Minimalist IAS
Modern India & the freedom struggle

Prelims · Modern India & the freedom struggle · 9 questions

Rise of nationalism, 1885–1917

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Rise of nationalism, 1885–1917 questions per year: 2016: 2, 2017: 1, 2018: 1, 2019: 1, 2020: 1, 2021: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 0 Asked in 8 of 11 years · most in 2016 (2)

UPSC syllabus: “History of India and Indian National Movement.” See the full syllabus →

Consider the following statements:

  1. Statement-I: 7th August is declared as the National Handloom Day.
  2. Statement-II: It was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

Both statements are true, and they are connected. National Handloom Day is observed on 7 August because that date marks the anniversary of the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, which urged Indians to boycott foreign goods and use Indian-made ones.

  • ✓ Statement-I 7 August is observed as National Handloom Day. It was first celebrated in 2015, when the Prime Minister inaugurated it in Chennai.
  • ✓ Statement-II The Swadeshi Movement of 1905 was launched on 7 August, the very day now kept as National Handloom Day. The Ministry of Textiles chose the date to mark that anniversary, so Statement-II explains Statement-I; the movement urged people to boycott foreign goods and back Indian-made ones.

Remember · National Handloom Day is 7 August, first observed in 2015. The date honours the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, launched on 7 August.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains