the 1980 elections were general elections, not mid-term elections. The 1980 elections were held after the Janata Party government collapsed in 1979. The INC won the elections, and Indira Gandhi became the prime minister for the third time.