Indian National Congress Sessions List with Additional Key Facts

Welcome, dear readers! If you’re an aspirant preparing for competitive exams like SSC, UPSC, Railway, or any state PSCs, you’ve landed in the right place. Our topic today is the Indian National Congress Sessions List with key facts, a significant part of Indian History that often finds its way into these examinations.

Understanding the fineness of our nation’s political history is not just about memorizing dates and events. It’s about appreciating a nation’s journey through its pivotal moments. This blog post aims to make that journey easier for you by providing a comprehensive list of Indian National Congress sessions, coupled with intriguing facts that add context to these historical milestones.

Stay tuned till the end, as each fact we uncover could be the key to cracking your next competitive exam. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!

Introduction

• The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed on – 28 December 1885.

• Father of Indian National Congress – retired Civil Service officer Allan Octavian Hume.

• The Viceroy of India at the time of the formation of the Indian National Congress – Lord Dufferin.

• Lord Dufferin said that the Indian National Congress represents only microscopic minorities.

• The Indian National Congress conducted its first session in Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885.

• The first session of the INC was originally proposed for Poona (Pune), but because of the outbreak of the plague, the venue was shifted to Bombay.

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Indian National Congress Sessions list

Session	Place	Date	President
1st	Bombay	1885	Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
2nd	Calcutta	1886	Dadabhai Naoroji
3rd	Madras	1887	Badruddin Tyabji
4th	Allahabad	1888	George Yule
5th	Bombay	1889	Sir William Wedderburn
6th	Calcutta	1890	Pherozeshah Mehta
7th	Nagpur	1891	P. Ananda Charlu
8th	Allahabad	1892	Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
9th	Lahore	1893	Dadabhai Naoroji
10th	Madras	1894	Alfred Webb
11th	Pune	1895	Surendranath Banerjee
12th	Calcutta	1896	Rahimatullah M. Sayani
13th	Amraoti	1897	C. Sankaran Nair
14th	Madras	1898	Ananda Mohan Bose
15th	Lucknow	1899	Romesh Chunder Dutt
16th	Lahore	1900	N.G. Chandavarkar
17th	Calcutta	1901	Dinshaw Eduljee Wacha
18th	Ahmedabad	1902	Surendranath Banerjee
19th	Madras	1903	Lal Mohan Ghosh
20th	Bombay	1903	Sir Henry Cotton
21st	Banaras	1905	Gopal Krishna Gokhale
22nd	Calcutta	1906	Shri Dadabhai Naoroji
23rd (Suspended)	Surat	1907	Rash Behari Ghosh
23rd	Madras	1908	Rash Behari Ghosh
24th	Lahore	1909	Madan Mohan Malaviya
25th	Allahabad	1910	Sir William Wedderburn
26th	Calcutta	1911	Bishan Narayan Dar
27th	Bankipore	1912	Shri Raghunath Narasinha Mudholkar
28th	Karachi	1913	Nawab Syed Mohammed Bahadur
29th	Madras	1914	Bhupendra Nath Bose
30th	Bombay	1915	Satyendra Prasanna Sinha
31st	Lucknow	1916	Ambica Charan Mazumdar
32nd	Calcutta	1917	Annie Besant
33rd	Delhi	1918	Madan Mohan Malaviya
(Special Session)	Bombay	1918	Romesh Chunder Dutt
34th	Amritsar	1919	Motilal Nehru
35th	Nagpur	1920	C. Vijayaraghavachariar
36th	Ahmedabad	1921	Hakim Ajmal Khan (Acting President for C.R. Das)
37th	Gaya	1922	Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das
Special	Delhi	1923	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
39th	Belgaum	1924	M.K. Gandhi
40th	Cawnpore	1925	Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
41st	Gawahati	1926	S. Srinivasa Iyengar
42nd	Madras	1927	M.A. Ansari
43rd	Calcutta	1929	Motilal Nehru
44th	Lahore	1929	Pt Jawaharlal Nehru
45th	Karachi	1931	Vallabbhai J. Patel
47th	Calcutta	1933	Mrs. Nellie Sengupta
48th	Bombay	1934	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
49th	Lucknow	1936	Pt Jawaharlal Nehru
50th	Faizpur	1937	Pt Jawaharlal Nehru
51st	Haripura	1938	Subhash Chandra Bose
52nd	Tripura	1939	Subhash Chandra Bose
53rd	Ramgarh	1940	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
…..	…..	1941- 45	No session because of arrest
54th	Meerut	1946	J.B. Kripalani
55th	Jaipur	1948	Pattabhi Sitaramayya

