1. Important Congress Sessions (High Yield)
PSC (WBCS) loves asking about the First, the Best, and the Unique sessions.
| Year | Place | President | Significance / Why it is asked |
| 1885 | Bombay | W.C. Bonnerjee | First Session. 72 delegates attended. |
| 1886 | Calcutta | Dadabhai Naoroji | First session in Calcutta. |
| 1887 | Madras | Badruddin Tyabji | First Muslim President. |
| 1888 | Allahabad | George Yule | First English President. |
| 1896 | Calcutta | Rahimtullah Sayani | National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ sung for the first time. |
| 1905 | Banaras | G.K. Gokhale | Protest against Partition of Bengal. |
| 1906 | Calcutta | Dadabhai Naoroji | Word ‘Swaraj’ mentioned for the first time. |
| 1907 | Surat | Rash Behari Ghosh | Surat Split (Moderates vs. Extremists). |
| 1911 | Calcutta | B.N. Dhar | National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ sung for the first time. |
| 1916 | Lucknow | A.C. Majumdar | Lucknow Pact (Congress-League Pact) & Moderate-Extremist reunion. |
| 1917 | Calcutta | Annie Besant | First Woman President. |
| 1924 | Belgaum | M.K. Gandhi | Only session presided over by Gandhi. |
| 1925 | Kanpur | Sarojini Naidu | First Indian Woman President. |
| 1929 | Lahore | J.L. Nehru | Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) resolution passed. |
| 1931 | Karachi | Vallabhbhai Patel | Resolution on Fundamental Rights & National Economic Policy. |
| 1938 | Haripura | S.C. Bose | Subhas Bose elected; National Planning Committee set up. |
| 1939 | Tripuri | S.C. Bose | Defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya (Gandhi’s candidate); later resigned. |
| 1946 | Meerut | J.B. Kripalani | President at the time of Independence. |
2. Governor-Generals & Viceroys (Key Events)
Questions usually link a specific event (like the Railway, Partition, or Mutiny) to the person in charge.
| Governor-General / Viceroy | Key Events / Questions Asked |
| Warren Hastings | First Gov-Gen of Bengal; Regulating Act 1773; Asiatic Society. |
| Lord Cornwallis | Permanent Settlement (1793); Father of Civil Services in India. |
| Lord Wellesley | Subsidiary Alliance (1798); Fort William College. |
| Lord William Bentinck | Abolition of Sati (1829); First Gov-Gen of India (1833). |
| Lord Dalhousie | Doctrine of Lapse; First Railway (1853); Widow Remarriage Act (drafted). |
| Lord Canning | Revolt of 1857; First Viceroy; Withdrew Doctrine of Lapse. |
| Lord Lytton | Vernacular Press Act (1878); Arms Act. |
| Lord Ripon | Father of Local Self Govt; Ilbert Bill Controversy; Repealed Vernacular Press Act. |
| Lord Curzon | Partition of Bengal (1905); Police Commission. |
| Lord Chelmsford | Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919); Rowlatt Act; Mont-Ford Reforms. |
| Lord Irwin | Simon Commission (1928); Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931). |
| Lord Mountbatten | June 3rd Plan; Last Viceroy of British India; First Gov-Gen of Free India. |
| C. Rajagopalachari | First and Last Indian Governor-General. |
3. Important Books, Journals & Authors (INM)
Matching authors to their works is a staple WBCS question.
| Book / Journal | Author / Editor |
| Hind Swaraj / Young India / Harijan | Mahatma Gandhi |
| Discovery of India / Glimpses of World History | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Unhappy India | Lala Lajpat Rai |
| India Wins Freedom | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad |
| Poverty and Un-British Rule in India | Dadabhai Naoroji (Drain Theory) |
| The Indian Struggle | Subhas Chandra Bose |
| Neel Darpan | Dinabandhu Mitra (Indigo Revolt) |
| Anandmath / Durgeshnandini | Bankim Chandra Chatterjee |
| Geeta Rahasya / Kesari (Marathi) / Maratha (Eng) | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| New India / Commonweal | Annie Besant |
| Bengalee | Surendranath Banerjee |
| Mirat-ul-Akhbar / Sambad Kaumudi | Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
| Ghulamgiri | Jyotiba Phule |
| Bartaman Bharat | Swami Vivekananda |
4. Important Revolts & Movements (Chronology)
- Sanyasi Rebellion: 1763–1800 (Mentioned in Anandmath)
- Santhal Rebellion: 1855 (Leaders: Sidhu & Kanhu)
- Indigo Revolt: 1859 (Nadia district, Digambar & Bishnucharan Biswas)
- Wahabi Movement: Syed Ahmed Barelvi (Titu Mir in Bengal)
- Swadeshi Movement: 1905 (Anti-Partition)
- Ghadar Movement: 1913 (Lala Hardayal, San Francisco)
- Home Rule Movement: 1916 (Tilak & Annie Besant)
- Champaran Satyagraha: 1917 (First Civil Disobedience by Gandhi)
- Non-Cooperation Movement: 1920–22 (Ended by Chauri Chaura incident)
- Civil Disobedience Movement: 1930 (Started with Dandi March)
- Quit India Movement: 1942 (Do or Die)
- Naval Mutiny: 1946 (Talwar ship)
5. Ancient & Medieval Keywords (Terminologies)
- Sijda & Paibos: Balban (Salutation style)
- Dag & Chehra: Alauddin Khilji (Branding horses & soldier descriptive rolls)
- Iqta System: Iltutmish (Land revenue assignment)
- Mansabdari System: Akbar (Rank/Position in administration)
- Zabti / Dahsala System: Todar Mal (Land Revenue under Akbar)
- Ashtadiggajas: Krishnadevaraya (8 Telugu Poets)
- Ashtapradhan: Shivaji (Council of 8 Ministers)
- Navaratna: Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) AND Akbar.
