NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION CLASS – 12 | POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-B POLITICS IN INDIA NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION | CHAPTER- 14 | CHALLENGES TO AND RESTORATION OF CONGRESS SYSTEM | EDUGROWN |
In This Post we are providing CHAPTER 14 CHALLENGES TO AND RESTORATION OF CONGRESS SYSTEM NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-B POLITICS IN INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.
NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON CHALLENGES TO AND RESTORATION OF CONGRESS SYSTEM
Question 1.
Analyse the issue ‘India vs the Syndicate’; What type of challenges did the issue pose before Indira Gandhi?
Answer:
Syndicates refer to a group of influential, powerful and leading leaders of Congress. They had real organisational power with them.
They played crucial in the establishment of Shastri and Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi sought their support to come into power. It was expected that after installation, Indira Gandhi would follow their advice.
Their advise proved to be crucial in Indira’s Cabinet members selection and in the formation and implementation of policies. But situation changed and Indira’s negligent behaviour towards syndicates annoyed them. Polarisation between them increased, finally, leading to split, Congress split into two parts. Syndicate lead Congress was named Congress (O) and Indira Gandhi led Congress was named Congress (R).
But after split syndicate led Congress claimed that real organisational power vested in them. They were the think tank and real decision-makers. In 1971 elections, it became clear that still Indira Gandhi possessed the real power and Congress prestige.
Question 2.
Examine the major changes that the country witnessed at the time of fourth general election in 1967.
Answer:
The expression ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ became popular in the political vocabulary in India to describe the practice of frequent floor-crossing by legislators. The phrase became the subject of numerous jokes and cartoons. Ultimately, the Constitution was amended to prevent defections.
Impact on the Indian political system are as follows :
- It leads to instability within a political party.
- It promotes political opportunism in political system.
- It erodes the faith, and trust of common in political system.
- It causes instable government.
Question 3.
Analyse the circumstances that favoured Indira Gandhi to become Prime Minister after the death of Lai Bahadur Shastri. Mention any four achievements of Indira Gandhi that made her popular as a Prime Minister.
Answer:
Congress faced the challenge of political succession again on 10th January 1966, Shastri’s Prime Ministership came to an abrupt end when he suddenly expired in Tashkent. The senior leaders of the party decided to support Indira Gandhi. However, the decision was not unanimous. There was intense contest between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. The contest was resolved through a secret ballot among the MP’s of the Congress. Indira Gandhi got the support of more than two-thirds of the congress party’s MP’s.
The six factors that led to the popularity of Indira Gandhi’s Government in early 1970’s were :
- Her socialist approach worked in her favour and her ideas like land reform and land ceiling legislation as well.
- Her slogan ‘garibi hatao’ was the need of that time. People took it positively and supported her.
- Her support for the growth of public sector, removal of inequality in income and opportunity and abolition of privy purse gained popularity.
- Through, ‘garibi hatao’ she became popular among Dalits, disadvantaged, women, minority etc.
- 1971 war added to her popularity. She managed the political and economic affair of that time effectively. She was admired by opposition also.
- She was seen as a protector of poor and a strong and capable national leader.
Question 4.
Explain any three causes of the split in the Congress Party in 1969.
Answer:
The six factors responsible for the split of the Congress party in 1969 were as follows:
- In 1967 elections, the Congress lost power in many states, the result proved that the Congress could be defeated at the elections.
- The political tension inside Congress over the insettled question of relation between its ministerial and organisation wings became more pronounce.
- Indira Gandhi sidelined from the ‘Syndicate’, a group of powerful and influential leader within the Congress. She chose her trusted group of advisors from outside the party.
- Indira Gandhi adopted a radical ten-point programme which include social control of banks, nationalisation of 14 private banks, abolition of the privy purse and land reforms.
- Presidential selection of 1969 bring out factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi. In the election, W Giri was elected as president of India defeating the official candidate N. Sanjeeva Reddy.
