Indian National Congress Founding

The Indian National Congress (INC) is a significant political party in India's history, founded during the British Raj. Understanding its origins is key to grasping modern Indian political history.

Statement (a) asserts that the INC was founded in 1885 by Allan Octavian Hume. Historical records confirm that Allan Octavian Hume, a Scottish civil servant, was instrumental in establishing the INC in 1885. This statement is factually correct.

INC First Session Details

Statement (b) states that the first session of the INC occurred in Pune, presided over by WC Bonnerjee. While Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (WC Bonnerjee) did preside over the first session, the location mentioned is inaccurate.

• President: WC Bonnerjee presided over the inaugural session.
• Location: The first session was held in Bombay (now Mumbai), not Pune. It convened at the Goculdas Tejpal Sanskrit College. The change in venue from Pune to Bombay was due to a cholera outbreak in Pune at the time.

Therefore, statement (b) is factually incorrect regarding the location.

Summary of INC Statement Correctness

Evaluating both statements based on historical evidence:

• Statement (a) is accurate about the founding year and founder.
• Statement (b) is inaccurate about the location of the first session, although the president mentioned is correct.

Only statement (a) is correct. This aligns with option 1.