GK Indian History (Static)

On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly (now Parliament House) to protest against colonial laws. They deliberately used harmless bombs and courted arrest to make their political point about colonial oppression.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was never hanged. On February 27, 1931, when surrounded by police at Alfred Park in Allahabad, he chose to shoot himself with his last bullet rather than be captured. The other freedom fighters mentioned (Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah Khan) were indeed hanged by the British.

The Azad Hind Fauz (Indian National Army) was organized by Subhash Chandra Bose in 1943 with Japanese support. He gave the famous slogan 'Give me blood, and I will give you freedom!' and led the army in battles against British forces in Northeast India.

January 26, 1950 marks the day India's Constitution came into effect, declaring India a Sovereign Democratic Republic. Independence was achieved on August 15, 1947, but India needed a constitution to function as a republic, which took nearly 3 years to draft.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, which was responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. He is rightly called the 'Father of the Indian Constitution' for his pivotal role in shaping it.

Article 32 (Right to Constitutional Remedies) gives citizens the right to approach the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights. Dr. Ambedkar called this the 'heart and soul of the Constitution' because without this remedy, Fundamental Rights would be meaningless and unenforceable.

The President can only be removed through impeachment under Article 61 of the Constitution. The process requires a formal charge (signed by at least 1/4th of Lok Sabha members), investigation by a 2-member committee, and then a 2/3rds majority in both Houses of Parliament.

According to Article 75, the Prime Minister is appointed by the President, but by convention, the President appoints the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha as PM. This ensures the government has the confidence of the lower house.

Under Article 111, a bill passed by Parliament requires the President's assent to become law. The President can give assent, withhold assent (veto), or return the bill (except Money Bills) for reconsideration. Once assented to, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

In 2011, India had 7 Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Puducherry. (Note: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged in 2020, reducing the count to 6 UTs today.)

Through Article 32, the Supreme Court acts as the guardian of Fundamental Rights. Citizens can directly approach the SC for enforcement of FRs. Dr. Ambedkar considered this right as the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution, making it the SC's most crucial function.

The Tashkent Agreement was signed in January 1966 between Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan, mediated by the USSR. It ended the 1965 Indo-Pak war and required both sides to withdraw to pre-war positions. Tragically, Shastri died hours after signing.

The Planning Commission was established by a Cabinet resolution on March 28, 1950, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as its first Chairman. It formulated India's Five-Year Plans until it was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015.

Jawaharlal Nehru served as the first Chairman of the Planning Commission, which was established in 1950. As Prime Minister, he naturally led this crucial body responsible for India's economic development through Five-Year Plans.