Indian National Congress Sessions with important points

Session	Year	Place	President	Important Points
1st	25 December, 1885	Bombay	WC Banerjee	• General Secretary – A. O. Hume •  Dadabbhai Naoroji gave the name INC •  Exact Venue – Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay •  Number of delegates – 72
2nd	1886	Kolkata	Dadabhai Naoroji	• Merger of National Congress and Indian National Association • Number of delegates – 436
3rd	1887	Madras	Badruddin Tyabji	•  First Muslim President of Indian National Congress •  Number of delegates – 1248 • the First appeal to Muslims to join
4th	1888	Allahabad	George Yule	•  First English president of the Indian National Congress
5th	1889	Bombay	William Wedderburn	• Second English president of Indian National Congress after George Yule
7th	1891	Nagpur	P. Anand Charlu	•  The word “National” was added to Congress.
12th	1896	Calcutta	Rahimtulla M Sayani	• National Song Vande Mataram was sung for the first time.
15th	1899	Lucknow	Romesh Chunder Dutt	• Demand for permanent fixation of land revenue
22nd	1906	Kolkata	Dadabhai Naoroji	The word ‘Swaraj’ was used the first time.
23rd (Suspended)	1907	Surat	Rasbihari Ghosh	•  Surat Split – Indian National Congress split into two parts  – Moderates and Extremists.
23rd	1908	Madras	Rasbihari Ghosh	• Formation of the Constitution of the Indian National Congress
24th	1909	Lahore	Madan Mohan Malaviya	• Disapproval over separate electorates.
26th	1911 (27 Dec.)	Kolkata	Bishan Narayan Das	• Jana Gana Mana sung for the first time
31st	1916	Lucknow	Ambica Charan Mazumdar	• Lucknow Pact signed • Joint session with the Muslim League • Reunite of Extremist and Moderate.
32nd	1917	Calcutta	Annie Besant	• First woman President of Indian National Congress.
Special Session	1918	Bombay	Syed Hasan Imam	• The session was convened to deliberate the contentious Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Scheme
34th	1919	Amritsar	Motilal Nehru	• Jallianwala Bagh massacre strongly condemned. • The procession was jointly led by the Congress President, Motilal Nehru, and the Muslim League President, Hakim Ajmal Khan.
35th	1920	Nagpur	C Vijaya Raghavachariar	• Finally passed the Non-cooperation resolution. • Formation of Congress Working Committee (CWC) – 15 members
37th	1922	Gaya	Chittaranjan Das	• The Swarajya Party formed
special session	1923	Delhi	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	•  Indian National Congress decided to establish the All India Khadi Board. •  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the youngest president of the Indian National Congress
39th	1924	Belgaum	Mahatma Gandhi	•  Only session presided by Mahatma Gandhi.
40th	1925	Kanpur	Sarojini Naidu	• First Indian woman president of Indian National Congress.
41st	1926	Gauhati	S Srinivasa Iyengar	•  Wearing Khadi was made compulsory for its workers.
42nd	1927	Madras	M A Ansari	•  Adopted a significant resolution against the use of Indian troops in China, Mesopotamia, and Persia. •  Proposals to Boycott Simon Commission. •  Independence resolution was passed for the 1st time.
43rd	1928	Calcutta	Motilal Nehru	• First All India Youth Congress was established.
44th	1929	Lahore	Jawaharlal Nehru	•  Resolution for Poorna Swaraj. •  Civil disobedience movement for complete independence to be launched •  26 Jan 1930 to be observed as ‘Independence Day.
45th	1931	Karachi	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel	• Resolutions on Fundamental Rights. • National Economic Policy was passed. • To endorse the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. • Protection of language, culture & script of minorities. • Universal adult franchise • Free and compulsory education • Gandhi-Irwin Pact endorsed • Gandhiji nominated to represent INC in 2nd Round Table Conference
30th	1932	Delhi	R Amritlal	• Congress boycotted the third Round Table Conference. • Poona Pact (24 Sept. 1932)
48th	1934	Bombay	Rajendra Prasad	• Formation of Congress Socialist Party
50th	1937	Faizpur	Jawaharlal Nehru	• First session to be held in a village • INC and All India Kisan Sabha joint session • Agrarian policy added to Congress manifesto
51st	1938	Haripura (Gujarat)	Subhas Chandra Bose	• National Planning Committee set up under Nehru
52nd	1939	Tripuri	Subhas Chandra Bose (Re-elected)	•  Tripuri is a small village in Madhya Pradesh. •  Subhas Chandra Bose becomes President by defeating Pattabhi Sitaramaiyya. • Formation of Forwarding bloc within the congress.
53rd	1940	Ramgarh	Abul Kalam Azad	• Decision was taken to start Individual Satyagraha. • Youngest President.
54th	1946	Meerut	J. B. Kripalani	• First session before independence
55th	1948	Jaipur	Pattabhi Sitaramayya	• First session after independence

