Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Swadeshi Movement
The Swadeshi Movement (1905–07) is the one that led to the split. In 1906 the Calcutta Congress endorsed Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott. At Surat in December 1907 the Moderates tried to step back from that stand, and the Congress split into Moderates and Extremists (Nationalists).
- ✓ (a) The Swadeshi Movement arose in response to the 1905 partition of Bengal. The Calcutta Congress of 1906 backed Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott, which alarmed the British, who pressured the moderate leaders. At Surat in 1907 the Moderates tried to retreat from this stand, and the Congress split.
- ✗ (b) The Quit India Movement came in 1942. That was decades after the 1907 Surat split, and the two groups had already reunited at Lucknow in 1916, so it cannot explain this split.
- ✗ (c) Non-Cooperation (1920–22) was launched under Gandhi, about 13 years after the Surat split. It did not create the Moderate–Extremist division.
- ✗ (d) Civil Disobedience began in 1930. The Moderate–Extremist divide dates from 1907, so this movement could not have caused it.
Remember · Swadeshi Movement (1905–07) → Calcutta 1906 endorsed Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott → Surat Split, December 1907, between Moderates and Extremists (Nationalists like Tilak).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “The British authorities were understandably alarmed by the Congress’s resolution at the Calcutta session, especially its call for ‘Swaraj’, and exerted pressure on some of the moderate Congress leaders.”
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “In the first decade of the 20th century, the Moderates and the British authorities labelled those who called for nothing less than India's independence, 'Extremists' or 'Radicals'.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 3 “Through the Swadeshi movement of 1905-07 it had greatly broadened its appeal among the middle classes.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
