QUICK REVISION MODULE

( UPSC PRELIMS 2024) MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

CONGRESS 4 - VARIOUS
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SESSIONS, PRESIDENTS
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AND IMPORTANT
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OUTCOMES
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INTRODUCTION
The Indian National Congress was founded at Bombay in December 1885.
The early leadership – Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji,
W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. SubramaniaIyer, among
others – was largely from Bombay and Calcutta.
A retired British official, A.O. Hume, played crucial part in bringing Indians from the
various regions together.
In an effort to reach all regions, it was decided to rotate the Congress session among
different parts of the country.
The President belonged to a region other than where the Congress session was
being held.

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 PERIOD 1 : MODERATE PHASE (1885- 1904)

Important Outcomes/
Year and Place President
Details

First session, attended

Bombay Session, by 72 delegates.
1885 Objectives of the
Congress outlined.
W.C. Bonnerjee

Merger of National
Congress and National
Conference took place.

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Calcutta Session,

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Congress decided to set
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up Provincial Congress
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Committees across the

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Dadabhai Naoro ji country.

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Appeal was made to

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the Muslims to join

Madras Session, hands with other
1987 national leaders.
First Muslim President.
Syed Badruddin Tyab ji

National Song
Calcutta Session, 'Vande Mataram'
sung for the first
1896 time by Rabindranath
Tagore.
Rahimtulla Sayani

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 Congress demanded
that the British
government put a stop to
the 'drain of wealth' from
Lucknow Session,
India to England that had
1899 been taking place as a
result of colonial rule.
Romesh Chandra
Demand for permanent
Dutt fixation of Land revenue

First time Mahatma

Gandhi appeared on
the Congress platform.
Calcutta Session, He urged the Congress
1901 to support the struggle
against racial discrimi-
nation and exploitation

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Dinshaw E. Wacha in the country.

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PERIOD 2 : NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1905-1918)

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Important Outcomes/
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Year and Place President

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Divisions between the

'moderates' led by Gopal
Krishna Gokhale and
Surendranath Banerjee
and the 'extremists' led
by Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Benaras Session, came to the fore in this
1905 session.
Expressed resentment
Gopal Krishna against the partition of
Gokhale Bengal and proclamation
of Swadeshi movement
in Bengal.

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 The word 'swaraj'
mentioned for the first
Calcutta Session, time.
1906 Resolution supporting the
programme of swadeshi,
boycott and national
Dadabhai Naoroji education was passed.

Surat Split (split in the

Surat Session, INC into the Moderates
1907 and the Extremists)

Rash Behari Ghosh

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Madras Session, Constitution of the
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Congress drawn.
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1908
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Rash Behari Ghosh

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Disapproval over
Lahore Session, separate electorates
1909 (of Morley Minto
Reforms)
Madan Mohan Malaviya

Calcutta Session, Jana Gana Mana'

1911 sung for the first time

Bishan Narayan Dhar

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 Lucknow Pact signed –
joint session with the
Lucknow Session, Muslim League.
1916 Reunion of the
Moderates and the
Ambicacharan Mazumdar Extremists.

Calcutta Session, First woman president

1917 of the INC.

Annie Besant

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PERIOD 3 : ERA OF MASS NATIONALISM (1918-27)
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Important Outcomes/
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Year and Place President

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Termed the Montague-

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Chelmsford reforms as
Special Session 1918, disappointing.
Bombay It demanded a
Declaration of Rights for
the people of India.
Sayed Hasan Imam

Congress extended
support to Khilafat
Amritsar Session, Movement.
1919 Jallianwala Bagh
massacre strongly
Motilal Nehru condemned.

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 Congress approved a
non-cooperation
programme.
The programme included
Special Session boycott of schools,
1920, Calcutta foreign cloths legislative
councils, etc.
Lala Lajpat Rai Note: Second phase could
include mass civil disobe-
dience.

