Q.Describe any six events of the year 1967 which made it a landmark year in India's political and electoral history.

Showing the 12 most recent of 14 on this concept.

1. CBSE 2026Set 59/3/11 markMCQ
   Q.In which year did the largest public sector undertaking, Railways, go on a strike ? (A) 1974 (B) 1973 (C) 1972 (D) 1971

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   The All India Railway Strike, the largest strike by a public sector undertaking in Indian history, took place in 1974.

   The Indian Railways has always been more than just a transport network—it is the country's largest employer and a lifeline connecting millions. By the early 1970s, railway employees faced mounting frustrations: wages had stagnated even as inflation eroded purchasing power, working conditions remained poor, and the government seemed indifferent to their demands for better pay and recognition.

   George Fernandes, then a firebrand trade union leader heading the All India Railwaymen's Federation, channeled this discontent into what would become one of the most significant labour movements in independent India's history. The strike was called in May 1974, with nearly two million railway workers walking off their jobs. The scale was unprecedented—trains ground to a halt across the country, paralyzing freight and passenger services alike. For a nation heavily dependent on rail transport for both commerce and daily commuting, the impact was immediate and severe. …

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2. CBSE 2026Set 59/3/11 markMCQ
   Q.Which one of the following was the decision of the Supreme Court given on 24 June, 1975 about the Indira Gandhi case ? (A) Election of Indira Gandhi was invalid. (B) Indira Gandhi used the services of the government officials in her election campaign which is against the concept of ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution. (C) Indira Gandhi was ordered to resign from her post immediately. (D) Indira Gandhi was granted a partial stay on the High Court order, allowing her to remain a member of the Parliament, but could not take part in the Lok Sabha proceedings.

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   On 24 June 1975, the Supreme Court granted Indira Gandhi a partial stay on the Allahabad High Court’s verdict, allowing her to remain an MP but barring her from voting in Lok Sabha.

   The story behind this landmark date begins a few weeks earlier. On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court had delivered a stunning blow to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It found her guilty of corrupt electoral practices during the 1971 Lok Sabha campaign — specifically, using a government servant (Yashpal Kapoor, a gazetted officer) to help with her election work. The High Court declared her election void and disqualified her from holding any elected office for six years.

   That verdict sent shockwaves through Indian politics. Indira Gandhi immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking a stay that would allow her to continue as Prime Minister while the appeal was heard. The nation watched with bated breath as the case came up before Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer.

   On 24 June 1975, the Supreme Court delivered its interim order. It did not uphold the High Court’s full verdict, nor did it order her to resign. Instead, it crafted a careful middle path:

   Important

   The Supreme Court granted a conditional stay. Indira Gandhi could remain a Member of Parliament and continue as Prime Minister, but she was not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha until her appeal was finally decided. This was a partial stay — it kept her in office but stripped her of her parliamentary vote.

   Now let’s look at the options you were given:

   • (A) Election of Indira Gandhi was invalid — This was the Allahabad High Court’s decision, not the Supreme Court’s. The Supreme Court did not confirm this; it only granted a stay pending appeal.
   • (B) Indira Gandhi used government officials in her campaign, against the ‘basic structure’ — The High Court had indeed cited misuse of government machinery, but the Supreme Court’s 24 June order did not invoke the ‘basic structure’ doctrine. That doctrine (from the Kesavananda Bharati case, 1973) was not the basis for this interim order.
   • (C) Indira Gandhi was ordered to resign — No. The Supreme Court explicitly allowed her to remain Prime Minister. Resignation was never ordered. …

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3. CBSE 2025Set 59/6/11 markMCQ
   Q.Choose the name of the Prime Minister who led the National Front Government in 1989. (A) Chandra Shekhar (B) V.P. Singh (C) P.V. Narsimha Rao (D) H.D. Deve Gowda

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   V.P. Singh led the National Front Government as Prime Minister in 1989.

   The political landscape of India in the late 1980s was marked by significant shifts, moving away from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress. Several opposition parties began to coalesce, driven by a desire to present a united front against the incumbent government. This period saw the rise of regional parties and a growing demand for coalition politics at the national level.

