The Simon Commission, the Nehru Report and the Communal Fault-line (1927-1929)
The Simon Commission, the Nehru Report and the Communal Fault-line (1927-1929)

Overview

Previous Year UPSC-CSE Questions By the end you will be able to draft model answers for the following UPSC questions. Each question carries a collapsible framework showing how to approach it in the exam.

  1. UPSC Mains 2017 GS-IHighlight the importance of the new objectives that got added to the vision of Indian Independence since the twenties of the last century.
    How to structure the answer in the exam

    Directive verb: Highlight · Approach: Identify the new objectives (complete independence, social-economic justice, secular nationhood) and show their importance.

    Introduction: Open with the 1920s as the decade the goal sharpened from self-rule to full freedom.

    Body (sub-themes to develop):

    • Complete independence (Purna Swaraj) replacing Dominion Status, via the Independence for India League and Lahore 1929.
    • Social and economic justice entering the vision (the Karachi resolution, the socialist strand).
    • Secular, inclusive nationhood, tested against the communal fault-line.
    • Mass participation as a defining new objective of the movement.

    Conclusion: Conclude that these new objectives widened the freedom struggle from a constitutional demand into a vision of a free, just nation.

  2. UPSC Prelims 2013 GS Paper IThe people of India agitated against the arrival of Simon Commission because
    1. a Indians never wanted the review of the working of the Act of 1919
    2. b Simon Commission recommended the abolition of Dyarchy in the Provinces
    3. c there was no Indian member in the Simon Commission
    4. d the Simon Commission suggested the partition of the country
    How to approach this Prelims question

    Question type: Single correct

    Approach: Identify the real reason for the boycott.

    Trap to watch: The recommendations (abolition of dyarchy) came later, in the 1930 report; the boycott in 1927-28 was over the all-white composition.

    Key facts to recall:

    • Simon Commission 1927, all-white
    • No Indian member = the insult
    • 'Simon Go Back'

    Answer signal: There was no Indian member, so option (c).

  3. UPSC Prelims 2011 GS Paper IWith reference to the period of Indian freedom struggle, which of the following was/were recommended by the Nehru Report?
    1. Complete Independence for India.
    2. Joint electorates for reservation of seats for minorities.
    3. Provision of fundamental rights for the people of India in the Constitution.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

    1. a 1 only
    2. b 2 and 3 only
    3. c 1 and 3 only
    4. d 1, 2 and 3
    How to approach this Prelims question

    Question type: Single correct

    Approach: Test each item against the Report's actual proposals.

    Trap to watch: Statement 1 is the trap: the Report proposed Dominion Status, not complete independence, so 1 is wrong. Joint electorates and fundamental rights (2 and 3) are correct.

    Key facts to recall:

    • Nehru Report = Dominion Status, not full independence
    • Joint electorates with reserved seats
    • A bill of fundamental rights

    Answer signal: 2 and 3 only, so option (b).

  4. UPSC Prelims 1995 GS Paper IThe radical wing of the Congress Party, with Jawaharlal Nehru as one of its main leaders, founded the ‘Independence for India League’ in opposition to
    1. a the Gandhi Irwin Pact
    2. b the Home Rule Movement
    3. c the Nehru Report
    4. d the Montford Reforms
    How to approach this Prelims question

    Question type: Single correct

    Approach: Identify what the radicals opposed in the Report.

    Trap to watch: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) and the Montford reforms (1919) are the wrong era; the League opposed the 1928 Nehru Report's Dominion-Status goal.

    Key facts to recall:

    • Independence for India League, 1928
    • Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Bose
    • Opposed the Nehru Report's Dominion Status

    Answer signal: The Nehru Report, so option (c).

Between 1927 and 1929 the national movement passed through a constitutional crisis that proved a parting of the ways. The all-white Simon Commission was boycotted with the cry of 'Simon Go Back', and the death of Lala Lajpat Rai gave the protest a martyr. Indians answered with the Nehru Report, their own draft constitution proposing Dominion Status, but it split the consensus: Jinnah's Fourteen Points rejected it for the Muslim League, while younger leaders demanded not Dominion Status but full independence.

