ICSE Class 10 Board Exam Questions and Answers : The Forward Block, the INA, Independence and Partition of India

2 Marks Questions

Question 1 : State any two important objectives of the Indian National Army.

Answer : The two important objectives of the Indian National Army were as follows:

  1. To organise an armed revolution and to fight the British Army of occupation with modern arms.
  2. To organise a Provisional Government of Free India in order to mobilise all the forces effectively.

Question 2 : Name the three members of the Cabinet Mission.

Answer : Lord Pethick Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and AV Alexander were the members of Cabinet Mission.

Question 3 : What were the two proposals related to the Princely States in the Mountbatten Plan?

Answer : The two proposals related to the Princely States in the Mountbatten Plan were as follows:

  1. All treaties and agreements made by the British with reference to states would lapse from 15th August, 1947.
  2. They would be free to associate themselves with either of the two dominions or to remain independent.

Question 4 : Name the part formed by Subhash Chandra Bose. What was its immediate objective?

Answer : The Forward Bloc was formed by Subhash Chandra Bose. To liberate India from the British rule, and to develop a socialist order in India was the immediate objective of the Forward Bloc.

Question 5 : What was mentioned in the Cabinet Mission Plan regarding Provisional Autonomy?

Answer : The Cabinet Mission Plan proposed that the British provinces would be divided into three groups Group A, Group B, and Group C and that each group would draft a Constitution for regional union if so desired and also for the Constituent Provinces. The Provinces would enjoy full autonomy for all subjects other than the union subjects.

Question 6 : Mention two contributions of Subhash Chandra Bose to India’s freedom struggle.

Answer : Two contributions of Subhash Chandra Bose to India’s freedom struggle were were as follows:

  1. Subhash Chandra Bose was a die hard freedom fighter. A new party called Forward Bloc was established by him, having the objective of bringing all the Left Wing parties under common roof.
  2. Subhash Chandra Bose gave the call to his soldiers, ‘Give me blood and I shall get you freedom’. He gave the slogans ‘Delhi Chalo’ (March to Delhi) and ‘Jai Hind’ (Victory to India).

Question 7 : Mention two contributions of INA (Indian National Army) to the Indian Freedom Movement.

Answer : Two contributions of INA to the Indian Freedom Movement were as follows:

  1. The INA inspired uprisings in the armed forces of the country. The Indian Naval ratings in Mumbai rose in revolt in February, 1946.
  2. The struggle of INA officers took the form of a massive movement against the trial of the soldiers and officers of the INA.

Question 8 : How were the prisoners reorganised as Indian National Army after the capture of British Indian Soldiers by Japanese?

Answer : Japanese captured Indian soldiers in South-East Asia. During this time Britian’s defeats aroused great hopes among Indian soldiers, which led to the formation of the Indian Independence League by Rashbihari Bose. A conference which was held in the Tokyo, took a decision to form an Indian National Army.

Question 9 : Name the last Viceroy of India. State one of his proposals in regard to the Princely States.

Answer : Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India.

In regard to the Princely States, the treaties with them would come to an end. They would be free to associate themselves with either of the dominions or to remain independent.

Question 10 : Mention two proposals of the Wavell Plan.

Answer : Two proposals of the Wavell Plan were as follows:

  1. The plan, which chiefly concerned Viceroy’s Executive Council proposed certain changes in the structure of the Council. The Executive Council would be constituted giving a balanced representation to the main communities in it, including equal representation to Hindus and Muslims.
  2. The Constitution of India would be framed by the Indians themselves.

Question 12 : Mention any two provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947.

Answer : Two provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947 were as follows:

  1. India would be partitioned and two independent dominions India and Pakistan would be created on 15th August, 1947.
  2. The territories of the two dominions were divided in such terms that Pakistan would comprise Sindh, British, Baluchistan, North-West Province, the West Punjab and East Bengal.

Question 13 : State two reasons given by the Cabinet Mission for rejecting the demand for a separate State of Pakistan.

Answer : The two reasons given by the Cabinet Mission for rejecting the demand for a separate State of Pakistan were as follows:

  1. The problem of Communal Minorities would not be solved by the establishment of Pakistan.
  2. There was no justification for including within Pakistan, the non-Muslim districts of Bengal, Assam and the Punjab.

Question 14 : Name the military organisation formed by Subhash Chandra Bose.

Answer : Indian National Army was the military organisation formed by Subhash Chandra Bose.

Question 15 : Name the last British Viceroy of India.

