Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
- I.The Congress declared the attainment of 'Swaraj' by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
- II.It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if 'Swaraj' did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both I and II
At the Nagpur session of December 1920, which adopted the Non-Cooperation programme, the Congress adopted a new objective, the attainment of swaraj by the people of India by all legitimate and peaceful means. Gandhi planned the movement in stages, keeping civil disobedience and refusal to pay taxes in reserve for a later stage if the government turned to repression.
- ✓ I The Nagpur Congress (December 1920) adopted as its object the attainment of swaraj by the people of India by all legitimate and peaceful means.
- ✓ II The first stage was surrender of titles and boycotts; a full civil disobedience campaign, including non-payment of taxes, was to follow only if the government used repression, and Gandhi promised swaraj within a year.
Remember · Non-Cooperation: Calcutta special session (Sept 1920) → Nagpur (Dec 1920) adopts it and new creed 'swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means'; staged plan; withdrawn after Chauri Chaura (Feb 1922).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 10 India and the Contemporary World – II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 10 India and the Contemporary World – II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 10 · India and the Contemporary World – II, Chapter 2 “Gandhiji proposed that the movement should unfold in stages. It should begin with the surrender of titles that the government awarded,”
- NCERT Class 10 · India and the Contemporary World – II, Chapter 2 “Then, in case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 3 “If non- cooperation was effectively carried out, said Gandhiji, India would win swaraj within a year.”
- The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XIX (Nov 1920 - Apr 1921), Publications Division, Government of India (Internet Archive scan): Article 1 of the Congress constitution adopted at Nagpur ↗ · reference work “The object of the Indian National Congress is the attainment of Swarajya by the people of India by all legitimate and peaceful means.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·