Q32
1 markSection D

Identify the state related to the farmer's leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, and write its correct name along with the concerned alphabet as marked on the map.

OR

(For Visually Impaired Candidates, in lieu of question number 26) In which year, was the National Emergency imposed in India by Indira Gandhi government ?

The Crisis of Democratic Order
Chaudhary Charan Singh and Farmers' Politics
Official Answer

Main question: The state is Uttar Pradesh. Chaudhary Charan Singh, a prominent farmers' (kisan) leader, built his political base in western Uttar Pradesh, served twice as its Chief Minister, and later became Prime Minister of India (1979-80).


Note: the exact alphabet (A/B/C/D) corresponding to Uttar Pradesh must be read off the original printed map in the answer sheet — the OCR text of this paper does not preserve the map image, so only the state name (Uttar Pradesh) can be confirmed here; match it to the correct letter shown on your copy of the map.


OR (for Visually Impaired Candidates): The National Emergency was imposed in India by the Indira Gandhi government on 25 June 1975.

Chaudhary Charan SinghUttar Pradeshfarmers leaderkisanEmergency1975Indira GandhiJanata Party

Marking Scheme

  • 11 mark: correctly identifies Uttar Pradesh as the state (with correct alphabet as per the printed map) — or, for the VI alternative, correctly states 1975 (25 June 1975).

Hint

Recall which large north Indian state Chaudhary Charan Singh served as Chief Minister of, before briefly becoming Prime Minister.

Quick Oral Answer

The state is Uttar Pradesh, the political base of farmers' leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, who twice served as its Chief Minister and later briefly as India's Prime Minister.

Analysis & Explanation

This map-based question tests recall of the regional political base of a key farmers' leader from the Emergency era.


Concept

  • Chaudhary Charan Singh rose to prominence as a champion of farmers' and peasants' interests, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh.
  • He served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1967 and again in 1970, and later became a central figure in the Janata Party coalition after the Emergency.
  • He briefly served as Prime Minister of India from July 1979 to January 1980 with outside support from the Congress (later withdrawn), highlighting the instability of coalition politics in this period.

OR alternative

  • The National Emergency was declared by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 25 June 1975, citing internal disturbances, and lasted until March 1977.

Exam trap: Students sometimes confuse Chaudhary Charan Singh's political base (Uttar Pradesh) with other kisan-leader states like Punjab or Haryana; his core support and Chief Ministership were specifically in Uttar Pradesh.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Confusing Chaudhary Charan Singh's home state (Uttar Pradesh) with other farmer-heavy states such as Punjab or Haryana.
  2. 2Giving the wrong year for the Emergency (some students confuse the declaration date 1975 with its lifting in 1977).

Interesting Facts

Chaudhary Charan Singh became Prime Minister of India in July 1979 without ever facing Parliament, resigning before a vote of confidence could be held.

He is remembered nationally through 'Kisan Diwas' (Farmers' Day), observed every year on his birthday, 23 December.

The National Emergency of 1975-77 remains the only period since Independence when Fundamental Rights, including the right to life and liberty, were suspended under Article 352.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Chaudhary Charan Singh associated with Uttar Pradesh?

He built his political career championing farmers' interests in western Uttar Pradesh, served twice as the state's Chief Minister (1967 and 1970), and later became Prime Minister of India in 1979.

When was the National Emergency imposed and by whom?

The National Emergency was imposed on 25 June 1975 by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government, citing threats to internal stability.