Government Updates for UPSC Preparation – 17 August 2026

Bipin Chandra Pal → Started → Bande Mataram

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh → Later editor → Complete Independence / Purna Swaraj

Bande Mataram → Anti-British discourse → Swadeshi → Boycott → National Education → Passive Resistance → Non-Cooperation

⚠️ Exam Trap: Do not confuse Bipin Chandra Pal = Started with Sri Aurobindo = Later edited.

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Bande Mataram:

1. It was a weekly publication.
2. Bipin Chandra Pal started it.
3. Sri Aurobindo Ghosh later edited it.
4. The journal advocated complete independence.
5. It propagated Swadeshi, boycott and national education.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1, 2 and 3 only
B) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
C) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
D) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Khudiram Bose → 18

Prafulla Chaki → 19

Target → Douglas Kingsford

Q. Consider the following pairs:

1. Khudiram Bose — 18 years
2. Prafulla Chaki — 19 years
3. Douglas Kingsford — Target of revolutionary action

Which of the pairs are correctly matched?

A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3

Kartar Singh Sarabha → Age 19 → Revolutionary → Ghadar Movement → Organised Indians against British rule → Hanged

Q. Kartar Singh Sarabha is primarily associated in the source with:

A) Ghadar Movement
B) Quit India Movement
C) Dandi March
D) Home Rule Movement

Bhagat Singh → 116-day hunger strike

Age at execution → 23

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Bhagat Singh undertook a 116-day hunger strike.
2. The hunger strike protested the inhumane treatment of Indian prisoners.
3. He was executed at the age of 23.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3

Pritilata Waddedar → Pahartali European Club → Racial discrimination → Age 21

Q. Pritilata Waddedar is associated with which of the following?

A) Pahartali European Club
B) Writers' Building
C) Gohpur Police Station
D) Brahmani River

Kanaklata Barua → Gohpur → Assam → Quit India Movement → Tricolour → Age 16

Q. Consider the following pairs:

1. Kanaklata Barua — Gohpur
2. Kanaklata Barua — Quit India Movement
3. Kanaklata Barua — Tricolour procession

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3

Age Sequence: Binoy → 22 | Badal → 18 | Dinesh → 19

Place Association: Binoy–Badal–Dinesh → Writers' Building → Bengal

Q. Which one of the following places is directly associated in the source with Binoy–Badal–Dinesh?

A) Writers' Building
B) Gohpur Police Station
C) Pahartali European Club
D) Yerwada Jail

Kakori Action → Chandra Shekhar Azad + Ashfaqulla Khan

Ashfaqulla Khan → 27 → Hanged

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Chandra Shekhar Azad was associated with the Kakori action.
2. Ashfaqulla Khan was associated with the Kakori action.
3. The action aimed to seize government funds for the freedom struggle.
4. Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged at the age of 27.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

⚠️ Number Trap: Jatindra Nath Das → 63-day hunger strike

Do not confuse it with the 116-day figure associated with Bhagat Singh in this Fact File.

Q. Which of the following is correctly matched?

A) Bhagat Singh — 63-day hunger strike
B) Jatindra Nath Das — 63-day hunger strike
C) Kartar Singh Sarabha — 63-day hunger strike
D) Khudiram Bose — 63-day hunger strike

Tiruppur Kumaran → Tamil Nadu → Protest march → National Flag → British flag ban → Protected the flag's honour

Q. Tiruppur Kumaran is particularly associated with:

A) Protecting the national flag during a protest march
B) Leading the Ghadar Movement
C) Kakori action
D) Munda Ulgulan

Baji Rout → Dhenkanal → Odisha → Brahmani River → Age 12

Q. Consider the following pairs:

1. Baji Rout — Dhenkanal
2. Baji Rout — Brahmani River
3. Baji Rout — Odisha
4. Baji Rout — Age 12

Which of the pairs are correctly matched?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Mailara Mahadevappa → Karnataka → Bhagat Singh of Karnataka → Dandi March → Guerrilla movement

Age Trap: 18 → Joined Dandi March | 32 → Killed

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Mailara Mahadevappa is associated with Karnataka.
2. He was known as the “Bhagat Singh of Karnataka.”
3. He joined Gandhi in the Dandi March at age 18.
4. He later led a guerrilla movement against the British.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Damodar Hari Chapekar → 1897 → W.C. Rand → Pune Plague → Yerwada Jail

Q. Consider the following pairs:

1. Damodar Hari Chapekar — W.C. Rand
2. Damodar Hari Chapekar — 1897
3. Damodar Hari Chapekar — Pune Plague
4. Damodar Hari Chapekar — Yerwada Jail

