Indian National Congress – Important Sessions, Presidents, and History – Static GK & General Awareness for Competitive Exams with Memory Tricks

Introduction

The Indian National Congress (INC), founded on 28 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay, is one of the most influential political organisations in modern Indian history. From its early years as a moderate platform demanding constitutional reforms under British rule, the Congress evolved into a mass movement under Mahatma Gandhi, leading India to independence in 1947. Founded by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, along with Indian leaders like W.C. Bonnerjee, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Surendranath Banerjea, the INC held annual sessions in different cities, each shaping the course of India's freedom struggle.

Questions on the Indian National Congress appear regularly in UPSC Prelims and Mains, SSC CGL, IBPS PO, RRB NTPC, SBI Clerk, State PCS, and various Insurance and Defence exams. Questions typically ask about the venue and president of a particular session, who was the first Muslim/Woman/English president, where Purna Swaraj was declared, which session saw the Surat Split, and the founder of the INC. This article brings together all the key facts in a structured, exam-ready format. To explore other related Static GK topics, you can refer to the Important Battles in Indian History - Static GK guide on Jobsme.in.

The history of the INC is also closely linked to themes such as the Swadeshi Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience, Quit India Movement, the Lucknow Pact, the rise of the Indian Working Class Movement, and the integration of princely states — making this topic doubly important for aspirants targeting UPSC Mains GS-I (Modern Indian History) and essay papers.

Core Concepts: Foundation of the Indian National Congress

Understanding the foundation of the INC is essential before memorising session details, as exam questions often test conceptual knowledge.

Foundation Facts

• Founded: 28 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.
• Founder: Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume), a retired British civil servant.
• First President: Womesh Chandra (W.C.) Bonnerjee.
• First session attendees: 72 delegates — 54 Hindus, 2 Muslims; rest Jain and Parsi.
• Originally planned venue: Poona (shifted to Bombay due to a cholera outbreak).
• Viceroy at the time of foundation: Lord Dufferin.
• Governor-General of Bombay: Lord Reay.

Theories of INC Formation

• Safety Valve Theory: Proposed by Lala Lajpat Rai — Hume founded the INC as a safety valve to release the discontent of educated Indians and prevent a popular revolt.
• Conspiracy Theory: Proposed by R.P. Dutt — the INC was a deliberate creation to suppress a brewing Indian uprising by co-opting bourgeois leadership.
• Lightning Conductor Theory: Proposed by Gopal Krishna Gokhale — Indian leaders cleverly used Hume as a "lightning conductor" to unite nationalist forces under a legitimate platform.

Phases of the INC (1885-1947)

• Moderate Phase (1885-1905): Petitions, prayers, dialogue; faith in British justice. Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea, G.K. Gokhale.
• Extremist Phase (1905-1919): Direct action, Swadeshi, Boycott. Leaders: Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal).
• Gandhian Phase (1919-1947): Mass mobilisation through Satyagraha. Leaders: Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, Azad.

Important Sessions of the Indian National Congress (1885-1947)

The following comprehensive table lists every major Congress session along with its year, venue, president, and key outcomes.

Famous Presidents of the Indian National Congress - Quick Reference

The table below lists the firsts and notable presidents of the INC — a high-yield list for SSC, RRB, and State PCS exams.

Landmark Sessions - Detailed Quick Reference

Sessions with Mass Movement Decisions

Sessions with "Firsts" of Indian History

Splits and Conflicts within Congress

Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Trick 1: Founding Facts - "1885-Bombay-Hume-Bonnerjee-72"

• 1885 - Year of foundation.
• Bombay - Venue (originally Poona).
• Hume - Founder (A.O. Hume).
• Bonnerjee - First president (W.C. Bonnerjee).
• 72 - Number of founding delegates.

Tip: "In 1885, 72 men gathered in Bombay where Hume started, Bonnerjee chaired."

Trick 2: First Four Sessions - "B-C-M-A"

• B - 1885 Bombay (Bonnerjee).
• C - 1886 Calcutta (Dadabhai Naoroji).
• M - 1887 Madras (Badruddin Tyabji - first Muslim).
• A - 1888 Allahabad (George Yule - first English).