   The National Front emerged as a significant political alliance in this context. It was formed in 1988, bringing together various non-Congress parties with a shared objective of providing an alternative government. Key constituents of this alliance included the Janata Dal, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The Janata Dal, formed from the merger of several smaller parties, became the largest component of this front.

   Note

   The formation of the National Front was a crucial step in Indian politics, demonstrating the increasing viability of multi-party coalitions as a means to challenge single-party dominance.

   The 1989 general elections were fought against a backdrop of public discontent, particularly concerning allegations of corruption, such as the Bofors scandal. The National Front campaigned on a platform of clean governance and social justice. While no single party secured an absolute majority in these elections, the National Front emerged as the largest alliance. To form a government, it received external support from two ideologically distinct groups: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the right and the Left Front (comprising communist parties) from the left. This unique arrangement allowed the National Front to stake its claim to form the government. …

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4. CBSE 2024Set 59/1/11 markMCQ
   Q.Which of the following problems did India face before the 4th general elections ?

   (i) Failure of monsoon

   (ii) Food crisis

   (iii) Heavy rainfall

   (iv) Depletion of foreign exchange reserves Choose the correct option. (A) (i),

   (ii) (B) (iii),

   (iv) (C) (i), (ii),

   (iv) (D) (ii), (iii), (iv)

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   Before the 4th general elections (1967), India faced a severe food crisis due to monsoon failure and a sharp depletion of foreign exchange reserves — heavy rainfall was not a problem.

   The 4th general elections in India were held in 1967, and the country entered that election year under considerable economic strain. The mid-1960s were a difficult period for the Indian economy. Two consecutive years of drought — 1965 and 1966 — had led to a failure of the monsoon, which in turn caused a sharp drop in agricultural output. This directly created a food crisis, as grain production fell far short of the country's needs. India had to rely heavily on food imports, including under the PL-480 agreement with the United States, which came with political strings attached.

   At the same time, India's foreign exchange reserves were being drained. The war with Pakistan in 1965, the suspension of foreign aid, and the need to import food grains and other essentials all put immense pressure on the country's foreign currency holdings. By 1966, the rupee was devalued, which further strained the economy. So the depletion of foreign exchange reserves was indeed a major problem. …

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5. CBSE 2024Set 59/3/11 markMCQ
   Q.Students of which two states started an agitation against the rising food prices in 1974 ? (A) Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (B) Rajasthan and Bihar (C) Bihar and Gujarat (D) Bihar and Madhya Pradesh

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   The 1974 agitation against rising food prices was led by students in Bihar and Gujarat.

   The year 1974 was a turbulent one in Indian politics. The country was reeling under severe economic strain — inflation was rampant, unemployment was high, and the price of essential commodities, especially food grains, had shot up beyond the reach of ordinary people. This economic distress created a fertile ground for public discontent, and it was the student community that first took to the streets in protest.

   The agitation began in Gujarat in January 1974. Students in Ahmedabad and other cities launched a movement against the skyrocketing prices of food items and the widespread corruption in the state. The protests quickly escalated, leading to violent clashes with the police and the imposition of curfew. The movement gained such momentum that it forced the resignation of the Congress government led by Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel. This was a stunning political event — a student-led agitation had brought down a state government.

   Note

   The Gujarat agitation was not just about food prices. It also targeted hoarding, black marketing, and the overall failure of the administration to control the cost of living. The students were supported by opposition parties, including the newly formed Nav Nirman movement.

   Inspired by the success in Gujarat, students in Bihar launched a similar agitation in March 1974. The Bihar movement was led by the veteran socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, who gave it a broader political direction — he called for a "total revolution" (Sampoorna Kranti) that went beyond price rise to demand a complete overhaul of the political system. The student protests in Bihar were massive, with strikes, gheraos, and demonstrations paralysing the state. The government responded with force, but the movement only grew stronger. …

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6. CBSE 2023Set 59/1/11 markMCQ
   Q.For Question number 12, two statements are given — one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R). Read these statements carefully and choose the correct option as the answer from the options (a), (b),

   (c) and

   (d) given below. Assertion (A) : In May 1977, the Janata Party government appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice J.C. Shah. Reason (R) : The Commission was appointed to inquire into the reasons for declaring Emergency, by the Indira Gandhi Government.

