Democratic Upsurge and Coalition Politics & Recent Issues and Challenges PYQs
Previous year question from CUET UG exam
From CUET UG 2024
1. Question : What does BAMCEF stand for?
(1) Backward and Muslim Communities Employees Federation
(2) Backward and Minority Communities Education Federation
(3) Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation
(4) Backward and Majority Communities Employees Federation
Answer: (3) Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation
Explanation: The Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was an organization established in 1978. It was largely made up of government employees and was not a political party, but it played a significant role in advocating for the rights of Bahujans (which includes SC, ST, OBC, and minorities). This organization formed the base for the later launch of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) by Kanshi Ram.
2. Question : The Mandal Commission was appointed by
● (1) Indian National Congress Party
● (2) Bharatiya Janata Party
● (3) Janata Party
● (4) Samajwadi Party
Answer: (3) Janata Party
Explanation: The Janata Party government, which came to power in 1977, appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979. This commission is popularly known as the Mandal Commission, named after its chairman, B.P. Mandal. Its primary mandate was to investigate the condition of socially and educationally backward classes in India and recommend measures for their advancement.
3. Question 6: Match List-I with List-II:
| List-I (Prime Minister) | List-II (Period) |
| (A) H.D. Deve Gowda | (I) May 2004 – May 2014 |
| (B) I.K. Gujral | (II) June 1996-April 1997 |
| (C) V.P. Singh | (III) April 1997-March 1998 |
| (D) Manmohan Singh | (IV) December 1989 – November 1990 |
● (1) (A) – (II), (B) – (III), (C) – (IV), (D) – (I)
● (2) (A) – (I), (B) – (III), (C) – (II), (D) – (IV)
● (3) (A) – (I), (B) – (II), (C) – (IV), (D) – (III)
● (4) (A) – (III), (B) – (IV), (C) – (I), (D) – (II)
Answer: (1) (A) – (II), (B) – (III), (C) – (IV), (D) – (I)
Explanation: This question covers the era of coalition governments.
● V.P. Singh (National Front) was Prime Minister from December 1989 to November 1990.
● H.D. Deve Gowda (United Front) was Prime Minister from June 1996 to April 1997.
● I.K. Gujral (United Front) succeeded Deve Gowda and was Prime Minister from April 1997 to March 1998.
● Manmohan Singh (UPA) served two full terms from May 2004 to May 2014.
4. Question 7: Who was the founder of Bahujan Samaj Party?
● (1) Mayawati
● (2) B.R. Ambedkar
● (3) Jagjivan Ram
● (4) KanshiRam
Answer: (4) Kanshi Ram
Explanation: Kanshi Ram was the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984. The party emerged from the social and political groundwork laid by BAMCEF and aimed to represent the interests of the Bahujans.
From the file June 19 Shift 3. 2023
5. Question : Which of the following statements is correct?
● (1) The shah commission was appointed in 1977
● (2) The Railway strike took place in 1975
● (3) General elections took place in 1976
● (4) BSP formed the Govt. in 1977
Answer: (1) The Shah Commission was appointed in 1977
Explanation:
● (1) The Janata Party government appointed the Shah Commission of Inquiry in May 1977 to investigate the excesses commifled during the Emergency (1975-77). This statement is correct.
● (2) The nationwide railway strike, led by George Fernandes, took place in 1974, not 1975.
● (3) Following the end of the Emergency, general elections were held in March 1977, not 1976.
● (4) The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was founded in 1984, so it could not have formed a government in 1977.
From the file July 2 Shift 3. 2023
Question : Which general elections brought in the phenomenon of first coalitions government in the states
1. 1957
2. 1962
3. 1967
4. 1971
Answer: 3. 1967
Explanation: The 1967 general elections are considered a political “earthquake” in Indian politics. The Congress party’s dominance was significantly challenged for the first time since independence. While it managed to form a government at the Centre with a reduced majority, it lost power in nine states. This led to the formation of non-Congress coalition governments, known as “Samyukta Vidhayak Dal” (SVD), in several states, marking the beginning of the coalition era in state politics.
CUET UG Practice Quiz:
Instructions: Choose the correct option for each question.
Question 1: Which election marked the end of what political scientists called the ‘Congress system’?
● (A) 1980 elections
● (B) 1984 elections
● (C) 1989 elections
● (D) 1991 elections
Question 2: What was the ‘Mandal issue’ primarily concerned with?
● (A) Economic reforms and liberalization
● (B) Reservation of jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
● (C) The construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya
● (D) Coalition politics at the Centre
Question 3: When did the new economic reforms, also known as the structural adjustment programme, become very visible in India?
● (A) 1980
● (B) 1984
● (C) 1990
● (D) 1991
Question 4: The legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya culminated in its construction following a decision by which body?
● (A) The Lok Sabha
● (B) The Election Commission of India
● (C) The Supreme Court of India
● (D) The President of India
Question 5: Who assumed the role of India’s Prime Minister following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in May 1991?
● (A) V. P. Singh
● (B) Atal Behari Vajpayee
● (C) P. V. Narasimha Rao
● (D) Manmohan Singh
Question 6: The era of coalition governments in India at the Centre began after which Lok Sabha election?