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Important Fact about the President of the Indian National Congress

• First President of Indian National Congress. ☛ Womesh Chunder Banerjee

• First Parsi president of the Indian National Congress. ☛ Dadabhai Naoroji

• First Muslim President of the Indian National Congress. ☛ Syed Badruddin Tyabji

• First English President of the Indian National Congress. ☛ George Yule

• Second English president of the Indian National Congress after George Yule. ☛ William Wedderburn

• First Woman President of the Indian National Congress. ☛ Annie Besant

• First Indian Woman President of the Indian National Congress. ☛ Sarojini Naidu

• Youngest President of the Indian National Congress. ☛ Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (He was elected as president at the age of 35.)

• President of 1948, Jaipur session  (First session after independence) ☛ Pattabhi Sitaramayya

• President of 1946, Meerut session (First session before independence) ☛ J. B. Kripalani

Indian National Congress sessions with major facts

💠Dadabhai Naoroji became the president of the Indian National Congress. ☛ 3 times

Session List

• 1886 – Calcutta
• 1893 – Lahore
• 1906 – Calcutta

💠Pt Jawaharlal Nehru became the president of the Indian National Congress. ☛ 7 times

Session List

• 1928 – Kolkata
• 1929 – Lahore
• 1936 – Lucknow
• 1937 – Faizpur
• 1951 – Delhi
• 1953 – Hyderabad
• 1954 – Kalyani

💠Maximum sessions of the Indian National Congress were held in ☛ Calcutta (9 Times)

💠The First Session of the Indian National Congress was held in a Village. ☛ Faizpur, 1937, 50th Session (In Maharashtra)

💠Second Session of the Indian National Congress, which was held in a Village. ☛ Haripura (Gujarat), 1938, 51st Session

💠Only session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi. ☛ The Belgaum session, 1924

💠 Subhas Chandra Bose becomes the president of the Indian National Congress in ☛ Haripura Sessions (Gujarat), 1938.

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All Sessions of the Indian National Congress MAP

Important Event of the  Sessions of the Indian National Congress

National Song – Vande Mataram

• The song Vande Mataram was composed in Sanskrit.

• And It was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji.

• It has an equal status with the national anthem Jana-Gana-Mana.

• It was sung in the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

The word ‘Swaraj’ was used for the first time

• The word ‘Swaraj’ was first used by Dadabhai Naouraji in the Congress session held in Calcutta in 1906.
• Swaraj means self-governance or ‘Self-rule’

• It was used synonymously with “home rule” by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and later on by Mohandas Gandhi.

• Dadabhai Navroji claimed that he had learned the word Swaraj from the Satyarth Prakash of Dayananda Saraswati.

The Surat Split

• The Surat Split was the splitting of the Indian National Congress into two groups at the Surat session in 1907.

1. The Extremists and the
2. Moderates

• 1885-1905 was known as the period of the moderates.

• The Moderates used petitions, meetings, resolutions, pamphlets, memoranda, and delegations to voice their demands to the British government.

• Their method has been called 3P – Prayers, Petition, and Protest.

• On the other hand, the Extremists believed in self-reliance as a weapon against domination.

The National anthem song “Jana-Gana-Mana”

• The song Jana-gana-mana was originally composed in Bengali.
• The song was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

• It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national anthem of India on 24 January 1950.

• It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

• The complete song consists of five stanzas.
• The first stanza contains the full version of the National Anthem

• The playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds

Non-cooperation resolution

• Gandhi announced the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement in August 1920.

• In December 1920, Congress met in the Nagpur Session and adopted the Non-Cooperation Movement.

• Originally, Gandhiji wished to pass a resolution for the Non-Cooperation Movement in the Calcutta session.

The merger of the Indian National Congress and the Indian National Association

• The Indian Association was founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876.

• Later the Indian Association merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886.

Lucknow Pact

• The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League (AIML).

• Through the pact, the two parties agreed to allow representatives of religious minorities in the provincial legislatures.

Resolution for Purna Swaraj

• The Indian National Congress, on 19 December 1929, passed the historic ‘Purna Swaraj’ – (total independence) resolution – at its Lahore session.

• A public declaration was made on 26 January 1930 – a day which the Congress Party urged Indians to celebrate as ‘Independence Day.

What were some key resolutions passed during these sessions?

What were some key resolutions passed during INC sessions?

During the various sessions of the Indian National Congress (INC), several key resolutions were passed that shaped the direction of the Indian independence movement. Here are some of the notable ones:

• 1885 Bombay: Formation of the Indian National Congress.