   (a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).

   (b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).

   (c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.

   (d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   The Shah Commission was appointed in May 1977 by the Janata Party government, but its purpose was to inquire into excesses committed during the Emergency, not into the reasons for declaring it.

   The question asks you to evaluate two linked statements about the Shah Commission, a landmark inquiry set up after the Emergency ended. Let’s place it in context.

   The Emergency was imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in June 1975 and lasted until March 1977. When elections were finally held in 1977, the Congress party was defeated, and the Janata Party came to power. One of the new government’s first major actions was to investigate what had happened during those 21 months — the suspension of civil liberties, the press censorship, the forced sterilisation campaign, and the arbitrary arrests.

   In May 1977, the Janata government did indeed appoint a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice J.C. Shah, a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. That much in the Assertion is correct.

   Now, what was the Commission’s actual mandate? It was asked to look into excesses, malpractices, and abuses of power that occurred during the Emergency — not to examine why the Emergency was proclaimed in the first place. The question of why the Emergency was declared was a political and constitutional one, debated in Parliament and the courts. The Shah Commission’s job was to document what had been done under that declaration: the arrests of political opponents, the curbs on the press, the demolition of slums, and the like.

   Note

   The Shah Commission submitted its report in 1978. It found that the Emergency had been used to suppress political dissent and that many actions taken were unjustified. However, it did not pronounce on the constitutional validity of the proclamation itself — that was a separate matter.

   So the Reason given — that the Commission was appointed to inquire into the reasons for declaring Emergency — is false. The Commission’s focus was on the consequences of the Emergency, not its causes. …

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7. CBSE 2023Set 59/4/11 markMCQ
   Q.Which of the following statements about the 'Arab Spring' are not correct ?

   (i) It began in 2008.

   (ii) The struggle was against terrorism and pollution.

   (iii) It raised its voice against corruption and unemployment.

   (iv) It was basically a demand for democracy. Select the correct option :

   (a)

   (ii) and

   (iv) only

   (b)

   (iii) and

   (iv) only

   (c)

   (i) and

   (ii) only

   (d)

   (i) and

   (iii) only

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   The Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy protests that began in 2010, not 2008, and its core demands were for political freedom, economic justice, and an end to corruption — not a struggle against terrorism or pollution.

   The Arab Spring was one of the most significant political upheavals of the early 21st century, a series of mass protests and civil wars that swept across the Arab world. To understand which statements about it are incorrect, we need to recall its actual timeline, causes, and character.

   First, the timing. The Arab Spring did not begin in 2008. The spark that ignited the entire wave was the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, in December 2010. Protests erupted in Tunisia in late 2010 and quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and other countries throughout 2011. So statement (i) — "It began in 2008" — is factually wrong.

   Second, the nature of the struggle. The protesters were not fighting against terrorism or pollution. Those were not the grievances that brought millions into the streets. Instead, the Arab Spring was driven by deep-seated frustrations with authoritarian regimes, widespread corruption, high unemployment (especially among educated youth), rising food prices, and a lack of political freedom. People demanded dignity, economic opportunity, and an end to police brutality and cronyism. Statement (ii) — "The struggle was against terrorism and pollution" — is therefore incorrect.

   Third, the demands. Statement (iii) says the movement "raised its voice against corruption and unemployment." This is entirely correct. Corruption was a central grievance — regimes like those of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt were notorious for enriching themselves and their inner circles while the majority struggled. Unemployment, particularly among young graduates, was a constant source of anger. So (iii) is accurate. …

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8. CBSE 2023Set 59/4/11 markMCQ
   Q.Arrange the following in chronological order :

   (i) Split in Congress Party

   (ii) Imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi

   (iii) Fifth General Elections

   (iv) Appointment of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister Choose the correct option :

   (a) (i), (iv), (ii),

   (iii)

   (b) (ii), (iv), (i),

   (iii)

   (c) (i), (ii), (iii),

   (iv)

   (d) (iv), (i), (iii), (ii)

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   The correct chronological order is: Appointment of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister, then the Split in the Congress Party, followed by the Fifth General Elections, and finally the Imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi — which corresponds to option (d).