● (A) 1984 elections
● (B) 1989 elections
● (C) 1991 elections
● (D) 2004 elections
Question 7: Who was the key leader behind the formation of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)?
● (A) B. P. Mandal
● (B) Mayawati
● (C) Kanshi Ram
● (D) Jyoti Basu
Question 8: What was the main ideology emphasized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 1986?
● (A) Gandhian Socialism
● (B) Secularism
● (C) Nationalism
● (D) Regionalism
Question 9: In the 1985 Shah Bano case, what was the divorced Muslim woman requesting from her ex-husband?
● (A) Custody of children
● (B) Return of dowry
● (C) Maintenance
● (D) Property rights
Question 10: The Supreme Court’s decision on the Ayodhya issue on November 9, 2019, allofled the disputed site to which trust for the construction of the Ram Temple?
● (A) Sunni Central Waqf Board
● (B) Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust
● (C) Ayodhya Temple Management Commiflee
● (D) Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)
Question 11: Which Prime Minister is associated with the initiation of the structural adjustment programme or new economic reforms?
● (A) V. P. Singh
● (B) P. V. Narasimha Rao
● (C) Rajiv Gandhi
● (D) Atal Behari Vajpayee
Question 12: TIn 1990, which commission’s recommendations on OBC reservations were put into effect by the National Front government?
● (A) Kothari Commission
● (B) Sarkaria Commission
● (C) Mandal Commission
● (D) Shah Commission
Question 13: The ‘Indira Sawhney case’ in the Supreme Court was related to which issue?
● (A) Right to Information
● (B) Environmental protection
● (C) Reservations for OBCs
● (D) Disinvestment of public sector undertakings
Question 14: In which year did the BJP achieve a clear majority on its own in the Lok Sabha elections, becoming the first party to do so after 30 years?
● (A) 1998
● (B) 1999
● (C) 2004
● (D) 2014
Question 15: In which year was the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) established?
● (A) 1968
● (B) 1977
● (C) 1978
● (D) 1984
Question 16: Which of the following is NOT one of the five developments that made a long-lasting impact on Indian politics as the decade of the eighties came to a close?
● (A) Defeat of the Congress party in 1989 elections
● (B) Rise of the ‘Mandal issue’
● (C) Initiation of the Green Revolution
● (D) Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991
Question 17: Who was the Prime Minister heading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004 and 2009?
● (A) Atal Behari Vajpayee
● (B) Narendra Modi
● (C) Manmohan Singh
● (D) Sonia Gandhi
Question 18: Which of the following describes the ‘Hindutva’ ideology popularized by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar?
● (A) A secular approach emphasizing separation of religion and state.
● (B) A political philosophy advocating for regional autonomy and federalism.
● (C) The basis of Indian nationhood, meaning one must accept India as both their ‘fatherland’ and ‘holy land’.
● (D) An economic policy focused on state control and centralized planning.
Question 19: What was the key characteristic of Indian politics from 1989 until 2014 regarding government formation at the Centre?
● (A) Dominance of a single national party with clear majorities.
● (B) Frequent imposition of President’s Rule in states.
● (C) Formation of coalition governments due to no single party securing a clear majority.
● (D) Bipartisan system with two major parties alternating in power.
Question 20: The Mandal Commission recommended reserving what percentage of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for OBCs?
● (A) 15 per cent
● (B) 22.5 per cent
● (C) 27 per cent
● (D) 33 per cent
Question 21: Who was the Chairperson of the Second Backward Classes Commission, popularly known as the Mandal Commission?
● (A) Morarji Desai
● (B) Karpoori Thakur
● (C) Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal
● (D) V. P. Singh
Question 22: In which month and year did the Supreme Court uphold the Mandal Commission’s recommendations in the Indira Sawhney judgment?
● (A) August 1990
● (B) May 1991
● (C) November 1992
● (D) December 1993
Question 23: Which political leader is credited with Dalit resurgence in north Indian States and founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)?
● (A) B. R. Ambedkar
● (B) Jagjivan Ram
● (C) Kanshi Ram
● (D) Ram Vilas Paswan
Question 24: The BJP’s initial political platform in 1980 embraced ‘Gandhian Socialism’ along with what other ideology?
● (A) Economic Liberalism
● (B) Marxism
● (C) Cultural Nationalism
● (D) Inclusive Pluralism
Question 25: In the 2004 elections, which coalition government led by the Congress came to power?
● (A) National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
● (B) United Front
● (C) United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
● (D) National Front
Question 26: What was the reason for the Left parties withdrawing support from the UPA government in July 2008?
● (A) Mandal issue
● (B) Economic reforms
● (C) Indo-US nuclear deal
● (D) Ayodhya dispute
Question 27: What is one of the four elements of the growing consensus among most political parties in India after 1989?
● (A) Rejection of new economic policies
● (B) Emphasis on strict ideological adherence
● (C) Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes
● (D) Centralization of power in the national parties
Question 28: Which development has led to the diminishing relevance of the difference between state-level and national-level political parties?
