Prelims 2025 · Q18
MediumThe first Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, a music training school, was set up in 1901 by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar in
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Lahore
Paluskar opened the first Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore in 1901 and went on to open many schools across India; after his death in 1931 his disciples formed the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. NCERT names him, with V.N. Bhatkhande, as a reformer who set up music institutions.
- ✓ (d) The Mandal's own account says Paluskar established the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore in 1901, the seed of the later organisation.
- ✗ (b) The first school was in Lahore, not Gwalior; Paluskar opened further schools across India only afterwards.
- ✗ (a) The first school was in Lahore, not Delhi; Paluskar opened further schools across India only afterwards.
Remember · V.D. Paluskar: Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Lahore, 1901; his disciples formed the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal in 1931. V.N. Bhatkhande: the other great reformer of Hindustani music (NCERT).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Chapter 3 “Pt. V.N. Bhatkhande and Pt. V.D. Paluskar worked hard for the upliftment of music and musicians by organising music conferences, establishing music institutions and writing books.”
- Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal: About ABGMVM ↗ · reference work “In 1901, he sowed the seeds of the ABGMVM by establishing the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore. … In 1931, following his demise, his dedicated disciples came together to form the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal (ABGMVM).”
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). Permalink ·