The Indian National Congress is founded

72 delegates met in Bombay and founded the Congress.

Key points for UPSC

• The first session met at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay, on 28 December 1885, with 72 delegates.
• W. C. Bonnerjee presided; A. O. Hume, a retired civil servant, helped organise it. Lord Dufferin was Viceroy.
• The session was first planned for Poona but moved to Bombay because of a cholera outbreak.

Who was involved

• W. C. Bonnerjee · presiding over the first session

Test yourself

1. 1. Who was the first president of the Indian National Congress?

   • (a) W. C. Bonnerjee
   • (b) Dadabhai Naoroji
   • (c) A. O. Hume
   • (d) Surendranath Banerjea
   Show answer

   (a) W. C. Bonnerjee. W. C. Bonnerjee presided over the 1885 session.

2. 2. How many delegates attended the first Congress session?

   • (a) 72
   • (b) 100
   • (c) 250
   • (d) 35
   Show answer

   (a) 72. 72 delegates attended in Bombay.

3. 3. Who was Viceroy when the Congress was founded?

   • (a) Lord Dufferin
   • (b) Lord Ripon
   • (c) Lord Curzon
   • (d) Lord Lytton
   Show answer

   (a) Lord Dufferin. Dufferin was Viceroy from 1884 to 1888.