List of All Sessions of the Indian National Congress
Essential for SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, and Railway exams, the Indian National Congress (INC) session questions frequently test the Year, Venue, President, and Historical Significance of each event.
The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in December 1885 under the presidency of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee. Over time, the Congress sessions became important platforms for discussing constitutional reforms, the national movement, Swadeshi, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, complete independence and the Quit India Movement.
This article outlines key annual and special sessions, essential facts, and practice questions for exam preparation.
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Complete List of Indian National Congress Sessions
The 1st session of the Indian National Congress was held in the year 1885 and took place at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay. W. C. Banerjee was the President of the first session of the INC, and the 1st session was attended by 72 delegates.
List of All Sessions of the Indian National Congress: President and Important Facts
| Year | Place | President | Important Facts |
| 1885 | Bombay | W.C Banerjee | Attended by 72 Delegates |
| 1886 | Calcutta | Dadabhai Naoroji | Attended by 436 delegates |
| 1887 | Madras | Badruddiin Tayyabji | He was the 1st Muslim President of INC |
| 1888 | Allahabad | Sir George Yule | He was the 1st British President of INC |
| 1896 | Calcutta | Rahimtullah M Sayani | “Vande Mataram” was sung for the 1st time. |
| 1899 | Lucknow | Romesh Chandra Dutt | ________ |
| 1901 | Calcutta | Dinshaw E.Wacha | For the 1st time, Mahatma Gandhi was seen on the stage |
| 1905 | Banaras | Gopal Krishna Gokhale | Swadeshi gained importance after the Partition of Bengal |
| 1906 | Calcutta | Dadabhai Naoroji | Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott and National Education were emphasised |
| 1907 | Surat | Ras Behari Bose | INC was divided into 2 parts: Moderate- leader was Ras Behari Bose Extremist – Leader was Lala Lajpat Rai & Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 1910 | Allahabad | Sir William Wedderburn | M.A Jinnah decided the “separate electorate system” introduced by 1909 Act. |
| 1911 | Calcutta | B.N Dhar | “Jan-Gan-Man” sang for the 1st time in the session |
| 1915 | Bombay | Sir S.P Sinha | Moderates and Extremists move toward reunion |
| 1916 | Lucknow | A.C Majumdar | Reunion of the “Indian National Congress” (INC), Lucknow Pact signed, Gandhiji attended. |
| 1917 | Calcutta | Annie Besant | 1st women President of INC. |
| 1918 | Bombay | Syed Hasan Imam | _________ |
| 1919 | Amritsar | Motilal Nehru | Held after the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy |
| 1920 | Nagpur | C. Vijayaraghavachariar | M.A Jinnah left the INC. Gandhian programme was adopted. |
| 1922 | Gaya | Chittaranjan Das | Formation of “Swaraj Party” |
| 1923 | Delhi | Maulana Azad | Youngest President of INC. |
| 1924 | Belgaum | Gandhiji | Only Congress session presided over by Gandhi |
| 1925 | Kanpur | Sarojini Naidu | 1st Indian woman president of INC. |
| 1927 | Madras | Dr. M.A Ansari | Simon Commission boycott was decided |
| 1928 | Calcutta | Motilal Nehru | “All India Youth Congress” formed |
| 1929 | Lahore | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru | Demanded “Poorna Swaraj” (Complete Independence) and pledged on Independence Day on 26 Jan.1930 |
| 1931 | Karachi | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | Gandhiji nominated to represent INC in 2nd “Round Table Conference” Approval of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact or Delhi Pact. |
| 1934 | Bombay | Rajendra Prasad | Formation of “Congress Socialist Party” |
| 1936 | Lucknow | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru | Socialism and the national movement were discussed |
| 1937 | Faizpur (Maharashtra) | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru | 1st session to be held in village. |
| 1938 | Haripura (Gujarat) | Subhash Chandra Bose | ____________ |
| 1939 | Tripuri (Madhya Pradesh) | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | Subhash Chandra Bose formed “All India Forward Bloc” |
| 1940 | Ramgarh (West Bengal) | Abdul Kalam Azad | “Quit India Movement” started in 1942. |
| 1946 | Meerut | J.B Kripplani | No regular annual session was held. |
| 1948 | Jaipur | P. Sitaramayya | First session after independence |
The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in December 1885 under the presidency of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee. Later sessions played an important role in the development of the national movement, including the Swadeshi Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and the demand for Poorna Swaraj.
Most Important Congress Sessions for SSC and Railway Exams
1. Bombay Session, 1885
The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay from 28 to 30 December 1885. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over the session. A total of 72 delegates attended it.
2. Calcutta Session, 1906
Dadabhai Naoroji presided over the 1906 Calcutta Session. The four important demands associated with this session were:
- Swaraj
- Swadeshi
- Boycott
- National Education
This session is particularly important because it reflected the growing influence of assertive nationalism after the Partition of Bengal.
3. Surat Session, 1907
Marked by a split between Moderates and Extremists over political methods and leadership, this session selected Ras Bihari Bose as President.
4. Lucknow Session, 1916
Ambika Charan Mazumdar presided over the Lucknow Session. Its two major outcomes were the reunion of the Moderates and Extremists and the Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the Muslim League.
