Who among the following was the President of Indian National Congress when India attained independence?

1. Genesis and Evolution of the Indian National Congress (1885–1915) (basic)

The birth of the Indian National Congress (INC) in December 1885 was not a solitary event but the culmination of a growing political consciousness across India. While regional associations already existed, the need was felt for a truly national body that could bridge the gap between the British administration and the Indian masses. The idea gained momentum during a meeting of the Theosophical Society in Madras in December 1884, involving retired English officer A.O. Hume, eventually leading to the first official session at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay on December 28, 1885 History, Class XII (Tamilnadu State Board 2024), Rise of Nationalism in India, p.10. One of the most debated aspects of the INC's genesis is the 'Safety Valve' Theory. This theory suggests that A.O. Hume founded the Congress under the guidance of Viceroy Lord Dufferin to provide a 'safe' outlet for the rising discontent among Indians, thereby preventing another violent uprising like the 1857 Revolt Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase, p.248. While extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai believed this, others like G.K. Gokhale proposed the 'Lightning Conductor' Theory. Gokhale argued that Indian nationalists used Hume as a shield to protect their fledgling movement from being crushed by the British government early on.

Theory	Proponent	Core Argument
Safety Valve	Lala Lajpat Rai	The INC was created to release Indian political pressure and prevent a revolution.
Conspiracy Theory	R.P. Dutt	The INC was a secret plot by the British and the Indian 'bourgeois' (middle-class) to abort a popular uprising.
Lightning Conductor	G.K. Gokhale	Hume was used as a 'shield' by Indians to organize without immediate government suppression.

During its initial phase (1885–1905), the Congress was dominated by 'Moderates' such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Badruddin Tyabji. Their approach was characterized by 'Prayer, Petition, and Protest' Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase, p.256. They aimed for gradual reforms and constitutional agitation, believing that the British sense of justice would eventually lead to Indian self-governance. This phase was crucial for building a national identity and teaching the diverse Indian population the value of united political action.

Sources: History, Class XII (Tamilnadu State Board 2024), Rise of Nationalism in India, p.10; Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase, p.248; Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase, p.256

2. The Significance of INC Annual Sessions and Presidency (intermediate)

The Indian National Congress (INC) was not merely a political party; it functioned as a deliberative "parliament in motion." Its Annual Sessions, usually held in December, served as the supreme decision-making body where the national agenda was debated and finalized. These sessions were vital for mass mobilization, as they rotated across different regions of India to ensure the movement remained truly pan-Indian. For instance, the 1937 session at Faizpur was significant for being the first to be held in a rural area, signaling the Congress's shift toward the peasantry Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India, Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement, p.409.

The office of the Congress President (often referred to then as the Rashtrapati) carried immense symbolic and political weight. The President was elected annually, and their ideological leaning often dictated the party's direction. For example, Jawaharlal Nehru used his presidency at the 1929 Lahore session to declare Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence), while Subhash Chandra Bose utilized the 1938 Haripura session to initiate the National Planning Committee Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India, After Nehru, p.822. During the late 1930s, the sessions at Lucknow and Faizpur were critical in deciding whether to contest elections under the 1935 Act while simultaneously maintaining an stance of "combating" the constitution from within the legislatures Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India, Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement, p.409.

As India approached independence, the role of the President became a bridge between the revolutionary party and the emerging government. Acharya J.B. Kripalani presided over the Meerut session in 1946 and remained the President when India attained independence on August 15, 1947. His tenure was marked by the difficult task of managing the relationship between the party organization and the Interim Government led by Nehru. Following his resignation in late 1947 due to ideological differences regarding the party's role in a post-colonial state, Rajendra Prasad stepped in until Pattabhi Sitaramayya was elected in 1948 Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India, Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64), p.636.

Sources: A Brief History of Modern India, Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement, p.409; A Brief History of Modern India, After Nehru, p.822; A Brief History of Modern India, Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64), p.636

3. Landmark Sessions: From Purna Swaraj to Quit India (exam-level)

The evolution of the Indian National Congress (INC) from a platform of petitioning to a revolutionary body is best captured through its landmark sessions between 1929 and 1947. These sessions were not merely annual gatherings but strategic milestones where the vision for a free India was articulated. The Lahore Session of 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, marked the most radical shift. Under the influence of a rising youth movement, the Congress abandoned the goal of 'Dominion Status' and formalised the demand for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) NCERT Class X (Revised 2025), Nationalism in India, p.39. This session gave the nation a symbolic 'Independence Day' on January 26, 1930, creating a psychological break from British rule Old NCERT Class XII (Bipin Chandra), Struggle for Swaraj, p.286.

Following the Civil Disobedience Movement, the Karachi Session of 1931, presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, added a vital social and economic dimension to the struggle. It adopted the Resolution on Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy, which served as the first formal 'manifesto' for a future independent India. This resolution ensured that political freedom would be inseparable from economic freedom, laying the groundwork for the Directive Principles later enshrined in our Constitution Tamil Nadu State Board Class XII, Period of Radicalism, p.67.

In the final decade of the struggle, the INC presidency saw long tenures due to the political vacuum of World War II. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as President from 1940 to 1946, steering the party through the Quit India Movement. However, as the transfer of power approached, Acharya J.B. Kripalani took over the presidency in 1946 (Meerut Session). He remained the INC President during the historic moment of independence on August 15, 1947, eventually resigning in November 1947 due to differences regarding the party's role in the new government.

