SSC
Which book is based on the views and interviews of Indira Gandhi?
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Answer: Option A — My Truth
Detailed Solution
"My Truth" is a book presenting Indira Gandhi's own account of her life and views. It was compiled and edited by Emmanuel Pouchpadass from her interviews and conversations and first published in 1980 (an earlier French version had appeared in 1979).
About the book:
- It covers her childhood in Anand Bhawan, Allahabad, in the middle of the freedom struggle, her education at Visva-Bharati (Santiniketan) and Oxford, her marriage to Feroze Gandhi, and her political career.
- It describes her years as Prime Minister, the 1971 war with Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh, the Emergency (1975-77), her defeat in 1977 and her return to power.
- It presents her own explanation of her decisions and her beliefs.
About Indira Gandhi (1917-1984):
- She was born on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad, the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru.
- She became India's first (and so far only) woman Prime Minister in January 1966, and served from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her death in 1984.
Major events of her tenure include bank nationalisation (1969), abolition of privy purses (1971), the 1971 war and the birth of Bangladesh, the Pokhran nuclear test (1974), the Emergency (1975-77), the "Garibi Hatao" campaign and Operation Blue Star (1984).
She received the Bharat Ratna in 1971.
She was assassinated on 31 October 1984 in New Delhi by her bodyguards. 31 October is observed as "Rashtriya Sankalp Diwas" in her memory.
Nehru's "Letters from a Father to His Daughter" and "Glimpses of World History" were written to her.
Other works:
- Mahatma Gandhi: "The Story of My Experiments with Truth".
- Maulana Azad: "India Wins Freedom".
- Benazir Bhutto: "Daughter of Destiny".
Why not the other options?
- ✗"My Experiments with Truth" is Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography.
- ✗"India Wins Freedom" is by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
- ✗"Daughter of Destiny" is by Benazir Bhutto.
Quick tip
Remember: "My Truth" (1980, compiled by Emmanuel Pouchpadass) = Indira Gandhi (first woman PM, 1966; Bharat Ratna 1971); "Daughter of Destiny" = Benazir Bhutto.
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.