Handy Tips to Study Modern Indian History for UPSC Exam

Modern Indian history is a very important section of the UPSC syllabus both for the prelims and the mains exams.  There are a lot of things one has to remember and reproduce during the exam. This article gives you a 9 important tips to study history keeping in mind the UPSC pattern. These tips are for the modern history segment which focuses on the Indian freedom struggle.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.

Causes of a Movement/ Reasons for Launching a Movement

For instance, take the Swadeshi movement or the Quit India movement. You should study the reasons why they were launched.

Aspirant can read in detail about different movements on the links provided below-

Reactions of Important Personalities to a Particular Movement

The most important people are Gandhi, Nehru and Vallabbhai Patel. You should study their reactions and opinions about various development or resolutions, etc. For instance, Nehru was a known socialist.

Candidates interested can know about the prominent personalities on the articles given below-

Reactions of the Important Parties

You should also study the reactions of the parties like the congress, communist parties, Muslim League, etc. to various issues and movements.

Important Missions

You should also focus on the important missions and why they came, the reasons they were boycotted in India and also the reactions of the Indian leaders and the public to them. Examples of important missions are the Simon Commission, Cripps Mission, Cabinet Mission, etc.

Reasons for Success or Failure of a Movement

This is also very important from the UPSC point of view.

Who/What Classes of People Participated in any Movement

This is extremely important as frequently questions are asked from this section. You should know what sections of society like peasant, workers, women, etc. took part in any movement.

Take a look at the following question asked in 2011 UPSC GS Paper I:

Q) Which one of the following Observation is Not True About the Quit India Movement of 1942?

a) It was a non-violent movement.
b) It was led by Mahatma Gandhi.
c) It was a spontaneous movement.
d) It did not attract the labour class in general.

Answer: d

Important Congress Sessions

You should learn about a few of the most important sessions of the Congress Party like the Karachi Session, Lahore Session, Lucknow Session, etc. You should remember the year and the city, and also the important resolutions passed.

Important Pacts

You should focus on the important pacts (eg. Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Lucknow Pact, etc.)

Important Facts on Congress Party 

You should also know a few important facts about the Congress Party since it played an important part in India’s freedom struggle. You should know its origins, people behind, etc.

Civil Service Exam aspirants can refer to the list of UPSC Books given in the link, to augment their preparation.

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