Question

Who was the first Governor-General of free India?
a. Rajagopalachari
b. Lord Mountbatten
c. J.N. Nehru
d. Rajendra Prasad

Answer 1

Hint:
He was popularly referred to as Rajaji. He also became Gandhi's newspaper publisher, Young India.

Complete step by step solution:
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India. He was the last one as well.

The Governor-General of India (Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1858 to 1947, generally shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the ruler of the United Kingdom and the representative of the Indian head of state after Indian independence in 1947. In 1773, with the title of 'Governor-General of the Fort William Presidency,' the office was established. The officer had direct charge only of Fort William but oversaw other officials of the East India Company in India. In 1833, all of British India was granted full power, and the official came to be known as the "governor-general of India."

In his book Environmentalism: A Global History, the historian Ramachandra Guha wrote that Rajagopalachari "followed Gandhi 's actions with curiosity after Gandhi's return to India in 1915." The first time Rajagopalachari met Gandhi in Madras (now Chennai) was in 1919. He engaged in Gandhi's Campaign for Non-Cooperation. He was also imprisoned in Vellore in 1920 for two years.

He opened his own ashram after his release to encourage Gandhi's ideals of Hindu-Muslim unity and the abolition of untouchability. He was a proponent of khadi as well.
Rajagopalachari carried out a similar march at Vedaranyam in the Madras Presidency when Gandhi led the Dandi March to break the salt rule in 1930.
Rajagopalachari was an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi, but he was never afraid to share his opinions. Rajagopalachari was also opposed to Gandhi during the Quit India Movement. He was of the opinion that the British would ultimately leave the country, so it was not a wise idea to initiate another Satyagraha. He also sponsored a dialogue to put an end to the Hindu-Muslim differences.

Rajagopalachari actively engaged in changing the education system and bringing about improvements in society during his tenure as chief minister of Madras, the predecessor to the state of Tamil Nadu. In Tamil colleges, he made Hindi a compulsory language as well. His decision led to protests against him, after which the CM resigned as Rajagopalachari. He was a social conservative who favoured free trade for the market. He wanted the Varna system to be reintroduced to society.


Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note:
 Rajagopalachari was awarded with India's highest civilian Bharat Ratna award in 1955.