   The story begins in the mid-1960s, a turbulent time for Indian politics. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, passed away in May 1964. The Congress Party, which had led the nation since independence, needed a new leader. Lal Bahadur Shastri, a soft-spoken and widely respected figure from Nehru's cabinet, was chosen as Prime Minister. This happened in June 1964. Shastri's tenure was short but significant — he led India through the 1965 war with Pakistan and popularised the slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan." His sudden death in Tashkent in January 1966, just after signing a peace agreement, left a sudden vacuum.

   Indira Gandhi, Nehru's daughter, was then elected as Prime Minister in 1966. She was seen by the Congress party bosses as a compromise candidate they could control. But Indira had her own vision. She wanted to break free from the old guard — the syndicate of senior Congress leaders who had traditionally called the shots. Tensions simmered over issues like bank nationalisation, the abolition of princely privy purses, and her increasingly populist, left-leaning economic policies.

   The breaking point came in 1969. The Congress party formally split into two factions: the Congress (R) — Requisitionists, led by Indira Gandhi — and the Congress (O) — Organisation, led by the old syndicate. This is the Split in the Congress Party. Indira's faction commanded a majority in Parliament and was recognised as the official Congress party. This split fundamentally altered Indian politics, concentrating enormous power in the Prime Minister's hands and sidelining the party's internal democratic structures.

   Note

   The split was not just a personal feud. It reflected a deeper ideological clash between a centralised, populist leadership under Indira and the more federal, conservative style of the older Congress bosses.

   With her new, more loyal party, Indira Gandhi called for Fifth General Elections in 1971 — a year ahead of schedule. She campaigned on a powerful, direct appeal to the poor with the slogan "Garibi Hatao" (Remove Poverty). The gamble paid off spectacularly. Her Congress (R) won a massive landslide, securing a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. This victory was followed by the Bangladesh Liberation War later that year, which further boosted her popularity to almost mythical heights. …

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9. CBSE 2023Set 59/4/11 markMCQ
   Q.Which two major crises were faced by India during the tenure of Lal Bahadur Shastri ?

   (a) Political and economic crisis

   (b) War and food crisis

   (c) War and communalism

   (d) Failed monsoon and political crisis

   ›Reveal solutionSolution

   During Lal Bahadur Shastri's brief tenure as Prime Minister, India faced two significant challenges: the 1965 war with Pakistan and a severe food crisis caused by widespread drought.

   Lal Bahadur Shastri assumed the office of Prime Minister in 1964, following the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru. His succession marked a period of transition and uncertainty in Indian politics. Despite his quiet and unassuming demeanor, Shastri was known for his integrity and commitment to the nation. His short tenure, however, was fraught with immense challenges that tested the young nation's resilience.

   One of the most immediate and significant crises was the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Tensions between India and Pakistan had been simmering, particularly over Kashmir. In April 1965, skirmishes broke out in the Rann of Kutch, followed by a full-scale war in September. Pakistan launched 'Operation Gibraltar' to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir, which escalated into a major conflict involving ground forces and air power across the international border. Shastri demonstrated firm leadership during this period, rallying the nation and famously declaring that India would fight for every inch of its territory. The war concluded with a ceasefire and the Tashkent Agreement in January 1966, where Shastri tragically passed away. …

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10. CBSE 2020Set 59/1/11 markMCQ
    Q.Select the correct political party which came to power at the centre in 1977. (A) Janata Party (B) Bharatiya Jana Sangh (C) Communist Party of India (D) Indian National Congress

    ›Reveal solutionSolution

    The Janata Party came to power at the centre in 1977, ending three decades of Congress dominance and marking India's first non-Congress government.

    The 1977 general election stands as a watershed moment in Indian democracy. For the first time since independence, the Indian National Congress—the party of Nehru and Indira Gandhi, the party that had led the freedom struggle and governed continuously for thirty years—was voted out of power. The election was held in the immediate aftermath of the Emergency, that twenty-one-month period from 1975 to 1977 when civil liberties were suspended, press censorship imposed, and political opponents jailed.

    Public anger against the excesses of the Emergency ran deep. Forced sterilizations, slum demolitions, arbitrary arrests under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, and the general atmosphere of authoritarianism had alienated vast sections of the electorate. When elections were finally announced in January 1977, opposition parties recognized that their only hope of defeating the Congress juggernaut lay in unity.