Tip: "BCMA — Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Allahabad: the founding four."

Trick 3: Three Theories of Foundation - "SCL"

• S - Safety Valve Theory (Lala Lajpat Rai).
• C - Conspiracy Theory (R.P. Dutt).
• L - Lightning Conductor Theory (G.K. Gokhale).

Tip: "SCL — Safety, Conspiracy, Lightning; valve from Lala, plot from Dutt, light from Gokhale."

Trick 4: Three Phases of INC - "M-E-G"

• M - Moderate Phase (1885-1905) — Petitions and prayers.
• E - Extremist Phase (1905-1919) — Lal-Bal-Pal.
• G - Gandhian Phase (1919-1947) — Satyagraha.

Tip: "M-E-G — INC's growth from Moderate to Extremist to Gandhian."

Trick 5: Women Presidents of INC - "ASN"

• A - Annie Besant (1917, Calcutta) — First (Irish-origin).
• S - Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur) — First Indian Woman.
• N - Nellie Sengupta (1933, Calcutta) — British-born; Third Woman.

Tip: "ASN — Annie first, Sarojini next, Nellie third; the three women who led the Congress."

Trick 6: Important "Gandhi-Related" Sessions - "BNL-BB"

• B - Belgaum 1924 — Only session presided by Gandhi.
• N - Nagpur 1920 — Gandhi intensified Non-Cooperation.
• L - Lahore 1929 — Purna Swaraj resolution.
• B - Bombay 1942 — Quit India Movement (AICC session, not annual).
• B - Banaras 1905 — Swadeshi proclaimed (Gokhale president).

Trick 7: Lahore 1929 - "PIN"

• P - Purna Swaraj resolution passed.
• I - Independence Day declared on 26 January 1930.
• N - Nehru as the youngest President (then).

Tip: "Lahore 1929 = PIN: Purna Swaraj, Independence Day, Nehru."

Trick 8: Karachi 1931 - "FGB"

• F - Fundamental Rights resolution.
• G - Gandhi-Irwin Pact endorsed; Gandhi nominated for 2nd Round Table.
• B - Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru — condolences after their execution.

Tip: "Karachi = FGB — Fundamental Rights, Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Bhagat Singh tribute. Patel was the President."

Trick 9: Songs at Congress Sessions - "VJ"

• V - Vande Mataram → First sung at 1896 Calcutta by Tagore.
• J - Jana Gana Mana → First sung at 1911 Calcutta.

Tip: "VJ — Vande in 1896, Jana in 1911; both at Calcutta."

Trick 10: Surat Split 1907 - "RBG"

The Surat session of 1907 was presided by Rash Behari Ghosh (RBG). The session split into Moderates and Extremists and was adjourned. Tip: "Surat 1907 = Split + RBG; Moderates and Extremists go their separate ways."

Trick 11: Naoroji's Three Sessions - "1886-1893-1906 / CLC"

• 1886 — Calcutta.
• 1893 — Lahore.
• 1906 — Calcutta (Swaraj declared).

Tip: "Naoroji = Grand Old Man = Presided thrice (CLC)."

Trick 12: No-Session Years - "1941-1945"

No annual Congress session was held from 1941 to 1945 due to WWII, Quit India Movement, RIN Mutiny, INA trials, Cripps Mission, Wavell Plan, and Cabinet Mission activities. Tip: "Five years of silence — but loudest action."