Shift from goal of

attainment of self-
government through
constitutional means to
have the attainment of
swaraj through peaceful
and legitimate means.

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Important organisational

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changes:
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Congress working
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Nagpur Session, committee (CWC) of

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1920 15 members was set

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up to lead the
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Congress.
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Provincial congress
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committees on
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linguistic basis were

organised.
Ward committees was
organised; and entry
fee was reduced to
four annas.

CR Das and other

leaders broke away
Gaya Session, from INC.
1922
Formation of Swaraj
Party.
C.R. Das

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 Belgaum Session, Only Session presided
over by Mahatma
1924 Gandhi.

M.K.Gandhi

Kanpur Session, First Indian Woman

1925 President.

Sarojini Naidu

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PERIOD 4 : TOWARDS FREEDOM (PURNASWARAJ)
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Important Outcomes/
Year and Place President
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Passed a resolution
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against boycott of Simon

Commission.
In a separate resolution,
the Creed of the
Congress was defined:
Madras Session,
"the goal of the Indian
1927 people is complete
National Independence".
M.A. Ansari Passed a resolution
against the use of Indian
troops in China, Iran
and Mesopotamia.

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 Congress gave the
British a warning that a
Calcutta Session, civil disobedience
1928 movement would start
if India was not granted
dominion status by
December 31, 1929.
Motilal Nehru
Formation of All India
Youth Congress.

Complete independence
or Purna Swaraj was
declared as the aim
of the Congress.
Congress Working
Committee was
authorised to launch
a programme of civil

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Lahore Session disobedience.
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1929 January 26, 1930 was
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fixed as the first

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Independence
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Jawaharlal Nehru
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(Swarajya) Day, to be
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celebrated everywhere.
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The Round Table

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Conference was to be
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boycotted.

Delhi Pact or Gandhi-

Irwin Pact was endorsed.
The goal of purna swaraj
was reiterated.
Two resolutions were
Karachi Session, adopted—one on
1931 Fundamental Rights and
the other on National
Economic Programme.
Vallabhbhai Patel Resolution on
Fundamental Rights
guaranteed:

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 Free speech, press, compulsory education.
Right to form associations, assemble, universal adult franchise.
Protection to culture, language, script of minorities and linguistic groups.
Resolution on National Economic Programme included:
Substantial reduction in rent and revenue in the case of landholders and
peasants, exemption from rent for uneconomic holdings.
Better conditions of work including a living wage.
Right to workers and peasants to form unions.
State ownership and control of key industries, mines and means of
transport.

Changes in the Congress

constitution.
Wearing of Khadi was

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made a necessary

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membership.
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Bombay Session,
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Delegates were to be
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1934
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elected at the rate of 1

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per every 500 primary

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Rajendra Prasad members, thereby

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making them
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representatives of the
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people.

Lucknow Session, President urged the

1936 (April) Congress to adopt
socialism as its goal.

JawaharLal Nehru

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 The session held in a
Faizpur Session, village for the first time.
1936 (Dec)

Jawahar Lal Nehru

Resolution adopted that

the Congress would give
moral support to those
who were agitating
Haripura Session, against the governance
1938 in the princely states.
National Planning
Subhash Chandra Committee set up under
Bose JawaharLal Nehru.

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Rajendra Prasad took

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over as president after

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Tripuri Session,
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1939 resigned.
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Subhash Chandra Bose

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Subhash Chandra Bose formed Forward Bloc.

( later Rajendra Prasad)

Civil Disobedience
Ramgarh Session, movement to be
1940 launched at appropriate
time and circumstances.
Abul Kalam Azad

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 Meerut Session, Last session before
1946 independence.

J.B Kripalani

Note:
The sessions for the years 1930 (reason: CDM), 1935 (reason: Elections) and
1941- 1945 (reason: QIM, Negotiations were already undergoing etc.) could
not be held.
At the time of the first session of the INC, Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy.

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