Previous Year Question

The Indian Association was founded in 1876 CE at Calcutta by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. Its objective was to organise educated Indians politically and bring people from different regions onto a broader political platform.

The Indian Association raised issues relating to discrimination in the civil services, administrative reforms and greater political participation of Indians. It gradually strengthened the need for an all-India political organisation beyond provincial boundaries.

At the initiative of this organisation, sessions of the Indian National Conference were held at Calcutta in 1883 and 1885. These conferences sought to provide a common platform for political workers from different parts of the country.

After the establishment of the Indian National Congress in 1885 CE, there was considerable similarity between the political objectives of the Indian Association and the Congress. By the time of the Calcutta session of 1886, the two currents came together within a broader national political platform.

A historical terminology distinction should be noted here. Some accounts describe the Indian Association as merging with the Congress, while others describe the Indian National Conference, organised by it, as joining the Congress in 1886. Since the question specifically asks for the organisation founded by Surendranath Banerjee, Indian Association is taken as the answer among the given options.

The East India Association was associated with Dadabhai Naoroji and was established in London. Therefore, it is not the answer to this question.