In the first stage of the National Movement, which one among the following was not the demand of the Congress?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, Unification of Executive and Judiciary. In its early/Moderate phase (1885 to around 1905), the Congress sought constitutional, gradualist reforms: expansion of the Legislative Councils, a greater share of elected/public representatives within them, and — crucially — SEPARATION of the executive from the judiciary, so that the same official would no longer act as both administrator and judge. 'Unification' of the two is the opposite of what the Moderates actually demanded.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) A genuine early Congress demand — enlarging the councils was central to Moderate constitutional agitation.  (b) A genuine early demand — more elected/non-official Indian members within those councils, not merely more seats overall.  (c) A genuine early demand — Moderates wanted judicial functions removed from executive officials to ensure impartial justice; this was eventually implemented decades later.

Concept: The early/Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress (1885–1905) pursued constitutional methods — petitions, resolutions, delegations — for limited reforms rather than self-rule. Its core demands included: expanding and reforming the Legislative Councils, increasing elected Indian representation within them, reducing military expenditure, Indianising the civil services, and separating the judiciary from executive control. It did NOT ask to fuse (unify) executive and judicial functions — that would have run counter to the entire logic of the reform demand.

State PCS 2023 Q65 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q65 — History PYQ with Answer