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Age → Organisation:
16 → Mitra Mela
21 → Abhinav Bharat Society

Other Associations: Foreign clothes bonfire → Pune | 50 years' rigorous imprisonment → Cellular Jail, Andaman

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Savarkar according to the source:

1. He founded Mitra Mela at age 16.
2. He founded Abhinav Bharat Society by age 21.
3. He organised public bonfires of foreign clothes in Pune.
4. He was sentenced to 50 years of rigorous imprisonment in Andaman's Cellular Jail.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Birsa Munda → Munda people → Tribal mobilisation → Munda Ulgulan → British rule + Zamindars → Dikus

Age: 24 → Began mobilisation

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Birsa Munda mobilised tribal communities against British policies and exploitation.
2. He launched the Munda Ulgulan.
3. The rebellion was directed against British rule and Dikus.
4. The source associates his mobilisation with the Munda people.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1, 2 and 3 only
C) 2, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Bipin Chandra Pal → Started

Sri Aurobindo → Later edited

Bande Mataram → Complete Independence / Purna Swaraj

116 days → Bhagat Singh
63 days → Jatindra Nath Das

12 years → Baji Rout
16 years → Kanaklata Barua / Savarkar's Mitra Mela association
18 years → Khudiram Bose / Badal / Mailara Mahadevappa
19 years → Prafulla Chaki / Kartar Singh Sarabha / Dinesh
21 years → Pritilata Waddedar / Savarkar's Abhinav Bharat association
24 years → Chandra Shekhar Azad / Jatindra Nath Das / Birsa Munda mobilisation

Revision Method: Study these as person–place–movement–age–organisation association chains to handle statement-based and matching questions.

1. What are the important current affairs topics for UPSC on 17 August 2026?

The key topics are the Bande Mataram journal and important young revolutionaries, including Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Bhagat Singh, Kanaklata Barua, Baji Rout, Savarkar and Birsa Munda, along with their ages, movements, organisations and place associations.

2. Who started the Bande Mataram nationalist journal?

Bipin Chandra Pal started Bande Mataram. Sri Aurobindo Ghosh later edited the weekly nationalist publication.

3. What ideas were promoted by the Bande Mataram journal?

The journal promoted complete independence, Swadeshi, boycott campaigns, national education, passive resistance, non-cooperation and popular arbitration for settling legal disputes.

4. Who were associated with the revolutionary action against Douglas Kingsford?

Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki were associated with the revolutionary action targeting British magistrate Douglas Kingsford. Their highlighted ages are 18 and 19 respectively.

5. Which revolutionary is associated with the Ghadar Movement?

Kartar Singh Sarabha is associated with the Ghadar Movement and with organising Indians against British rule.

6. How long was Bhagat Singh's hunger strike?

According to the source, Bhagat Singh undertook a 116-day hunger strike against the inhumane treatment of Indian prisoners. He was executed at the age of 23.

7. Who undertook a 63-day hunger strike?

Jatindra Nath Das undertook a 63-day hunger strike against the brutal treatment of Indian prisoners and died in prison after 63 days.

8. Who led the Tricolour procession at Gohpur Police Station?

Kanaklata Barua, aged 16 in the source, led an unarmed procession to hoist the Tricolour at Gohpur Police Station during the Quit India Movement.

9. Which place is associated with Binoy, Badal and Dinesh?

Writers' Building is associated with Binoy–Badal–Dinesh, who confronted British officials over the treatment of political prisoners.

10. Who were associated with the Kakori action?

Chandra Shekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan are associated with the Kakori action in the source. It aimed to seize government funds for the freedom struggle.

11. Why is Baji Rout remembered in India's freedom struggle?

Baji Rout, highlighted at the age of 12, refused to ferry British troops across the Brahmani River. He is associated with Dhenkanal in Odisha.

12. Who is known as the Bhagat Singh of Karnataka?

Mailara Mahadevappa is known as the “Bhagat Singh of Karnataka.” He joined Gandhi in the Dandi March at age 18 and later led a guerrilla movement against the British.

13. What is the association between Damodar Hari Chapekar and W.C. Rand?

According to the source, Damodar Hari Chapekar assassinated British Plague Commissioner W.C. Rand in 1897 in protest against military atrocities during the Pune plague.

14. At what ages did Savarkar establish Mitra Mela and Abhinav Bharat Society?

According to the source, Savarkar founded Mitra Mela at age 16 and the Abhinav Bharat Society by age 21.

15. What was the Munda Ulgulan and who launched it?

Birsa Munda launched the Munda Ulgulan after mobilising tribal communities against British policies, zamindars and the exploitation of the Munda people. The rebellion was directed against British rule and Dikus.