Introduction: The Constitutional Battle of 1927-1929

Why These Years Were a Parting of the Ways

Why this matters: the lull after Non-Cooperation ended not with a mass movement but with a constitutional crisis. Between 1927 and 1929, three developments, the Simon Commission, the Nehru Report and the Muslim League's reply, together reshaped the politics of the freedom struggle.

What is the significance of these years: they were a double parting of the ways. A communal fault-line opened between the Congress and the Muslim League over the shape of the constitution, and a generational divide opened between the old leaders who wanted Dominion Status and the young who wanted full independence.

The Sequence of Events at a Glance

Distinguishing the sequence helps before the detail. The crisis ran in a clear order: the all-white commission provoked a boycott, the boycott cost a life, Indians drafted their own constitution, and the Muslim League and the radicals each broke from it in turn.

What ties the sequence together is that each step pushed the movement towards a sharper demand. The timeline of these three years is shown below.

The Constitutional Crisis, 1927 to 1929Three years that set the stage for the demand for full independenceNov 1927Simon appointedAll-white commission namedFeb 1928Simon arrivesSimon Go Back across IndiaAug 1928Nehru ReportDominion Status proposedNov 1928Lajpat Rai diesAfter the Lahorelathi-charge1929Fourteen PointsJinnah rejects the ReportBy 1929 the consensus had broken, and the cry was no longer Dominion Status but freedom.
Figure 1. The constitutional crisis, 1927 to 1929.

The All-White Simon Commission and the Boycott (1927)

An All-White Commission and 'Simon Go Back'

What is the significance of the Simon Commission: it united Indian opinion as little else could. In November 1927 the British appointed the Indian Statutory Commission, under Sir John Simon, to review the working of the 1919 reforms, but it was made up of seven British members and not a single Indian.

Distinguishing the grievance: the insult was the exclusion. That Indians were thought unfit even to sit in judgement on their own constitution provoked a nationwide boycott; the commission was met with black flags and the cry of 'Simon Go Back' in every city it visited, as the flow below shows.

From an Insult to a MartyrdomHow an all-white commission united Indian opinion against the RajAll-white CommissionSeven British MPs, noIndian member (1927)Nationwide boycottBlack flags and Simon GoBack in every cityLahore lathi-chargePolice beat theprotesters, 30 October1928Death of Lajpat RaiThe Lion of Punjab dies,17 November 1928The death of Lajpat Rai gave the boycott a martyr and hardened the demand for freedom.
Figure 2. From an insult to a martyrdom: the Simon boycott.

The Lahore Lathi-Charge and the Death of Lajpat Rai

Observable outcomes turned tragic at Lahore. When Lala Lajpat Rai led a peaceful demonstration against the commission on 30 October 1928, the police charged the protesters with lathis, and the Lion of Punjab was severely injured.

A distinguishing consequence followed his death on 17 November 1928. The boycott now had a martyr; the demand for his avenging fed the revolutionary stream, and across the country the death hardened the resolve that mere review of the reforms would never satisfy India.

The Nehru Report: An Indian Constitution and Dominion Status (1928)

The All-Parties Conference and Motilal Nehru's Committee

What is the significance of the Nehru Report: it was the first Indian attempt to write a constitution for India. Challenged to produce an agreed scheme, the Indian parties met in an All-Parties Conference and appointed a committee under Motilal Nehru, which produced the Nehru Report in 1928.

Distinguishing its proposals shows a complete constitutional vision, set out in the list below. It was a serious, detailed document, the work of Indians for India, and it became the basis of all later constitutional debate.

  • Dominion Status: India as a self-governing dominion within the Commonwealth.
  • Joint electorates: no separate electorates, with reserved seats for minorities.
  • Fundamental rights: a bill of basic rights, including no state religion.
  • A strong centre: a largely unitary structure with a powerful union government.
  • Responsible government: full responsible government at the centre and in the provinces.