• 1896 Calcutta: The national song ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung for the first time.

• 1905 Benares: Formal proclamation of the Swadeshi movement against the government.

• 1906 Calcutta: Adoption of four resolutions on Swaraj (Self-Government), Boycott Movement, Swadeshi, and National Education.

• 1907 Surat: The session was adjourned due to the split in Congress between Moderates and Extremists.

• 1916 Lucknow: Unity between the Moderates and Extremists factions of Congress and the signing of the Lucknow Pact with the Muslim League.

• 1919 Amritsar: Congress extended support to the Khilafat Movement.

• 1920 Calcutta (Special Session): Mahatma Gandhi moved the Non-cooperation resolution.

• 1920 Nagpur: Reconstitution of Working committees of Congress on a Linguistic basis and a resolution against the use of Indian troops in China, Iran, and Mesopotamia.

These resolutions reflect the INC’s evolving strategies and objectives as it navigated the complex political landscape of the time, striving for India’s independence. The resolutions passed during these sessions were instrumental in mobilizing public opinion and guiding the national movement.

Previous Year Questions about the Sessions of the Indian National Congress

1. Who is called the ‘Father of Indian National Congress’? (WBCS Prelims – 2020)
A. MK Gandhi
B. A.O Hume
C. B.G Tilak
D. SN Banerjee

View Answer

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2. Indian National Congress was founded by _ (WBCS Prelims – 2019)
A. Motilal Nehru
B. SN Banerjee
C. B.G Tilak
D. A.O Hume

View Answer

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3. At which session of the INC was “Vande Mataram” sung for the first time? (WBCS Prelims – 2019)
A. 1920 session
B. 1906 session
C. 1896 session
D. 1922 session

View Answer

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4. The first session of the INC was presided by – (WBCS Prelims – 2019)
A. WC Banerjee
B. S.N Banerjee
C. Aurobindo Ghosh
D. Bipin Chandra Pal

View Answer

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5. In which session of Congress the demand of “Poorna Swaraj” was accepted as the aim of the Congress? (SSC Section Officer (Audit) Exam. 1997 )
A. Calcutta
B. Madras
C. Nagpur
D. Lahore

View Answer

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6. In which session of the Indian National Congress was the tricolor flag unfurled for the first time?
(SSC Section Officer 2003)
A. Calcutta Session, 1920
B. Annual Session of Congress in Nagpur, 1920
C. Lahore Congress, 1929
D. Haripura Congress Conference, 1938

View Answer

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7. Who is called the ‘Father of the Indian National Congress?
(SSC Tax Assistant 2005)
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. A.O. Hume
C. Lokmanya Tilak
D. Surendra Nath Banerjee

View Answer

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8. Who was the first woman President of Congress? (SSC Tax Assistant 2006)
A. Mrs. Annie Besant
B. Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
C. Mrs. Nellie Sengupta
D. Aruna Asaf Ali

View Answer

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9. ‘Poorna Swaraj’ (Complete Independence) was declared to be the goal of the Indian National Congress in its Session of _ (SSC Section Officer (Commercial Audit Exam. 2006 )
A. Lucknow, 1916
B. Lahore, 1929
C. Tripuri, 1939
D. Lahore, 1940

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10. After leaving the Congress, Subhash Chandra Bose formed __ in 1939
(SSC Tax Assistant 2007)
A. Socialist Bloc
B. Revolutionary Socialist Bloc
C. Forward Bloc
D. Socialist-Congress Bloc

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11. The first General Secretary of the Indian National Congress was _ (SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2007)
A. Dadabhai Naoroji
B. A.O. Hume
C. Ferozeshah Mehta
D. Badruddin Tyabji

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12. The Indian National Congress had passed the famous resolution on “Non-Cooperation” in 1920 at its session held at _ (SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2007)
A. Lucknow
B. Nagpur
C. Bombay
D. Calcutta

View Answer

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13. The Indian National Congress and the Muslim League came closer to each other in 1916 at
(SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2007)
A. Lahore
B. Amritsar
C. Lucknow
D. Haripura

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14. Who was the President of the Indian National Congress when the Mountbatten Plan of Independence was accepted?
(SSC CGL Prelim 2008)
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Sardar Patel
C. Maulana Azad
D. Acharya J. B. Kripalani

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15. Who was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress?
(SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2008)
A. Muhammed Ali Jinnah
B. Badruddin Tyabji
C. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
D. Abul Kalam Azad

View Answer

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16. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was
(SSC CGL)
A. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyaya
B. Sarojini Naidu
C. Annie Besant
D. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

View Answer

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FAQs about the sessions of the Indian National Congress

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