Sources: NCERT Class X (Revised 2025), Nationalism in India, p.39; Old NCERT Class XII (Bipin Chandra), Struggle for Swaraj, p.286; Tamil Nadu State Board Class XII, Period of Radicalism, p.67; Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum, Civil Disobedience Movement, p.368

4. The Interim Government and Political Transition (1946) (intermediate)

The year 1946 marked a critical pivot from resistance to governance for the Indian National Congress. Following the arrival of the Cabinet Mission in March 1946 — comprising Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander — the focus shifted toward two goals: framing a new constitution and establishing an Interim Government to manage the transition of power History Class XII (Tamilnadu State Board 2024 ed.), Last Phase of Indian National Movement, p.93. While the Congress initially hesitated, Jawaharlal Nehru eventually accepted the proposal, leading to the formation of the Interim Government on September 2, 1946, with Nehru serving as the Vice-President of the Viceroy’s Executive Council (effectively the Prime Minister).

This transition created a unique leadership vacuum within the party. Because Nehru was now heading the government, he resigned from his position as the President of the Indian National Congress. To fill this role during the final march to freedom, Acharya J.B. Kripalani was elected President. He presided over the historic Meerut session in November 1946 and remained at the helm of the party through the actual moment of Independence on August 15, 1947. This period was defined by a delicate balance: while the Congress leaders were learning to run the state, the party organization under Kripalani had to maintain its identity and vision for a free India.

The functioning of the Interim Government was, however, fraught with administrative paralysis. The Muslim League initially boycotted the government but was later brought in by Lord Wavell on October 26, 1946, without renouncing its 'Direct Action' or its demand for partition Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Post-War National Scenario, p.476. Key portfolios like Finance were held by the League (Liaquat Ali Khan), which often led to deadlocks with Congress-held departments, making it clear to leaders like Nehru and Patel that a joint administration with the League was becoming increasingly untenable History Class XII (Tamilnadu State Board 2024 ed.), Last Phase of Indian National Movement, p.94.

Sources: History Class XII (Tamilnadu State Board 2024 ed.), Last Phase of Indian National Movement, p.93-94; Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Post-War National Scenario, p.472-476

5. Constitutional Milestones: The Independence Act 1947 (exam-level)

The Indian Independence Act of 1947 was the final legislative act of the British Parliament that brought an end to 200 years of British rule. It wasn't just a political announcement; it was a complex legal instrument designed to give formal shape to the Mountbatten Plan of June 3, 1947. This bill was rushed through the British Parliament with "amazing speed," receiving the Royal Assent on July 18, 1947 Introduction to the Constitution of India, THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION, p.18. Its primary purpose was to create two independent Dominions—India and Pakistan—and to transfer all authority to their respective Constituent Assemblies.

Crucially, the Act declared the Constituent Assembly of India to be a fully sovereign body. From August 15, 1947, the Assembly assumed full powers of governance, and the British Parliament ceased to have any control over Indian affairs A Brief History of Modern India, Making of the Constitution for India, p.615. Another major constitutional provision was the lapse of British Paramountcy. Under Section 7(1)(b), the suzerainty of the British Crown over the Indian Princely States ended, meaning they were technically free to join either dominion or remain independent, though they were encouraged to maintain existing arrangements regarding trade and communications Introduction to the Constitution of India, OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF OUR CONSTITUTION, p.51.

For the Indian National Congress, this was a moment of both triumph and transition. While leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru were already serving in the Interim Government, the organizational wing of the Congress was led by Acharya J.B. Kripalani. Having been elected at the Meerut session in 1946, Kripalani was the President of the INC when the clock struck midnight on August 14-15. He held the post during the intense negotiations of the partition and the transition of the Constituent Assembly into a sovereign legislature, eventually resigning in late 1947 due to ideological differences regarding the party’s role in the new government.

Sources: Introduction to the Constitution of India, THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION, p.18; A Brief History of Modern India, Making of the Constitution for India, p.615; Introduction to the Constitution of India, OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF OUR CONSTITUTION, p.51

6. INC Leadership During the Transfer of Power (exam-level)

As India approached the final milestone of its freedom struggle, the leadership of the Indian National Congress (INC) underwent a crucial transition to balance the needs of party organization with the responsibilities of the new Interim Government. For much of the early 1940s, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had served an unusually long term as President (1940–1946) because formal sessions could not be held during the Quit India Movement and World War II. However, as the Transfer of Power neared, Jawaharlal Nehru briefly took the helm in 1946 before resigning to lead the Interim Government as the Vice-President of the Executive Council Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Post-War National Scenario, p.477.

The man who steered the Congress through the actual moment of independence was Acharya J.B. Kripalani. Elected in 1946, he presided over the Meerut Session in November 1946. Kripalani’s role was not just ceremonial; he was a bridge between the party’s organizational wing and the emerging constitutional machinery. For instance, when the Constituent Assembly first met on December 9, 1946, it was Kripalani who proposed Dr. Sachchidanand Sinha as the provisional president of the assembly Rajiv Ahir, Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Making of the Constitution for India, p.616.

However, the post-independence era brought new challenges: the friction between the party organization and the government. Kripalani felt that the party's views were being sidelined by the Nehru-Patel led government, leading to his resignation in November 1947. Following this, Dr. Rajendra Prasad (who was also the President of the Constituent Assembly) served a brief stint as the INC President before Pattabhi Sitaramayya was elected in 1948 during the Jaipur session.

Sources: Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Post-War National Scenario, p.477; Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, Making of the Constitution for India, p.616

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

Review the concepts above and try solving the question.