Dominion Status and the Joint-Electorate Question

Observable tensions lay within the Report itself. Its choice of Dominion Status, rather than complete independence, was a compromise to carry the moderates and the Liberals, and it would soon be challenged by the younger nationalists.

Distinguishing the communal question: the Report's rejection of separate electorates, in favour of joint electorates with reserved seats, was meant to build a single nation, but it was exactly the point on which the Muslim League would break away.

The Communal Question: Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929)

Why the Muslim League Rejected the Nehru Report

What is the significance of the Fourteen Points: they marked the formal break of the Muslim League from the constitutional consensus. Muhammad Ali Jinnah held that the Nehru Report ignored Muslim concerns, and in 1929 he set out his Fourteen Points as the minimum Muslim demands.

Distinguishing the two documents shows how far they had drifted apart, as the comparison below and the table that follows set out. Where the Report wanted joint electorates and a strong centre, the Fourteen Points wanted separate electorates, weightage, and residuary powers left to the provinces.

Two Visions of the ConstitutionThe Nehru Report and the Muslim League reply that broke the consensusThe Nehru Report (1928)Motilal Nehru committeeDominion Status for IndiaJoint electorates, no separate onesReserved seats for minoritiesA bill of fundamental rightsA unitary, strong centreJinnah’s Fourteen Points (1929)The Muslim League replySeparate electorates retainedOne-third Muslim seats at the centreResiduary powers to the provincesA federal, weaker centreWeightage for minoritiesThe gap between these two documents was the constitutional shape of the coming divide.
Figure 3. Two visions of the constitution: the Nehru Report and the Fourteen Points.
Table 1. The Nehru Report and the Fourteen Points compared.
Issue The Nehru Report (1928) Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929)
Electorates Joint, with reserved seats Separate electorates retained
Muslim representation Proportional reservation One-third of the central legislature
The centre Strong, largely unitary Weak; residuary powers to provinces
Goal Dominion Status Safeguards within any settlement

The Radical Dissent: The Independence for India League

The Younger Leaders and the Demand for Full Independence

What is the significance of the radical dissent: it changed the very goal of the movement. The Nehru Report's choice of Dominion Status was unacceptable to the younger leaders, and Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose founded the Independence for India League in 1928 to press for complete independence.

Distinguishing the new objective: this was a generational revolt within the Congress. The old leaders would have accepted Dominion Status; the young insisted on Purna Swaraj, full independence, and it was their objective that the Congress would adopt at Lahore the following year.

Significance: The Parting of the Ways

The Twin Fractures: Communal and Generational

Contemporary linkages run from these three years into the rest of the freedom struggle. The Simon boycott had united the country, but the constitutional debate that followed opened two fractures: the communal one between the Congress and the League, and the generational one between Dominion Status and full independence.

The larger significance is that the failure of constitutional talks pushed the movement towards a sharper goal. When the Nehru Report's deadline for Dominion Status passed unmet, the Congress turned to complete independence. The next part follows that turn, through the Lahore Congress and the Salt Satyagraha of 1929 to 1931.

Prelims MCQ practice

Each question below tests one specific concept on the topic. Click to reveal the answer and a full option-wise explanation.

Q1. The Simon Commission was boycotted by Indians chiefly because:

  1. It recommended the partition of India
  2. It had no Indian member
  3. It abolished the salt tax
  4. It supported the Muslim League
Show answer and explanation

Answer: It had no Indian member

Explanation.

Option (b) is correct. The all-white Simon Commission (1927) had no Indian member, which is why it was boycotted with 'Simon Go Back'. Hence option (b).

Q2. Which leader died after being injured in a lathi-charge during the Simon Commission protest at Lahore?

  1. Bhagat Singh
  2. Lala Lajpat Rai
  3. Bipin Chandra Pal
  4. C. R. Das
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Lala Lajpat Rai

Explanation.

Option (b) is correct. Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in the Lahore lathi-charge on 30 October 1928 and died on 17 November 1928. Hence option (b).

