70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025
Modern History Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 24 solved 70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025 Modern History questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
Match List - I of Pre-Congress organisations with List - II of their leaders and choose answer from the codes given below:
| List – I | List - II |
| a. Indian Association | i. Dadabhai Naoroji |
| b. Madras Mahajan Sabha | ii. M. Viraraghavachariar |
| c. Bombay Presidency Association | iii. Justice Ranade |
| d. Poona Sarvjanik Sabha | iv. Surendranath Banerjee |
Code :
Detailed Explanation:
Indian Association (1876) was founded in Calcutta by Surendranath Banerjee – a-iv.
Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884) was established by M. Viraraghavachariar – b-ii.
Bombay Presidency Association (1885) was started by Dadabhai Naoroji – c-i.
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870) was founded by Justice Ranade – d-iii.
Correct matching: a-iv, b-ii, c-i, d-iii.
Who among the following is not associated with Azad Hind Fauz (INA)?
Detailed Explanation:
S. A. Dange was a prominent communist leader and founder member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), not associated with the Azad Hind Fauj (INA).
Prem Singh Sehgal, Shahnawaz Khan, and General Mohan Singh were all key INA officers who fought for Indian independence under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; Sehgal and Khan faced the famous Red Fort Trials (1945-46).
Which of the following State was not annexed under Lord Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse?
Detailed Explanation:
Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) to annex princely states without a natural male heir.
Nagpur (1854) annexed after Raghuji III died heirless; Satara (1848) was the first major annexation; Sambhalpur (1849) annexed after death of ruler.
Jaipur maintained a legitimate hereditary succession and was never annexed – it remained a princely state under British suzerainty until 1947.
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Match the List -I of authors with List-II of the books on 1857 and choose answers from the code given below:
| List-I | List-II |
| a. V. D. Savarkar | i. The First War of Independence |
| b. S. N. Sen | ii. The Peasant and the Raj |
| c. Eric Stokes | iii. Civil Rebellion and in the Indian Mutinies |
| d. S.B. Chaudhuri | iv. Eighteen Fifty-Seven |
Code :
Detailed Explanation:
V. D. Savarkar authored The First War of Independence (i), a nationalist account of the 1857 rebellion.
S. N. Sen wrote Eighteen Fifty-Seven (iv), commissioned by the Government of India for the centenary.
Eric Stokes authored The Peasant and the Raj (ii), analyzing agrarian dimensions of the uprising.
S. B. Chaudhuri wrote Civil Rebellion in the Indian Mutinies (iii), focusing on civilian participation.
The correct matching is a-i, b-iv, c-ii, d-iii, corresponding to Option 3.
Match List - I of social reformers with List - II of their societies and choose answer from the code given below:
| List – I | List-II |
| a. Brahma Samaj | i. Vishnu Shastri Pandit |
| b. Ramkrishna Mission | ii. Swami Vivekananda |
| c. Servants of India Society | iii. Raja Rammohan Roy |
| d. Vidhwa Vivah Samaj | iv. Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
Code:
Detailed Explanation:
a. Brahmo Samaj – iii. Raja Rammohan Roy: Founded in 1828 to promote monotheism and abolish social evils like sati.
b. Ramakrishna Mission – ii. Swami Vivekananda: Established in 1897 to carry forward Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's spiritual and social work.
c. Servants of India Society – iv. Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Founded in 1905 to train national missionaries for selfless service to India.
d. Vidhwa Vivah Samaj – i. Vishnu Shastri Pandit: Promoted widow remarriage in Maharashtra during the 19th century.
Correct matching: a-iii, b-ii, c-iv, d-i (Option 2)
Who was the President of the Indian National Congress at the Gaya Session of 1922?
Detailed Explanation:
Chittaranjan Das was elected President of the Indian National Congress at the Gaya Session in December 1922.
The session witnessed a major debate between Pro-Changers (led by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru), who favored entering legislative councils, and No-Changers (led by Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad), who opposed it; Das later resigned and formed the Swaraj Party in 1923.
Who threw harmless bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly?
Detailed Explanation:
On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw harmless bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi to protest the Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill.
The bombs were designed only to make loud noise, not to harm anyone, followed by the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" and distribution of pamphlets.
Jatin Das was a revolutionary associate but was not involved in this specific incident; he is known for his 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Jail (1929) which led to his death.
Since both Bhagat Singh (Option 3) and Batukeshwar Dutt (Option 2) were involved, the correct answer is Option 4 (More than one of the above).
Who introduced the permanent settlement in Bengal?
Detailed Explanation:
Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement (also called Zamindari System) in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
Under this system, land revenue was fixed permanently, and Zamindars were made hereditary owners with responsibility to collect and pay fixed revenue to the British, leading to exploitation of peasants through high rents.
Which newspaper wrote the following about the possible future role of the Indian National Congress is the nucleus of a future Parliament of our country and will lead to the good of inconceivable magnitude for our countrymen'?
Detailed Explanation:
The Indian Mirror, founded by Keshub Chandra Sen in 1861 from Calcutta, was a nationalist newspaper that strongly supported the Indian National Congress (INC).
The newspaper predicted that the INC would become the nucleus of India's future Parliament and bring immense good to the country, a vision that materialized when the INC led India's freedom struggle and became the dominant political force post-1947.
When did Macaulay issue his famous minute on Indian Education?
Detailed Explanation:
Lord Macaulay's Minute on Indian Education was issued on 2 February 1835, advocating for English as the medium of instruction over Persian and Sanskrit.
This led to the English Education Act, 1835 by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, marking the shift from the Orientalist approach to Western education.
