The 1977 election broke Congress’s unbroken hold on power for the first time since independence. Four rival opposition parties had merged into one to beat Indira Gandhi. Once in office, though, they agreed on very little else, and Congress was back within three years.
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Q1. On which date did the Janata government appoint the Shah Commission of Inquiry into Emergency excesses?
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Answer: C
The Shah Commission was appointed on 28 May 1977, with former Chief Justice J. C. Shah as chairman.
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Q2. The Shah Commission, appointed on 28 May 1977, investigated abuses committed during which period?
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Answer: A
The Shah Commission, led by former Chief Justice J.C. Shah, investigated Emergency-era abuses including preventive detentions, press censorship, forced sterilisations, and demolitions.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979 · The Emergency (1975-77) · The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and the Simla Agreement
Q3. What distinctive, well-documented fact applies to Charan Singh’s brief 1979 premiership?
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Answer: A
Charan Singh was sworn in on 28 July 1979 with Congress backing, which was withdrawn before he could face a confidence vote. He resigned on 20 August 1979, making him the only Indian PM never to have faced Parliament.
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Q4. The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) made future Emergencies harder to declare by replacing which vague ground with “armed rebellion”?
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Answer: B
The 44th Amendment replaced the vague ground of “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion,” and required written Cabinet advice before any future Emergency declaration.
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Q5. Morarji Desai was sworn in as India’s first non-Congress Prime Minister on what date?
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Answer: B
Morarji Desai was sworn in on 24 March 1977, becoming India’s first non-Congress Prime Minister.
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Q6. The Janata Party formed on 23 January 1977 by merging four opposition parties. Which of these was NOT one of the four?
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Answer: B
The Janata Party formed 23 January 1977 from the Bharatiya Lok Dal, Congress (Organisation), the Jana Sangh, and the Socialist Party. The Congress for Democracy, led by Jagjivan Ram, was a separate breakaway group that merged in afterward.
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Q7. The Janata Party’s internal divisions led to a split, with which leader breaking away and briefly becoming Prime Minister himself?
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Answer: A
The Janata Party’s split saw Charan Singh break away and briefly become Prime Minister himself, ending the Janata experiment early.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979 · Jagjivan Ram: India’s Longest-Serving Cabinet Minister · Biju Patnaik: The Pilot Who Flew Into Someone Else’s War
Q8. The Janata Party coalition suffered from serious internal divisions, having been formed mainly around what shared basis rather than a unified positive programme?
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Answer: A
The Janata Party coalition was formed mainly around shared opposition to Indira Gandhi, rather than a unified positive programme, leading to serious internal divisions.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979 · Indira Gandhi: A Turbulent Life in Power (1917-1984)
Q9. Which commission was set up to formally inquire into the excesses committed during the Emergency period, investigating allegations of abuse of power?
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Answer: A
The Shah Commission was set up to formally inquire into the excesses committed during the Emergency period.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979 · V.P. Singh and the Mandal Commission Controversy
Q10. Who became Prime Minister after the 1977 election, leading India’s first non-Congress national government?
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Answer: A
Morarji Desai became Prime Minister after the 1977 election, leading India’s first non-Congress national government.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979 · Jagjivan Ram: India’s Longest-Serving Cabinet Minister
Q11. The 1977 general election, held soon after the Emergency ended, marked Congress’s first defeat at the centre since independence. Which party defeated Congress?
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Answer: A
The 1977 general election saw the Janata Party defeat Congress, marking Congress’s first defeat at the centre since independence.
Related topics: The Janata Party Interlude, 1977-1979
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