Additional Notes

Frequently Confused Facts

• INC Founder: Allan Octavian Hume (a retired British civil servant) — NOT W.C. Bonnerjee. Bonnerjee was the first president.
• First session venue: Bombay (Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College) — originally planned for Poona but shifted due to a cholera outbreak.
• Viceroy at the time of INC's foundation: Lord Dufferin.
• First Woman President (overall): Annie Besant (1917) — she was Irish-born.
• First Indian Woman President: Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur).
• Only session presided by Gandhi: Belgaum, 1924 — NOT any other.
• Purna Swaraj resolution: Passed at the Lahore session 1929, presided by Jawaharlal Nehru — NOT at Karachi 1931.
• Fundamental Rights resolution: Passed at the Karachi session 1931, presided by Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Surat Split: 1907 — Moderates vs Extremists.
• Lucknow Pact: Signed at the 1916 Lucknow session — between Congress and Muslim League.
• Swaraj first declared as goal: 1906 Calcutta session under Dadabhai Naoroji's presidency.
• Non-Cooperation Movement launched: 1920 Special Session at Calcutta (Lala Lajpat Rai president) and intensified at Nagpur (1920 annual).
• Quit India Movement (1942): Launched at an AICC meeting at Gowalia Tank, Bombay — NOT at a regular annual session.
• Subhas Chandra Bose's INC presidencies: Haripura (1938) and Tripuri (1939); resigned after Tripuri and formed Forward Bloc.
• Last INC session before independence: Meerut (1946), president J.B. Kripalani.
• First woman INC President after independence: Indira Gandhi (1959).
• Vande Mataram vs Jana Gana Mana: Both first sung at Calcutta sessions (1896 and 1911) but Vande Mataram is the National Song, while Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem.

Repeating PYQ Patterns

• UPSC Prelims: Frequently asks about Surat Split (1907), Lucknow Pact (1916), Purna Swaraj (1929), Karachi session resolutions, and Subhas Bose's presidencies.
• SSC CGL and CHSL: Match-the-column questions linking presidents to sessions; Naoroji, Tyabji, Yule, Bonnerjee, Besant, Naidu, and Gandhi are most common.
• IBPS PO and Clerk: One-liner questions on first president, founder, first Muslim/Woman/English president, and which session adopted Purna Swaraj.
• RRB NTPC and Group D: Direct questions on which session was held in which city.
• State PCS: Region-specific session questions (e.g., Bihar PCS — Ramgarh; UP PCS — Allahabad/Lucknow; MP PCS — Tripuri).
• UPSC Mains: Conceptual questions on moderate vs extremist debates, the role of Gandhi, the Lucknow Pact, and the importance of the Karachi Resolution.

Quick Insight

The INC's history is central to themes such as the freedom struggle, modern Indian political thought, the rise of socialism in India (Nehru), women in the freedom movement (Besant, Naidu, Sengupta), Hindu-Muslim unity (Lucknow Pact 1916), and the role of the bourgeoisie. UPSC Mains aspirants should connect session outcomes to broader movements like Swadeshi, Khilafat, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and Quit India. For the latest updates and modern context, follow the daily current affairs section on Jobsme.in.

This topic also pairs well with related Static GK areas such as Governor-Generals and Viceroys of India and Famous Personalities and Their Nicknames, since Congress sessions are often tested alongside contemporary viceroys and freedom fighters.