All India Trade Union Congress was formed in the year
Detailed Explanation:
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was founded in 1920 in Bombay (Mumbai).
Lala Lajpat Rai served as its first president, and it was the first national trade union centre in India formed during the British colonial period to organize workers' rights and welfare.
The Vernacular Press Act allowed
Detailed Explanation:
The Vernacular Press Act, 1878 was enacted by Viceroy Lord Lytton to suppress criticism in Indian-language newspapers.
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Act allowed confiscation of newspaper assets if objectionable content was published.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Confiscation occurred when content was objectionable, not when it was "not objectionable".
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The Act allowed confiscation of printing presses for publishing objectionable material.
Both Statements 1 and 3 are correct, making Option 4 (More than one of the above) the right answer.
Who is the author of the famous book 'Gulamgiri'?
Detailed Explanation:
'Gulamgiri' (meaning 'Slavery') was written by Jyotiba Phule and published in 1873.
The book was a powerful critique of the caste system and the exploitation of lower castes and untouchables, and it laid the foundation for social justice movements in India.
Which Viceroy decentralized the colonial economic structure in India?
Detailed Explanation:
Lord Mayo (1869–1872) introduced financial decentralization by transferring revenue management and expenditure control to provincial governments.
He established Provincial Finance Committees to manage local resources, reducing the central government's financial burden while maintaining British administrative control.
Fort William College at Calcutta was established in
Detailed Explanation:
Fort William College was established in 1800 CE by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta to train British civil servants in Indian languages like Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Marathi for effective colonial administration.
The college was not founded in 1802 CE, and its primary purpose was practical language training for governance, not historical research or cultural understanding.
Who first described the Revolt of 1857 as the 'First Indian War of Independence'?
Detailed Explanation:
V. D. Savarkar first described the Revolt of 1857 as the 'First Indian War of Independence' in his 1909 book written in Marathi.
He challenged the British narrative of it being merely a sepoy mutiny, arguing it was a nationalist uprising against colonial rule.
Which portfolio did Dr. Rajendra Prasad hold during the interim government of 1946 ?
Detailed Explanation:
Dr. Rajendra Prasad held the Food and Agriculture portfolio in the Interim Government of 1946 formed on 2 September 1946 under Jawaharlal Nehru.
He focused on addressing food shortages and promoting agricultural self-sufficiency during the critical pre-independence period.
Match List - I of leaders with List- I of their territory and select answer from the code given below:
| List – I | List - II |
| a. Kunwar Singh | i. Faizabad |
| b. Hazrat Mahal | ii. Bareilly |
| c. Khan Bahadur | iii. Jagdishpur |
| d. Maulvi Ahmadullah | iv. Lucknow |
Code:
Detailed Explanation:
Kunwar Singh led the revolt from Jagdishpur (Bihar), establishing a strong peasant base against the British.
Hazrat Mahal, the Begum of Awadh, led the rebellion from Lucknow after her son was declared Nawab.
Khan Bahadur Khan, the Nawab of Bareilly, commanded the revolt in Bareilly (Rohilkhand region).
Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, a religious leader, led the uprising in Faizabad and surrounding areas.
Correct matching: a-iii, b-iv, c-ii, d-i.
Who was the first Muslim President of Indian National Congress ?
Detailed Explanation:
Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress, presiding over the third session in Madras (1887).
Hasrat Mohani never served as INC president; Maulana Azad became president much later (1940–1946).
Who became the President of Indian National Congress when Subhash Chandra Bose resigned in 1939 ?
Detailed Explanation:
Subhash Chandra Bose resigned as Congress President in April 1939 after conflicts with the Congress Working Committee and Mahatma Gandhi.
Rajendra Prasad was elected as President of the Indian National Congress to fill the vacancy left by Bose's resignation, serving from 1939 to 1940.
Prasad had previously served as Congress President in 1934 and was a trusted associate of Gandhi, having led the Champaran Satyagraha (1917) and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Showing 1 to 20 of 24 questions
70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025 - Modern History Chapter-wise Distribution
Education, Press and Cultural Awakening
4 Qs (16.7%)Tribal, Peasant and Civil Uprisings
3 Qs (12.5%)Indian National Congress and Early Nationalists
3 Qs (12.5%)Revolt of 1857
3 Qs (12.5%)Economic Impact of British Rule
2 Qs (8.3%)Socio-Religious Reform Movements
2 Qs (8.3%)Revolutionary Nationalism
2 Qs (8.3%)Expansion and Consolidation of British Rule
1 Qs (4.2%)Rise of Indian Nationalism
1 Qs (4.2%)Gandhian Era
1 Qs (4.2%)Important Personalities
1 Qs (4.2%)Advent of Europeans in India
1 Qs (4.2%)70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025 - Modern History Questions FAQs
Q1 How many Modern History questions were asked in 70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025 2024?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for Modern History in 70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2025 2024?
- Education, Press and Cultural Awakening: 4 questions (16.7%)
- Tribal, Peasant and Civil Uprisings: 3 questions (12.5%)
- Indian National Congress and Early Nationalists: 3 questions (12.5%)
- Revolt of 1857: 3 questions (12.5%)
- Economic Impact of British Rule: 2 questions (8.3%)
- Socio-Religious Reform Movements: 2 questions (8.3%)
- Revolutionary Nationalism: 2 questions (8.3%)
- Expansion and Consolidation of British Rule: 1 questions (4.2%)
- Rise of Indian Nationalism: 1 questions (4.2%)
- Gandhian Era: 1 questions (4.2%)
- Important Personalities: 1 questions (4.2%)
- Advent of Europeans in India: 1 questions (4.2%)