Answer : Lord Mountbatten was the last British Viceroy of India.

10 Marks Questions

Question 18 : 

Lord Mountbatten

With reference to the picture given above answer the following:

a) Identify the Viceroy in the picture.

b) Why was he sent to India?

c) How did he plan to solve the communal problem existing in India?

d) Why did Congress accept the plan? State three reasons to justify its acceptance.

Answer : a) Lord Mountbatten is depicted in the given picture.

b) British would quit India by 30th June, 1948 was announced by the Prime Minister Clement Attlee. Lord Mountbatten was decided to Wavell to solve the dispute between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress. It offered a key to the political and constitutional deadlock created by the refusal of the Muslim League to join the Constituent Assembly formed to frame the Constitution of India. Mountbatten’s formula was to divide India, but retain maximum unity.

c) In the struggle for India’s partition, riots broke out in Kolkata, Punjab, Assam and the North-West frontier province. Mountbatten put his plan for the Partition of India before the ‘big seven’ leaders – Nehru, Patel, Kripalani, Jinnah, Liaquat, Nishtar and Baldev Singh. After many consultations with them, Mountbatten came to the conclusion that the sooner the power was transferred, the better for all. He was convinced that India was to be partitioned and transfer of power to Indians could only be the basis of Partition of the country.

d) The Congress accepted the plan due to the following reasons:

  1. The large scale of communal riots ‘that engulfed the whole country convinced all that the only solution to communal problem lay in the Partition of India.
  2. The League had joined the Interim Government to obstruct and not to cooperate. Experience to working the League had convinced the Congress that it could not have a joint administration with the League.
  3. The leaders felt that Partition would rid the Constitution of separate electorates and other undemocratic procedures. India could evolve a truly secular and democratic polity.

Question 21 : With reference to the Indian National Army, answer the following questions:

a) Explain three measures taken by Subhash Chandra Bose to establish a Socialist Society.

b) What were the three decisions taken at the Tokyo Conference?

c) Explain any three contributions of Subhash Chandra Bose to the National Movement.

Answer : a) The three measures taken by Subhash Chandra Bose to establish a Socialist Society were as follows:

  1. Reorganisation of Agriculture and Industry on Socialist lines.
  2. Abolition of the Zamindari System.
  3. Introduction of a new Monetary and Credit System.

b) At the Tokyo Conference, the decisions were as follows:

  1. To expand and strengthen the Indian Independence League.
  2. To form under the overall command of the league an Indian National Army (INA), an army for Indian liberation.
  3. To hold a conference at Bangkok to consolidate these decisions.

c) Contributions of Subhash Chandra Bose

Question 22 : In the political scenario of 1939, important developments took place in Indian and abroad. In this context, answer the following questions.

a) Who was the founder of the ‘Forward Bloc’? Why was this organisation formed?

b) Why did Sir Stafford Cripps come to India? Why was the Quit India Movement launched?

c) Explain any four proposals made by Lord Mountbatten to settle the Independence issue for India.

Answer : a) Subhash Chandra Bose was the founder of ‘Forward Bloc’.

The organisation was formed for the liberation of India with the support of workers, peasants, youth and other organisations.

b) The Cripps Mission wanted to break the political deadlock in India, which had resulted due to the British needing Indian support in the World War II which was denied by the Indians. Under the following circumstances, the Quit India Movement was launched by Gandhiji to force the British out of the country.

  1. The Cripps Mission failed to solve the Constitutional problems of India. Cripps Mission did not bring with it the promise of Independence in the near future.
  2. The Cripps Mission proposed that India would be given a dominion status. It did not propose any immediate transfer of power.
  3. In 1942, the Japanese Army attacked Myanmar and marched towards India. The threat of Japanese invasion of India convinced the Indian leaders that for India’s safety, the British should withdraw from India immediately. Gandhiji believed that the presence of British in India is an invitation of Japan to invade India. He asked the British to quit India.

c) The Indian Independence Act was passed by the British Parliament on 1st July, 1947.

The main provisions of this act were:

  1. The act laid down the procedure for the partition of India.
  2. It laid down the measure for the speedy transfer of power to the Government of Indian and Pakistan.
  3. The Act proposed the post of Governor-General for each dominion.
  4. As per the act, the constituent assemblies of each dominion were to act as the Central legislatures.

Question 23 : The attempt of the British to pacify the Congress and the Muslim League was clearly visible in the Cabinet Mission proposal, but in reality neither could be pleased. With reference to this, explain:

a) Any three proposals of the Cabinet Mission.

b) The reasons for the Muslim League’s acceptance and later rejection of the Cabinet Mission Plan.

c) The reactions of the Congress of the Cabinet Mission Plan.

