Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2024 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
Which of the following was the first major administrative measure taken by the Congress Ministry formed in Odisha under Hare Krushna Mahatab on 23 April 1946?
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (B) Release of political prisoners
Context
On 23 April 1946, the Congress Ministry was formed in Odisha under Hare Krushna Mahatab following the provincial elections. This was a critical period in India’s independence movement, just a year before independence, when political activity was intensifying across all provinces.
First Major Administrative Measure
The release of political prisoners was the immediate and first major administrative action taken by the Mahatab ministry. Thousands of freedom fighters, activists, and Congress workers had been imprisoned by the British colonial administration during the Quit India Movement (1942) and other agitations. Releasing them was both a political priority and a moral obligation of the newly formed Congress government.
