Aspirant Academy
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RAS question

The formation of 'Greater Rajasthan' on 30 March 1949 was inaugurated by:

Correct answer: (C) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Greater Rajasthan was formally inaugurated on 30 March 1949 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

  1. (A)

    Dr. Rajendra Prasad

  2. (B)

    Lord Mountbatten

  3. (C)

    Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

  4. (D)

    Jawaharlal Nehru

Explanation

Greater Rajasthan marks the stage in Rajasthan's integration when the large princely states of Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Jodhpur merged with the existing Union of Rajasthan. The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly's official history records that this formation was formally inaugurated on 30 March 1949 by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Patel was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of States, which fits the political context of princely-state integration. After the formation, Hiralal Shastri led the cabinet as the first Chief Minister. So the key exam link is direct: date, phase name and inaugurating leader all point to Patel, not to a general national leader associated with another phase.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad is not tied by the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly account to the 30 March 1949 inauguration of Greater Rajasthan.
  • (B) Lord Mountbatten cannot be the answer here because the question concerns the 30 March 1949 formal inauguration, which the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly attributes to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
  • (D) Jawaharlal Nehru is linked to the earlier inauguration of the Union of Rajasthan on 18 April 1948, not to the formal inauguration of Greater Rajasthan on 30 March 1949.

Concept

This tests the staged integration of Rajasthan's princely states, especially the dates, merged states and leaders attached to each phase. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan's formation is a core state-history timeline where similar phase names can easily be confused.

Source

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