One-Liners for Quick Revision

• INC founded → 28 December 1885 → Bombay (Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College).
• Founder of INC → Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume), retired British civil servant.
• First INC president → Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee → 1885 Bombay.
• Number of delegates at first session → 72 (54 Hindus, 2 Muslims, rest Jain/Parsi).
• Viceroy during INC's foundation → Lord Dufferin.
• First Muslim president → Badruddin Tyabji → 1887 Madras.
• First English president → George Yule → 1888 Allahabad.
• First Woman president (overall) → Annie Besant → 1917 Calcutta.
• First Indian Woman president → Sarojini Naidu → 1925 Kanpur.
• Third Woman president (British-born) → Nellie Sengupta → 1933 Calcutta.
• Youngest president → Maulana Mohammad Ali → 1923 Delhi Special.
• Longest-serving president → Maulana Abul Kalam Azad → 1940-1946.
• Only session presided by Gandhi → Belgaum, 1924.
• President at the time of Independence → J.B. Kripalani → 1946 Meerut.
• Three-time president (Grand Old Man of India) → Dadabhai Naoroji → 1886, 1893, 1906.
• Vande Mataram first sung → 1896 Calcutta session by Rabindranath Tagore.
• Jana Gana Mana first sung → 1911 Calcutta session.
• First appearance of Gandhi on Congress platform → 1901 Calcutta (President: D.E. Wacha).
• Swadeshi Movement proclaimed → 1905 Banaras (President: G.K. Gokhale).
• Swaraj declared as goal → 1906 Calcutta (President: Dadabhai Naoroji).
• Surat Split → 1907 Surat (President: Rash Behari Ghosh) → Moderates vs Extremists.
• First Congress Constitution drafted → 1908 Madras.
• Lucknow Pact → 1916 Lucknow (President: A.C. Majumdar) → Congress-Muslim League unity.
• Khilafat Movement supported → 1919 Amritsar (President: Motilal Nehru).
• Non-Cooperation Resolution moved → 1920 Calcutta Special (President: Lala Lajpat Rai).
• Non-Cooperation Movement intensified; Jinnah left INC → 1920 Nagpur (President: C. Vijayaraghavachariar).
• Reorganisation of Congress on linguistic basis → 1920 Nagpur.
• Swaraj Party formed → 1922 Gaya by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru.
• Council entry allowed → 1923 Delhi Special (President: Maulana Mohammad Ali).
• Only Gandhi-presided session → 1924 Belgaum.
• First Indian Woman President → 1925 Kanpur (Sarojini Naidu).
• Simon Commission boycott; All India Youth Congress formed → 1927 Madras and 1928 Calcutta.
• Purna Swaraj resolution → 1929 Lahore (President: Jawaharlal Nehru).
• 26 January declared Independence Day → 1929 Lahore session.
• Civil Disobedience Movement decided → 1929 Lahore.
• Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme → 1931 Karachi (President: Vallabhbhai Patel).
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact endorsed → 1931 Karachi.
• Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru tribute → 1931 Karachi.
• Socialist ideas pushed → 1936 Lucknow (President: Jawaharlal Nehru).
• First session in a village → 1937 Faizpur (President: Jawaharlal Nehru).
• National Planning Committee set up → 1938 Haripura (President: Subhas Chandra Bose).
• Subhas Bose's first presidency → 1938 Haripura.
• Subhas Bose's resignation; Forward Bloc formed → 1939 Tripuri.
• Bose defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya → 1939 Tripuri election.
• Civil Disobedience reaffirmation → 1940 Ramgarh (President: Maulana Azad).
• Quit India Movement launched → 8 August 1942 at AICC Gowalia Tank, Bombay (NOT a regular session).
• No INC sessions held → 1941-1945 (WWII, Quit India, Cripps, Wavell, Cabinet Mission).
• Last INC session before Independence → 1946 Meerut (President: J.B. Kripalani).
• Acceptance of Cabinet Mission Plan → 1946 Meerut.
• First INC session after Independence → 1948 Jaipur (President: Pattabhi Sitaramayya).
• Lal-Bal-Pal → Lala Lajpat Rai (Punjab Kesari), Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Swaraj is my birthright"), Bipin Chandra Pal — Extremist trio.
• Moderate leaders → Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea, M.G. Ranade.
• Dadabhai Naoroji → "Grand Old Man of India"; gave the "Drain of Wealth" theory; first Indian MP in British Parliament (1892).
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak → "Father of Indian Unrest" (Valentine Chirol); slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it."
• Safety Valve Theory → Lala Lajpat Rai; INC as a relief outlet for Indian discontent.
• Lightning Conductor Theory → G.K. Gokhale; Hume used as a catalyst by Indian leaders.
• Conspiracy Theory → R.P. Dutt; INC formed to suppress popular revolt.
• Sessions held in Calcutta → Most frequent (1886, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1917, 1920 Special, 1928, 1933).
• First Bengali Muslim INC president → A.K. Fazlul Huq (not held an INC session presidency; he led Krishak Praja Party).
• Indian National Congress motto → Promotion of national unity and constitutional reforms (early phase).
• SAARC headquarters → Kathmandu (later context — for related GK).
• Indian Independence Day → 15 August 1947 (formally declared after the journey from INC's 1885 foundation).

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