    The Janata Party was born out of this imperative. It was not a party with a long organizational history or a single ideological tradition. Rather, it was a coalition—a merger of several opposition groups that came together specifically to contest the 1977 election:

    • The Bharatiya Jana Sangh, with its roots in Hindu nationalism
    • The Congress (O), the faction that had split from Indira Gandhi's Congress in 1969
    • The Bharatiya Lok Dal, representing agrarian and peasant interests
    • The Socialist Party, with its left-leaning secular ideology
    • Individual leaders and defectors from the Congress who had opposed the Emergency

    Note

    The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was one constituent of the Janata Party, not the party that came to power itself. This distinction matters—the Jana Sangh dissolved into the larger Janata formation. …

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11. CBSE 2020Set 59/1/11 markMCQ
    Q.Who among the following led the National Front Government in 1989, with the outside support of the Left Front and the BJP ? (A) Chandrashekhar (B) H.D. Deve Gowda (C) I.K. Gujral (D) V.P. Singh

    ›Reveal solutionSolution

    V.P. Singh led the National Front Government in 1989, supported from outside by both the Left Front and the BJP.

    The 1989 general election marked a watershed in Indian politics, ending the Congress party's long dominance and ushering in an era of coalition governments. The election was fought against the backdrop of widespread disillusionment with Rajiv Gandhi's government, tainted by the Bofors scandal and perceived failures in governance. The opposition had coalesced into a broad front determined to unseat the Congress.

    Vishwanath Pratap Singh, a former Congress stalwart who had served as Finance Minister and Defence Minister under Rajiv Gandhi, emerged as the face of this anti-Congress wave. After being expelled from the Congress for raising uncomfortable questions about corruption, V.P. Singh founded the Jan Morcha in 1987, which later merged with other parties to form the Janata Dal in 1988. The Janata Dal became the core of the National Front, an alliance of regional and socialist parties.

    The election results threw up a hung Parliament. No single party commanded a majority, but the National Front emerged as the largest bloc. V.P. Singh was the natural choice to lead the government, given his stature and his role in uniting the opposition. However, the National Front's numbers were insufficient on their own. This is where the peculiar arithmetic of 1989 came into play: both the Left Front (led by the Communist parties) and the Bharatiya Janata Party agreed to support the government from outside, without joining the cabinet. These were strange bedfellows indeed—the Left and the BJP represented opposite ends of the ideological spectrum—but both were united in their desire to keep the Congress out of power.

    Note

    This "outside support" arrangement meant that the Left and the BJP would vote with the government on confidence motions and key legislation, but would not take ministerial positions or share direct responsibility for governance. It was a fragile arrangement, held together more by what they opposed than what they agreed upon. …

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12. CBSE 2020Set 59/1/11 markMCQ
    Q.Which one of the following coalitions formed the government at the Centre in 1989 ? (A) NDA (B) United Front (C) National Front (D) UPA

    ›Reveal solutionSolution

    The National Front, a coalition of several regional and national parties, formed the government at the Centre in 1989 with external support.

    Indian electoral politics underwent a significant transformation in the late 1980s. After decades of dominance by the Indian National Congress, the political landscape began to fragment, leading to an era where coalition governments became increasingly common at the Centre. The 1989 general election was a pivotal moment in this shift, as it marked the first time since 1977 that a non-Congress government was formed without the Congress being the single largest party.

    Leading up to the 1989 elections, there was a strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the Congress government. Various opposition parties, recognising the need to consolidate their strength to challenge the Congress, began to explore possibilities of forming a united front. This effort culminated in the formation of the National Front.

    The National Front was an alliance primarily composed of the Janata Dal, a party formed by a merger of several smaller opposition groups, along with prominent regional parties such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from Andhra Pradesh, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from Tamil Nadu, and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) from Assam. This coalition aimed to present a credible alternative to the Congress and capitalise on the widespread desire for change.

    Note

    The formation of the National Front was a strategic move to pool resources and votes, as the First Past the Post electoral system often disadvantages fragmented opposition parties. By presenting a united front, they hoped to avoid splitting the anti-Congress vote. …

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