Prelims · Modern India & the freedom struggle · 22 questions

The Gandhian era, 1917–1947

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Prelims 2020 · Q14

Medium

One common agreement between Gandhism and Marxism is

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) the final goal of a stateless society

Both thinkers saw the State as something the ideal society would do without. Marx expected a classless communist society with no government, while Gandhi described an 'enlightened anarchy' in which each person rules himself; they differed sharply on the means.

✓ (a) Gandhi wrote (Young India, 1931) that in the ideal state there is no political power because there is no State; IGNOU notes that socialism and communism likewise aim at a classless and stateless society.
✗ (b) Class struggle is central to Marxist and communist ideology, but Gandhi rejected class conflict and violence, seeking change through non-violence and a change of heart (IGNOU).
✗ (c) Marx held that private ownership of important economic resources is the root cause of entrenched inequality, so Marxism seeks public control of them (NCERT); Gandhi instead proposed trusteeship, in which the wealthy hold their wealth in trust for the community.
✗ (d) Economic determinism, the idea that the economic base shapes society, is Marxist; Gandhi held that material considerations had only a limited role in human life and gave primacy to moral and spiritual forces (IGNOU).

Remember · Gandhism and Marxism share only the end-goal of a stateless society. Means differ: non-violence and trusteeship (Gandhi) versus class struggle and revolution (Marx).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Political Theory, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 11 · Political Theory, Chapter 3 “Marx was an important nineteenth century thinker who argued that the root cause of entrenched inequality was private ownership of important economic resources such as oil, or land, or forests, as well as other forms of property.”
IGNOU (eGyankosh), Gandhi's Political Thought, Unit 12: Gandhi's Views on Socialism and Communism (Internet Archive copy) ↗ · reference work “As a political philosophy, socialism and communism earned the critique of Gandhi right from their conceptualisation of the nature of men to their ideal of establishing a classless and stateless society. … class-struggle emerged as the focal point of communist ideology which argued for a violent revolution as the plausible methodology of bringing about communist revolution in the capitalist societies. … material considerations had only limited role to play in determining the course of the human life.”
IGNOU (eGyankosh), Unit 6: Gandhian Perspective (Gandhi's Young India, 2 July 1931, quoted; Internet Archive copy) ↗ · reference work “There is then a State of enlightened anarchy. In such a State everyone is his own ruler. He rules himself in such a manner that he is never a hindrance to his neighbour. In the ideal State, therefore, there is no political power because there is no State. … The rest of my wealth belongs to the community and must be used for the welfare of the community.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2020 · Q27

Medium Dropped by UPSC

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?

1.Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference
2.Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement
3.Acceptance of Gandhiji's suggestion for enquiry into police excesses
4.Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Why UPSC dropped it · explanation

UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key.

UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key. The facts: the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March 1931 suspended civil disobedience in return for withdrawal of the civil-disobedience ordinances, release of prisoners held for non-violent offences and Congress participation in further constitutional talks. Gandhi's demand for a public enquiry into police excesses was not accepted; he agreed not to press it.

✓ 1. The settlement provided for the participation of Congress representatives in further discussions on constitutional reform, which followed at the Second Round Table Conference in London (late 1931), where Gandhi represented the Congress.
✓ 2. Paragraph 10 of the settlement says ordinances promulgated in connection with the civil disobedience movement would be withdrawn (the terrorism ordinance of 1931 was excluded).
✗ 3. Gandhi had asked for a public enquiry into police conduct, but the Government saw great difficulty in it, and the text records that he agreed not to press the matter.
✓ 4. Prisoners were to be released only if they had been imprisoned in connection with the movement for offences that did not involve violence (other than technical violence) or incitement to it.

Remember · Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931): civil disobedience suspended; ordinances withdrawn; non-violent prisoners released; Congress to attend the Round Table Conference; no public enquiry into police excesses.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 3 “A second Round Table Conference was held in London in the latter part of 1931. Here, Gandhiji represented the Congress.”
Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 45 (Publications Division, Govt of India), Appendix: text of the Delhi settlement, para 2 ↗ · reference work “As regards constitutional questions, the scope of future discussion is stated, with the assent of His Majesty’s Government, to be with the object of considering further the scheme for the constitutional Government of India discussed at the Round Table Conference. … Ordinances promulgated in connection with the civil disobedience movement will be withdrawn. … Having regard to these considerations, Mr. Gandhi agreed not to press the matter. … Those prisoners will be released who are undergoing imprisonment in connection with the civil disobedience movement for offences which did not involve violence, other than technical violence, or incitement to such violence.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains

The freedom struggleGS 1 syllabus

Read it in NCERT

Class 11 Political Theory, Chapter 3cited in 1 explanation
Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 3cited in 1 explanation