● (A) Increased central government control over state maflers
● (B) State level parties sharing power at the national level
● (C) Merger of regional parties with national parties
● (D) Decline of regional identities
Question 29: Who was the Prime Minister during both the NDA governments led by BJP from May 1998 to June 1999 and re-elected in October 1999?
● (A) L. K. Advani
● (B) Narendra Modi
● (C) Atal Behari Vajpayee
● (D) P. V. Narasimha Rao
Question 30: Which development transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy in India?
● (A) The implementation of economic liberalization policies.
● (B) The rise of the Mandal issue.
● (C) The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement.
● (D) The formation of multi-party coalition governments.
Answer Key with Explanations
1. (C) 1989 elections
● Explanation: The defeat of the Congress party in the 1989 elections, despite remaining the largest party, led political scientists to declare the end of the ‘Congress system’ due to its loss of centrality.
2. (B) Reservation of jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
● Explanation: The Mandal issue arose from the National Front government’s decision to implement the Mandal Commission’s recommendations for job reservations for OBCs in central government.
3. (D) 1991
● Explanation: The economic liberalization introduced under Rajiv Gandhi took a prominent shape in 1991, significantly transforming the course of India’s economy.
4. (C) The Supreme Court of India
● Explanation: The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple’s construction followed the decision of the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of India on November 9, 2019.
5. (C) P. V. Narasimha Rao
● Explanation: Following Rajiv Gandhi’s death in May 1991, the Congress party chose P. V. Narasimha Rao as the Prime Minister.
6. (B) 1989 elections
● Explanation: The elections of 1989 led to the defeat of the Congress but no single party secured a clear majority, initiating a long phase of coalition politics.
7. (C) Kanshi Ram
● Explanation: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram, who also founded BAMCEF and DS-4.
8. (C) Nationalism
● Explanation: After 1986, the BJP began to emphasize nationalism as the core of its ideology, along with the politics of ‘Hindutva’.
9. (C) Maintenance
● Explanation: The Shah Bano case involved a divorced Muslim woman filing a case for maintenance from her former husband.
10. (B) Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust
● Explanation: The Supreme Court’s verdict allofled the disputed site to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust for the construction of the Ram Temple.1
11. (C) Rajiv Gandhi
● Explanation: The structural adjustment programme or new economic reforms were started by Rajiv Gandhi.
12. (C) Mandal Commission
● Explanation: The National Front government in 1990 decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission concerning job reservations for OBCs.
13. (C) Reservations for OBCs
● Explanation: The ‘Indira Sawhney case’ challenged the decision to implement Mandal Commission recommendations regarding reservations for OBCs, with the Supreme Court upholding the government’s decision in November 1992.
14. (D) 2014
● Explanation: In the 16th Lok Sabha elections held in 2014, the BJP under Narendra Modi got a clear majority, winning 282 seats on its own, marking the first single-party majority after 30 years.
15. (C) 1978
● Explanation: The Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was formed in 1978.
16. (C) Initiation of the Green Revolution
● Explanation: The Green Revolution was a significant development in Indian agriculture, but it occurred primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, not as the 1980s came to a close.
17. (C) Manmohan Singh
● Explanation: Dr. Manmohan Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister for two terms, heading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004 and 2009.
18. (C) The basis of Indian nationhood, meaning one must accept India as both their ‘fatherland’ and ‘holy land’.
● Explanation: Hindutva, as popularized by V. D. Savarkar, means that to be an Indian, one must accept India as both their ‘fatherland’ (pitrubhu) and their ‘holy land’ (punyabhu).
19. (C) Formation of coalition governments due to no single party securing a clear majority.
● Explanation: From 1989 until 2014, no single party secured a clear majority in Lok Sabha elections, leading to an era of coalition governments at the Centre.
20. (C) 27 per cent
● Explanation: The Mandal Commission recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for OBCs.
21. (C) Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal
● Explanation: The commission is popularly known as the Mandal Commission, after the name of its Chairperson, Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal.
22. (C) November 1992
● Explanation: In November 1992, the Supreme Court gave a ruling upholding the decision of the government regarding Mandal Commission’s recommendations.
23. (C) Kanshi Ram
● Explanation: Kanshi Ram is credited with Dalit resurgence in north Indian States and was the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
24. (C) Cultural Nationalism
● Explanation: Initially, the BJP adopted ‘Gandhian Socialism’ along with cultural nationalism as its ideology.
25. (C) United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
● Explanation: In the 2004 elections, a new coalition government led by the Congress, known as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), came to power.
26. (C) Indo-US nuclear deal
● Explanation: The Left parties withdrew support from the UPA government in July 2008
on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
27. (C) Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes
● Explanation: A key element of the consensus is the acceptance by political parties of the social and political claims of the backward castes, leading to support for OBC reservations.
28. (B) State level parties sharing power at the national level
● Explanation: The distinction between State and national level parties is becoming less important as State level parties are increasingly sharing power at the national level and playing a central role in the country’s politics.
29. (C) Atal Behari Vajpayee
● Explanation: Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister during both the NDA governments formed in May 1998 and re-elected in October 1999.
30. (C) The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement.
● Explanation: The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement, becoming a central issue, transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy in India.
