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Question 66 of 69 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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The Indian industrialist who supported Gandhi and believed in a 'healthy capitalism' that would work towards common national objectives was:

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Answer: Option D — Ghanshyam Das Birla

Detailed Solution

Ghanshyam Das Birla (G. D. Birla), one of India's leading industrialists, was a close associate and supporter of Mahatma Gandhi, and believed in a "healthy capitalism" that would work towards common national objectives.

NCERT on Indian industrialists and the national movement:

  • NCERT notes that Indian merchants and industrialists, who had made huge profits during the First World War, wanted protection against imports of foreign goods.
  • To organise business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927.

Led by prominent industrialists like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla, the industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy, and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement when it was first launched.

They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.

However, after the failure of the London talks, business groups were no longer uniformly enthusiastic, and the spread of militant activities worried them.

About G. D. Birla:

  • He was born in 1894 at Pilani, in Rajasthan, in a Marwari business family.
  • He started his business in Calcutta, in jute and textiles, and built a large industrial group (the Birla group), including textiles, sugar, paper, cement and automobiles (Hindustan Motors).
  • He was one of the founders of FICCI (1927).
  • He was a close friend and financial supporter of Gandhi, and supported the constructive programme, including khadi and the campaign against untouchability.
  • Gandhi often stayed at Birla House in Delhi; he was assassinated there on 30 January 1948.
  • He founded the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.
  • He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1957.
  • He wrote a book about Gandhi, "In the Shadow of the Mahatma".

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata group in the 19th century.
  • ✗Walchand Hirachand founded shipbuilding, aircraft and automobile companies.
  • ✗Lala Shri Ram founded the DCM group.

Quick tip

Remember: G. D. Birla = industrialist close to Gandhi ("healthy capitalism"; FICCI 1927; BITS Pilani; Birla House, Delhi; "In the Shadow of the Mahatma").

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, 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 the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era 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.

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