Direct Action Day also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, was a day of widespread riot and manslaughter in the city of Calcutta which took place on August 16, 1946. The 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for planning of the transfer of power from the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed an initial plan of composition of the new Dominion of India and its government. However, soon an alternative plan to divide the British Raj into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan was proposed by the Muslim League. The Congress rejected the alternative proposal outright. Muslim League planned general strike (hartal) on 16 August terming it as Direct Action Day to protest this rejection, and to assert its demand for a separate Muslim homeland. The day also marked the start of what is known as The Week of the Long Knives. An important incident following Direct Action Day was the Noakhali and Tippera district massacres in October 1946.

Correct Option: B

Direct Action Day also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, was a day of widespread riot and manslaughter in the city of Calcutta which took place on August 16, 1946. The 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for planning of the transfer of power from the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed an initial plan of composition of the new Dominion of India and its government. However, soon an alternative plan to divide the British Raj into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan was proposed by the Muslim League. The Congress rejected the alternative proposal outright. Muslim League planned general strike (hartal) on 16 August terming it as Direct Action Day to protest this rejection, and to assert its demand for a separate Muslim homeland. The day also marked the start of what is known as The Week of the Long Knives. An important incident following Direct Action Day was the Noakhali and Tippera district massacres in October 1946.

In the battle, Ahmad Shah Abdali had both numeric as well as qualitative superiority over Marathas. The combined Muslim army was much larger than that of Marathas. Though the infantry of Marathas was organized along European lines and their army had some of the best French-made guns of the time, their artillery was static and lacked mobility against the fast-moving Afghan forces. The heavy mounted artillery of Afghans proved much better in the battlefield than the light artillery of Marathas. However, the main reason for the failure of the Marathas was that they went to war without good allies. They were expecting support from their alliesRajputs, Jats and Sikhs, but none of them supported Marathas in the battle. The Marathas had interfered in the internal affairs of the Rajput states (present-day Rajasthan) and levied heavy taxes and huge fines on them. They had also made large territorial and monetary claims upon Awadh. Their raids in the Jat territory had resulted in the loss of trust of Jat chiefs like Suraj Mal. They had, therefore, to fight their enemies alone. The Marathas’ difficulty in obtaining supplies worsened as the local population became hostile to them, since in the Marathas’ desperation to secure provisions they had pillaged the surrounding areas. The Marathas were unwise to carry a large number of non-combatants including wives along with them. This proved a severe handicap as it not only slowed down the movement of the army but also put extra burden on the supplies. A large part of the fighting strength had to be diverted to protecting the camp. They were forced to battle as the Marathas could take the starvation no more. It was this army weakened by starvation that fought the decisive battle of Panipat.

Correct Option: B

In the battle, Ahmad Shah Abdali had both numeric as well as qualitative superiority over Marathas. The combined Muslim army was much larger than that of Marathas. Though the infantry of Marathas was organized along European lines and their army had some of the best French-made guns of the time, their artillery was static and lacked mobility against the fast-moving Afghan forces. The heavy mounted artillery of Afghans proved much better in the battlefield than the light artillery of Marathas. However, the main reason for the failure of the Marathas was that they went to war without good allies. They were expecting support from their alliesRajputs, Jats and Sikhs, but none of them supported Marathas in the battle. The Marathas had interfered in the internal affairs of the Rajput states (present-day Rajasthan) and levied heavy taxes and huge fines on them. They had also made large territorial and monetary claims upon Awadh. Their raids in the Jat territory had resulted in the loss of trust of Jat chiefs like Suraj Mal. They had, therefore, to fight their enemies alone. The Marathas’ difficulty in obtaining supplies worsened as the local population became hostile to them, since in the Marathas’ desperation to secure provisions they had pillaged the surrounding areas. The Marathas were unwise to carry a large number of non-combatants including wives along with them. This proved a severe handicap as it not only slowed down the movement of the army but also put extra burden on the supplies. A large part of the fighting strength had to be diverted to protecting the camp. They were forced to battle as the Marathas could take the starvation no more. It was this army weakened by starvation that fought the decisive battle of Panipat.

Those were the words of Shivaswami Iyer who was a prominent lawyer, administrator and statesman who served as the Advocate General of Madras from 1907 to 1911. He was the Indian delegate to the third session of the League of Nations in 1922 in which, he condemned the mandate policy of General Smuts of the Republic of South Africa. Shivaswami Iyer served as a member of the Council of State from 1922 to 1923. He also opposed the Simon Commission on its arrival in India.

Correct Option: B

Those were the words of Shivaswami Iyer who was a prominent lawyer, administrator and statesman who served as the Advocate General of Madras from 1907 to 1911. He was the Indian delegate to the third session of the League of Nations in 1922 in which, he condemned the mandate policy of General Smuts of the Republic of South Africa. Shivaswami Iyer served as a member of the Council of State from 1922 to 1923. He also opposed the Simon Commission on its arrival in India.

Gandhian socialism is the branch of socialism based on theories of Gandhi. The theory is inspired from Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule written by Gandhi. Decentralization of political and economical power, Skeptic approach towards technology and large scale industrialization, Emphasis on Self-employment, Emphasis on self-reliance are the few features of Gandhian Socialism. Gandhi repudiated both State and reformist socialism because the first attempted to impose socialism from the top, whilst the second tolerated and sometimes even condoned violence as an inescapable means to attain its ends

Correct Option: B

Gandhian socialism is the branch of socialism based on theories of Gandhi. The theory is inspired from Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule written by Gandhi. Decentralization of political and economical power, Skeptic approach towards technology and large scale industrialization, Emphasis on Self-employment, Emphasis on self-reliance are the few features of Gandhian Socialism. Gandhi repudiated both State and reformist socialism because the first attempted to impose socialism from the top, whilst the second tolerated and sometimes even condoned violence as an inescapable means to attain its ends

The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, gave the right of separate electorate to the Muslims. Before these reforms, Muslims had expressed serious concern that a ‘first past the post’ British type of electoral system would leave them permanently subject to Hindu majority rule. The Act of 1909 stipulated, as demanded by the Muslim leadership that Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature; that the number of reserved seats be in excess of their relative population (25 percent of the Indian population); and, that only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats (‘separate electorates’).

Correct Option: B

The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, gave the right of separate electorate to the Muslims. Before these reforms, Muslims had expressed serious concern that a ‘first past the post’ British type of electoral system would leave them permanently subject to Hindu majority rule. The Act of 1909 stipulated, as demanded by the Muslim leadership that Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature; that the number of reserved seats be in excess of their relative population (25 percent of the Indian population); and, that only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats (‘separate electorates’).