Answer : a) Three proposals of the Cabinet Mission are:

  1. The Union Government would be divided into three Groups – Group A, Group B and Group C, on the basis of religion.
  2. A Constituent Assembly would draw up the future Constitution of India.
  3. An Interim Government would be formed at the Centre with representatives from all the communities.

b) The League accepted the plan in its entirety on 6th June, 1946 because it felt that the grouping of Muslim majority provinces in a way meant the formation of Pakistan. The League asked Wavell, the Viceroy to constitute an Interim Government. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946, in which the Congress obtained two-third majority. Out of 292 seats, Congress won 201 seats and Muslim seats and Muslim League won 73 out of 78 Muslim seats. The rest went to other parties.

The Congress had an overwhelming majority in the Constituent Assembly. The League feared that it would be out voted in the Assembly. It also feared that the British withdrawal from India would mean transfer of power to the Hindus, who were in majority in India. The League passed a resolution on 29th July, 1946 withdrawing its acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan.

c) Reaction of the Congress

The Congress accepted the proposals with reservations. It accepted only that part of the scheme which dealt with Constitution making. It considered the Constituent Assembly as a sovereign body for drafting the Constitution. The Cabinet Mission accepted the complete freedom to the Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution, but insisted on the compulsory grouping of the Provinces.

The Congress however, rejected the Viceroy’s offer to form an Interim Government because of its limited status and powers and also because the principle to parity with Muslim League was not acceptable to it. It was also opposed to the League’s claim that alone had the right to nominate all the Muslim members to the Executive Council.

Question 24 : The Mountbatten Plan was the final proposal put forward by the British to solve the deadlock between the main political parties in India. In this context, answer the following questions.

a) Three reasons for the Cabinet Mission’s rejection of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan.

b) Three reasons for the acceptance of the plan by the Congress.

c) Any four clauses of the Mountbatten Plan.

Answer : a) The two reasons given by the Cabinet Mission rejection of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan were as follows:

  1. The problem of Communal Minorities would not be solved by the establishment of Pakistan.
  2. There was no justification for including within Pakistan, the non-Muslim districts of Bengal, Assam and the Punjab.
  3. Also, there was the geographical difficulty that the two halves of Pakistan would be separated by seven hundred miles.

b) The Congress accepted the plan due to the following reasons:

  1. The large scale of communal riots ‘that engulfed the whole country convinced all that the only solution to communal problem lay in the Partition of India.
  2. The League had joined the Interim Government to obstruct and not to cooperate. Experience to working the League had convinced the Congress that it could not have a joint administration with the League.
  3. The leaders felt that Partition would rid the Constitution of separate electorates and other undemocratic procedures. India could evolve a truly secular and democratic polity.

c) The clauses of the Mountbatten Plan were as follows:

  1. The country would be divided into two dominions Indian and Pakistan.
  2. The plan provided for the creation of a Boundary Commission to settle the boundaries of the two dominions in case Partition was decided upon.
  3. Treaties with the Princely States would end and they were free to join either of the two dominions or remain independent.
  4. The plan ended with a Declaration that the transfer of power would take place not in June 1948, but much earlier than that. The British Parliament would pass an Act for the transfer of power before August, 1947.

Question 25 : “The Cabinet Mission Plan made earnest efforts to resolve the constitutional deadlock “. In this context , answer the following questions.

a) What were the main proposals under the Cabinet Mission Plan?

b) Why did the Cabinet Mission Plan fail?

Answer : a) The main proposals under the Cabinet Mission Plan were:

  1. The Union Government would control Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications. The Provinces would enjoy full autonomy for all subjects other than the union subjects.
  2. The British provinces would be divided into three groups – Group A, Group B and Group C on the basis of religion.
  3. A Constituent Assembly would draw up the future Constitution of India. An Interim Government would be formed at the Centre with 14 members.

b) The Cabinet Mission Plan failed because the Indian National Congress, Muslim League and the Sikhs were not happy with the proposals of the Cabinet Plan. The Congress opposed the formation of Pakistan and also wanted more seats for the Muslims as it also had Muslim representatives.

Muslim League was unhappy because its demand of Pakistan was not accepted. The Sikhs wanted more seats and wanted to move away from Group B as it was dominated by the Muslims. The scheduled castes were not happy as no seats were reserved for them. They had only one seat in the Interim Government.