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RAS question

Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India?

Correct answer: (C) C. Rajagopalachari.

C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India.

  1. (A)

    Rajendra Prasad

  2. (B)

    Sardar Patel

  3. (C)

    C. Rajagopalachari

  4. (D)

    Jawaharlal Nehru

Explanation

C. Rajagopalachari, widely known as Rajaji, was the first and last Indian Governor-General of independent India, serving from June 1948 to January 1950. The cited President of India release identifies Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari as the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, which directly supports option C. This matters because the question asks specifically for the first Indian to hold the Governor-General's office after independence, not for the first President, Prime Minister, or a senior minister in the Union government. Rajaji's term also marks the closing phase of the Governor-General's office before India became a republic in January 1950.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India, whereas the question asks for the first Indian Governor-General.
  • (B) Sardar Patel served as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, not as Governor-General of independent India.
  • (D) Jawaharlal Nehru was independent India's Prime Minister, so his office was different from the Governor-General's office asked here.

Concept

This tests the transition from Dominion status to the Republic under Modern Indian History. RAS often asks such office-holder questions because they connect constitutional change with the last phase of British-era institutions.

Source

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