Q3. With reference to the Nehru Report (1928), consider the following statements:

  1. It recommended Dominion Status for India.
  2. It recommended separate electorates for minorities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Answer: 1 only

Explanation.

Option (a) is correct. The Nehru Report recommended Dominion Status, but it rejected separate electorates in favour of joint electorates. Hence option (a).

Q4. The Nehru Report of 1928 was drafted by a committee chaired by:

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru
  2. Motilal Nehru
  3. Tej Bahadur Sapru
  4. M. A. Jinnah
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Motilal Nehru

Explanation.

Option (b) is correct. The committee of the All-Parties Conference that drafted the Nehru Report was chaired by Motilal Nehru. Hence option (b).

Q5. Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929) were put forward chiefly in response to:

  1. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact
  2. The Nehru Report
  3. The Government of India Act 1935
  4. The Lucknow Pact
Show answer and explanation

Answer: The Nehru Report

Explanation.

Option (b) is correct. Jinnah's Fourteen Points were the Muslim League's response rejecting the Nehru Report. Hence option (b).

Q6. Consider the following pairs of a document and one of its proposals:

  1. The Nehru Report : joint electorates with reserved seats.
  2. Jinnah's Fourteen Points : residuary powers to the provinces.

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Both 1 and 2

Explanation.

Both pairs are correct: the Nehru Report proposed joint electorates, and the Fourteen Points demanded residuary powers for the provinces. Hence option (c).

Sources and Further Reading

Editorial Disclaimer

This article is prepared for UPSC examination preparation. Verify key facts and interpretations against standard reference histories before relying on them.

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Part 6 of 21 · The Gandhian Era

Previous Part 5: The Swaraj Party and the Council-Entry Years (1922-1928) Next Part 7: Purna Swaraj and the Salt Satyagraha: Civil Disobedience Phase I (1929-1931)
All 21 parts in this cluster
  1. 1 Part 1: Gandhi Before the Mass Movement: South Africa, Satyagraha and the Gandhian Creed
  2. 2 Part 2: The Early Experiments: Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda (1917-1918)
  3. 3 Part 3: Rowlatt, Jallianwala Bagh and the Khilafat Question (1919-1920)
  4. 4 Part 4: The Non-Cooperation Movement: Programme, Spread and Chauri Chaura (1920-1922)
  5. 5 Part 5: The Swaraj Party and the Council-Entry Years (1922-1928)
  6. 6 Part 6: The Simon Commission, the Nehru Report and the Communal Fault-line (1927-1929) (this article)
  7. 7 Part 7: Purna Swaraj and the Salt Satyagraha: Civil Disobedience Phase I (1929-1931)
  8. 8 Part 8: The Round Table Conferences, the Poona Pact and Civil Disobedience Phase II (1931-1934)
  9. 9 Part 9: Revolutionary Nationalism in the 1920s-30s: HSRA, Bhagat Singh and Chittagong (1924-1934)
  10. 10 Part 10: The Government of India Act 1935
  11. 11 Part 11: Provincial Autonomy: The 1937 Elections and the Congress Ministries (1937-1939)
  12. 12 Part 12: The Second World War, the Failed Missions and Individual Satyagraha (1939-1944)
  13. 13 Part 13: The Quit India Movement (1942)
  14. 14 Part 14: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (1939-1945)
  15. 15 Part 15: Communal Politics and the Demand for Pakistan (1906-1947)
  16. 16 Part 16: Partition and Independence: From Wavell to the Radcliffe Line (1945-1947)
  17. 17 Part 17: The Integration of the Princely States (1947-1948)
  18. 18 Part 18: Gandhi and Social Reform: Caste, Untouchability and the Poona Pact
  19. 19 Part 19: The Constructive Programme and Gandhian Economic Thought
  20. 20 Part 20: Many Voices: Peasants, Tribals, Workers and Women in the Freedom Struggle
  21. 21 Part 21: The Gandhian Era: Historiography, Analysis and the Verdict