5. Calcutta Special Session, 1920
Lala Lajpat Rai presided over this special session. The Congress approved the Non-Cooperation programme proposed by Mahatma Gandhi. The final organisational approval came at the Nagpur Session later in the same year.
6. Nagpur Session, 1920
Presided over by C. Vijayaraghavachariar, this session endorsed the Non-Cooperation Movement while broadening membership and reorganising Congress provincial committees on a linguistic basis.
7. Belgaum Session, 1924
Mahatma Gandhi presided over the Belgaum Session. It was the only Congress session presided over by Gandhi ji, making it the most frequently asked question in exams.
8. Madras Session, 1927
Presided over by M.A. Ansari, the Congress resolved to boycott the Simon Commission and moved toward demanding complete independence.
9. Lahore Session, 1929
Jawaharlal Nehru presided over the Lahore Session. The Congress adopted Poorna Swaraj, or complete independence, as its objective. 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day, and the Civil Disobedience Movement was launched soon afterwards.
10. Karachi Session, 1931
Vallabhbhai Patel presided over the Karachi Session. The session adopted resolutions on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme. These resolutions are considered an important early statement of the social and economic vision of independent India.
11. Faizpur Session, 1937
Presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, this was the first rural congress session, aiming to connect the national movement with peasants and villages.
Firsts Related to Indian National Congress Sessions
| First session of the INC | Bombay, 1885 |
| First president of the INC | Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee |
| First Muslim president | Syed Badruddin Tyabji, Madras Session, 1887 |
| First English president | George Yule, Allahabad Session, 1888 |
| First woman president | Annie Besant, Calcutta Session, 1917 |
| First Indian woman president | Sarojini Naidu, Kanpur Session, 1925 |
| Only session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi | Belgaum Session, 1924 |
| First session held in a rural area | Faizpur Session, 1937 |
| Session that adopted Poorna Swaraj | Lahore Session, 1929 |
| Session that adopted Fundamental Rights resolution | Karachi Session, 1931 |
| Session associated with the Lucknow Pact | Lucknow Session, 1916 |
| Session associated with the Moderates–Extremists split | Surat Session, 1907 |
Frequently Asked MCQs
1. Where was the first session of the Indian National Congress held?
A. Calcutta
B. Bombay
C. Madras
D. Allahabad
Answer: B. Bombay
2. Who presided over the first session of the INC?
A. Dadabhai Naoroji
B. A. O. Hume
C. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
D. Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: C. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
3. Who was the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress?
A. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
B. Syed Badruddin Tyabji
C. Hakim Ajmal Khan
D. Maulana Mohammad Ali
Answer: B. Syed Badruddin Tyabji
4. The Surat Split took place in which year?
A. 1905
B. 1906
C. 1907
D. 1909
Answer: C. 1907
5. The Lucknow Pact was associated with which Congress session?
A. 1907
B. 1916
C. 1919
D. 1920
Answer: B. 1916
6. Who presided over the Belgaum Session of 1924?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Vallabhbhai Patel
C. Mahatma Gandhi
D. Rajendra Prasad
Answer: C. Mahatma Gandhi
7. Poorna Swaraj was adopted at which session?
A. Madras, 1927
B. Calcutta, 1928
C. Lahore, 1929
D. Karachi, 1931
Answer: C. Lahore, 1929
8. Who presided over the Lahore Session of 1929?
A. Motilal Nehru
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Subhas Chandra Bose
D. Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: B. Jawaharlal Nehru
9. The resolution on Fundamental Rights was adopted at which session?
A. Karachi, 1931
B. Lahore, 1929
C. Faizpur, 1937
D. Haripura, 1938
Answer: A. Karachi, 1931
10. Which was the first rural session of the Indian National Congress?
A. Haripura
B. Faizpur
C. Tripuri
D. Ramgarh
Answer: B. Faizpur
11. Who presided over the Haripura Session of 1938?
A. Subhas Chandra Bose
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Abul Kalam Azad
D. Rajendra Prasad
Answer: A. Subhas Chandra Bose
12. Who was the first woman president of the INC?
A. Sarojini Naidu
B. Annie Besant
C. Sucheta Kripalani
D. Aruna Asaf Ali
Answer: B. Annie Besant
Quick Revision Strategy
For SSC and Railway exams, revise the sessions in groups instead of memorising the entire table at once:
- Foundation group (1885, 1887, 1888) – first session, first Muslim president and first English president.
- Nationalist group (1905, 1906, 1907) – Swadeshi, four Calcutta resolutions and Surat Split.
- Reunion and Gandhian group (1916, 1917, 1920, 1924) – Lucknow Pact, Annie Besant, Non-Cooperation Movement and Belgaum Session.
- Complete independence group (1927, 1929, 1931) – Simon Commission boycott, Purna Swaraj and Fundamental Rights.
- Final phase group (1937, 1938, 1939, 1940) – Faizpur, Haripura, Tripuri and Ramgarh Sessions.
Conclusion
The Indian National Congress sessions provide a clear timeline of the Indian freedom struggle. For competitive examinations, focus on the year, venue, president, and key historical events.
Highest-Priority Sessions to Revise:
1885: First Session
1907: Surat Split
1916: Lucknow Session
1924: Non-Cooperation Sessions
1929: Lahore Session
1931: Karachi Session
Revise these tables regularly and practise MCQs to improve accuracy in SSC and Railway Modern History Questions.