- This election formalised the split in the Congress Prime Minister was expelled. There was a vertical split in Congress which created Congress (O) and Congress (R).
Question 5.
Assess any three challenges that the Congress Party had to face during the period from 1964 to 1971.
Answer:
The three challenges that the Congress Party had to face during the period from 1964 to 1971 were :
1. Political succession After Nehru, who would be the leader. Some outsiders had doubts that Indian democracy will not survive meanwhile party President K Kamraj, suggested Lai Bahadur Shastri’s name as the Prime Minister, thus he became the second Prime Minister of India.
After an abrupt end of Shastri led to challenge of political succession. This time there was intense competition between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi.
Finally, Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister. She set out to gain control over the party and to demostrate her leadership skills.
2. Emergence of non-Congressism Opposition parties realised that the division of their votes kept the Congress in power. So that they joined together to form anti-Congress fronts. This strategy was named as non-Congressism by Ram Manohar Lohia.
The result of 1967 elections jolted the Congress at both centre and state levels. Many elite leaders of Congress parties came together to form joint legislative parties (Samyukt Vidhayak Dal). In most of the State Congress lost and coalition government was formed.
3. Split in the Congress Indira Gandhi had to face internal challenge that was syndicate, a group of influential Congress leaders who were in control of the party’s organisation. Gradually she attempted to assert her position within the government and the party. She chose her trusted group of advisers from outside the party.
Slowly and carefully she sidelined the ‘Syndicate’. Meanwhile President of India Dr Zakir Hussain was dead, the post of president fell vacant. Despite of Mrs. Gandhi reservations, the syndicate nominated N Sanjeeva Reedy’s name as President. But Indira Gandhi supported
4. Giri as an independent candidate. The election ultimately, resulted in the victory of W Giri and the defeat of Sanjeeva Reddy the official congress candidate.
The defeat of the official Congress candidate formalised the split in the party Congress (O) was syndicate supported party and Congress (R) was Indira Gandhi party.
Question 6.
Mention any six steps taken for the restoration of dominance of the Congress Party after the 1971 elections,
OR
“With two successive election victories at the centre as well as in the states in 1971, the dominant position of the Congress Party was restored.” Do you agree? State any three arguments in support of your answer.
Answer:
The factors responsible for the restoration of the Congress Party after its split in 1969 were :
1. Abolition of privy purse The Government of India tried to bring a Constitutional Amendment in 1970 to abolish privy purse. Because Indira Gandhi supported the demand of abolishing privy purses. After 1971 elections the Constitution was amended to remove legal obstacles for abolition of privy purse.
2. Garibi hatao After spliting, the new Congress had some positive agenda. Indira Gandhi said that the opposition alliance had only one comsmon programme i.e. Indira hatao. In contrast to this, she put forward positive programme captured in the famous slogan: garibi hatao.
Through it, she tried to generate a support base among the disadvantaged especially among the landless labourers, Dalits and Adivasis, minorities, women and the unemployed youth. The slogan garibi hatao gave her a strong independent nationwide political support base.
3. Major policy initiative She launched a series of initiatives to give the government policy a left orientation. She got the Congress Working Committee do adopt a Ten Point Programme. This programme induded social control of banks, nationalisation of general insurance, ceiling on urban property and income, public distribution of food grains, land reforms and provision of house sites to the rural poor,
4. 1971’s war The crisis in East Pakistan and the Indo-Pak War led to the establishment of Bangladesh. Indira Gandhi’s statemenship was admired. She was seen not only protector but also a strong nationalist leader.
Question 7.
Evaluate any three factors which were responsible for Indira Gandhi’s achieving a thumping majority in 1971 Lok Sabha elections.
Answer:
The 1971 elections were a political fight between Congress (R) and non-Congress and non-Communist parties. Congress (O) was just a part of it. It was believed that Congress (O) had real organisational strength of Congress party. Congress opposition parties formed an electoral alliance called as the Grand Alliance.
