Q. The Indian National Congress was sponsored by
(a) W. C. Bannerjee in December 1885
(b) A. O. Hume (an Englishman and a retired civil servant) in 1885
(c) S. N. Bannerjee in 1883
(d) None of the above.
Ans: (b) A. O. Hume (an Englishman and a retired civil servant) in 1885
Explanation: The Indian National Congress was sponsored by (b) A. O. Hume (an Englishman and a retired civil servant) in 1885.
Allan Octavian Hume, commonly known as A. O. Hume, played a key role in the formation of the Indian National Congress. He sponsored and organized the first session of the Congress, which was held in December 1885 in Mumbai (then known as Bombay). Hume believed in the need for a political platform that could represent Indian interests and aspirations, and he worked towards bringing together Indian leaders and intellectuals to establish such an organization.
S. N. Bannerjee was a prominent Indian leader and one of the early presidents of the Indian National Congress, but he did not sponsor the formation of the Congress. W. C. Bannerjee, on the other hand, was an important early leader in the Indian National Congress, but he also did not sponsor its formation.
Therefore, the correct answer is (b) A. O. Hume.
