Important Revolts and Movements

The direct answer is A: Michael O’Dwyer. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on 13 April 1919. It is important to distinguish his office from that of Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer. Dyer commanded the troops that fired at the crowd in Amritsar, while O’Dwyer was the provincial Lieutenant Governor and supported the administration’s repressive policy. Option A is correct because Michael O’Dwyer held the office of Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at that time. Option B, Lord Curzon, had been Viceroy earlier and was not Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor in 1919. Option C, Lord Mountbatten, became the last Viceroy of India much later, in 1947, so he cannot be the answer. Option D, Lord Ripon, served as Viceroy in the nineteenth century and was not in office during the massacre. The reasoning is therefore based on identifying the correct provincial official and separating O’Dwyer from General Dyer. Memory cue: O’Dwyer—Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor; Dyer—officer who ordered the firing.

Khadi became a symbol of Gandhian self-reliance and boycott of foreign cloth. Exam tip: remember spinning wheel and Khadi together.

The direct answer is A: students were asked to boycott government educational institutions. The Non-Cooperation Movement asked Indians to withdraw cooperation from colonial institutions and policies. Students were encouraged to leave government schools and colleges and, where possible, join national educational institutions. Option A is correct because it states this part of the movement’s programme. Option B is wrong because the Simon Commission was a colonial constitutional body and joining it was not a Non-Cooperation appeal. Option C is wrong because joining a princely army was not the student programme described here. Option D is wrong because cutting forests was neither the central student appeal nor a general programme of Non-Cooperation. The reasoning is: the movement rejected cooperation; government schools represented colonial institutions; therefore students were urged to boycott them. This did not mean abandoning education forever; it meant rejecting colonial institutions and supporting national alternatives. Memory cue: Non-Cooperation plus students equals boycott of government schools and colleges.

C R Das was among the major leaders of Swaraj Party. Exam tip: remember Swaraj Party and council-entry policy.

The British government appointed the Simon Commission to review constitutional reforms in India, but every member was British. Indians opposed it because they believed that Indians must be represented in decisions about India’s government and constitutional future. Option B is unrelated to the commission’s purpose, while the Bhoodan Movement and the Dandi March were separate movements. Exam tip: remember the famous protest slogan, “Simon Go Back.”

He was injured in a lathi charge during the Simon Commission protest in Lahore. Exam tip: remember Lala Lajpat Rai and Simon protest.

During the Dandi March (1930), Gandhi chose salt as the symbol of protest against the British Salt Law. Salt was an essential commodity used by everyone, so the salt tax directly affected ordinary people. Cotton is more closely associated with the Swadeshi movement, not the Dandi March. Exam tip: remember Dandi March as the Salt Satyagraha of 1930.

Do or Die gave the message of decisive struggle for freedom. Exam tip: remember slogans with movements.

The Ghadar Movement was linked with revolutionary nationalism among overseas Indians. Exam tip: remember Ghadar Party and USA.

The government treasury was targeted in the Kakori incident. Exam tip: connect it with revolutionary activity.

Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt were linked with this event. Exam tip: remember names of revolutionary companions.

The direct answer is A: the armoury was targeted. An armoury is a place where weapons and ammunition are stored. In the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 1930, revolutionaries associated with Surya Sen attacked important armoury sites to obtain arms and challenge British authority. Option A is correct because it names the actual target indicated by the event’s name and historical description. Option B, a paddy field, is agricultural land and was not the target. Option C, a dam, is a water-management structure and had no connection with the raid. Option D, a school, is an educational institution and was not the intended target. The reasoning is direct: “armoury raid” means an attack on a weapons store; Chittagong identifies the place; 1930 and Surya Sen help identify the event. Do not confuse this armed revolutionary action with a peaceful protest or a land-reform movement. Memory cue: Chittagong Armoury Raid—1930—Surya Sen—arms.

Khudai Khidmatgars were also called Red Shirts. Exam tip: remember Frontier Gandhi and Red Shirts.

Vaikom involved protest against caste discrimination on public roads. Exam tip: remember the issue of social equality.

Harijan movement was linked with removal of untouchability. Exam tip: remember Gandhi's social programmes.

Tebhaga was linked with demand for two-thirds share. Exam tip: remember Bengal peasant movement.

The Telangana struggle was linked with the Nizam's Hyderabad State. Exam tip: remember Telangana and peasant struggle.

Praja Mandal movements demanded people's rights in princely states. Exam tip: remember politics of princely states.

The Bhoodan Movement sought land for people who had little or no land of their own. Through voluntary donations by landowners, the movement aimed to reduce rural inequality and help landless families obtain an opportunity to cultivate land. It was associated with Vinoba Bhave and emphasized persuasion, social responsibility, and peaceful redistribution rather than violence or compulsory confiscation.

Option A is correct because helping landless people was the central social purpose of the movement. British officials, princely rulers, and foreign traders were not the intended beneficiaries of Bhoodan. The name and programme both point toward land: landowners were encouraged to share land with those who lacked it. Thus the supplied answer correctly identifies the group for whom land was requested.

The Chipko Movement was an environmental movement that became prominent in the Himalayan region, especially in present-day Uttarakhand. Local villagers, including many women, hugged or held on to trees to prevent them from being cut. Their action drew attention to the importance of forests for soil, water, fuel, fodder, and local livelihoods. Thus, option A, forests, is correct.

The word Chipko means to stick or cling, which explains the method of protest. The protesters were not trying to protect railways, salt, or a fort. They were opposing commercial or careless tree felling and demanding responsible use of forest resources. The movement therefore represents community-based environmental protection and resistance to deforestation. Remembering “Chipko—hug trees—save forests” leads directly to option A.

Narmada Bachao Andolan focused on displacement caused by dams. Exam tip: study issues of modern people's movements.

The direct answer is A: Karnataka. The Appiko Movement was a forest-protection movement that began in Karnataka in 1983, especially in the Uttara Kannada area. People opposed destructive felling and supported the protection, regeneration and rational use of forests. The movement is often understood as the southern Indian counterpart of the Chipko Movement because both involved community action to save forests. Option A is correct. B Punjab is not the state chiefly associated with Appiko. C Bihar has had other social and environmental movements, but it is not the principal location of Appiko. D Assam also has forest issues, but the named movement is linked with Karnataka. Memory cue: Chipko is commonly linked with the Himalayas; Appiko with Karnataka in the south.

The Bishnoi tradition is linked with protection of nature and living beings. Exam tip: remember Khejarli with Amrita Devi.

The Khejarli incident was linked with protection of Khejri trees. Exam tip: remember Rajasthan and Bishnoi tradition.

Silent Valley Movement was linked with forest protection in the Kunthipuzha river area. Exam tip: remember Kerala and biodiversity.