Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2024 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
Who was the first Leader to Move a resolution in the Central Legislative Assembly demanding the Unification of all Odia speaking tracts into a separate province?
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (D) Nil Kantha Das
Correct Answer: (D) — Nil Kantha Das
Nil Kantha Das — The Pioneer
Nil Kantha Das, a prominent Odia leader and member of the Central Legislative Assembly, was the first to move a formal resolution in the Central Legislative Assembly demanding the unification of all Odia-speaking tracts into a separate province. This was a landmark moment in the Odia sub-nationalism movement, giving the demand for a separate Odisha province a formal parliamentary expression at the central level.
Historical Context
Odia-speaking populations were fragmented across multiple administrative units — the Bengal Presidency, Central Provinces, and Madras Presidency. The demand for a unified Odia-speaking province was a long-standing cultural and political aspiration. This parliamentary resolution was a crucial step that eventually led to the formation of Odisha as a separate province on 1 April 1936, becoming the first state carved out on linguistic lines in British India.