Grand Alliance were SSP, PSP, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Swatantra Party and the Bhartiya Kranti Dal. Major objective behind the formation of Grand Alliance was to prevent Indira Gandhi to form a government. Now in 1971 elections, Indira Gandhi had to face a strong opposition from outside parties and a split part of Congress.
The three factors which were responsible for thumping majority of Indira Gandhi’s Government in 1971 Lok Sabha elections were :
- Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’ and it was her main agenda. The opponents have no such agenda for people. They gave slogan of ‘Indira Hatao’. People because influenced with the agenda of Indira Gandhi and gave her majority votes.
- Indira Gandhi noticed the need for the increase in growth of public sector and removal of difference of income. In election publicity, she ensured people for bringing all this. People became inspired by her vision and supported her.
- The opponents formed the Grand alliance against Indira Gandhi to defeat her. This was also a prominent factor which persuaded voters to vote her.
Question 8.
Examine the main factors responsible for the rise and fall of the Congress Party’s dominance in India.
Answer:
The main factors responsible for the rise of Congress Party’s dominance were :
- Congress had inherited the legacy from national movement. It was the only party to have an organisation spread all over the country.
- Congress also had the most popular and charismatic leaders like Jawahar Lai Nehru, Shastri and Indira Gandhi who made Congress to dominate the Indian politics.
The main factors responsible for the fall of Congress Party’s dominance were:
1. Since 1969, the Congress party had starting shedding its character as an umbrella party which accommodated leaders and workers of different ideological dispensations and view points. The Congress party now identified itself with a particular ideology, claiming to be the only socialist and pro-poor party.
Thus with the early nineteen seventies, the Congress’s political success depended on attracting people on the basis of sharp social and ideological divisions and the appeal of one leader, Indira Gandhi.
2. With the change in the nature of the Congress party, other opposition parties relied more and more on what is known in Indian politics as ‘non-Congressism’. They also realised the need to avoid division of non-congress votes in the election. This factor played a major role in the elections on 1977.
3. In an indirect manner, the issue of welfare of the backward castes also began to dominate politics since 1977.
The results of 1977 elections were at least partly due to a shift among the backward castes of North India.
4. Following the Lok Sabha elections, many states also held Assembly elections in 1977. Again, the Northern States elected non-Congress governments in which the leaders of the backward castes played an important role.
5. The Emergency and the period around it can be described as a period of constitutional crisis because it had its origins in the constitutional battle over the jurisdiction of the Parliament. On the other hand, it was also a period of political crisis. It was one of the prominent cause for the fall of the Congress Party’s dominance.
Question 9.
Examine the factors which helped W Giri to become the President of India.
Answer:
The factors which helped W Giri to become the President of India were :
- The death of Zakir Hussain led the post of President vacant.
- The syndicates nominated the then Lok Sabha Speaker N Sanjeeva Reddy as official candidate of Congress for President’s post even after Indira’s reluctance.
- In order to answer them, she encouraged W Giri, the then Vice-President to file nomination as an independent candidate.
- At the same time she announced several new and big policies like nationalisation of fourteen leading private banks, abolition of privy purse etc. Morarji Desai, the then Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, disagreed with Indira and left the party.
- The then Congress President Nijalingappa asked all the Congress MPs and MLAs to support Sanjeeva Reddy, the official candidate and issued whip.
- A special meeting of AICC was to held by Indira Gandhi’s supporter, but this was refused.
- Though Indira Gandhi was silently supporting W Giri, she openly announced for a conscience vote.
- Result announced the victory of W Giri, after the defeat of Congress Party’s official candidate, split in Congress was formalised.
Picture Based Question
Question 10.
Study the picture given below and answer the questions that follows.
(i) To which year does the cartoon refer?
(ii) Name the person for whom this comment Anya Ram Gaya Ram’ was made,
Answer:
(i) Given cartoon refers to the year of 1967 when defection become a important feature of Indian politics,
(ii) The comment ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ was made to refer Gaya Lai, an MLA from Haryana who changed his party thrice in a fortnight.
