Who wrote India's national anthem "Jana Gana Mana"?
Appeared in: RML PRE 2025
Explanation
India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana', was written and composed by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
It was originally composed as 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' in a highly Sanskritized version of Bengali.
The song was first publicly sung on December 27, 1911, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
The Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted the first stanza of the song as the National Anthem on January 24, 1950.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
Option B: Bihari Lal Chopra, commonly known as B. R. Chopra, was an influential film director and producer in the Hindi film industry. He had no role in the creation of the national anthem.
Option C: Mahatma Gandhi was the foremost leader of the Indian independence movement and is revered as the 'Father of the Nation'. While he was a prolific writer, he did not compose the national anthem.
Option D: Subhash Chandra Bose was a charismatic and prominent freedom fighter who founded the Forward Bloc and led the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj). He was a political and military leader, not a poet or composer of the anthem.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Author of India's National Anthem as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
General knowledge is a common component of nursing and other competitive entrance examinations, testing a candidate's overall awareness beyond their core subjects.
Understanding national symbols like the anthem fosters a sense of identity and cultural competence, which is valuable for healthcare professionals working in a diverse country like India.
What if the question asked about the national song of India? The correct answer would be 'Vande Mataram', which was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
How to Approach the Question
This is a factual recall question based on general knowledge of Indian history and national symbols.
First, identify the key subject of the question: the author of the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'.
Scan the options provided. Evaluate each name based on their known historical contributions.
Recall or deduce the primary field of each individual: Rabindranath Tagore (poet, writer), B.R. Chopra (filmmaker), Mahatma Gandhi (political leader), Subhash Chandra Bose (political and military leader).
The composition of an anthem is a literary and musical act, which most closely aligns with the profile of Rabindranath Tagore, a celebrated poet and Nobel laureate in Literature.
Select Rabindranath Tagore as the correct answer based on this logical association and historical fact.
Concept Tested & Keywords
Concept Tested: Author of India's National Anthem
Stem keywords: India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, wrote
Lead-in keywords: Who
Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QvrvU6VZR589uxn5GcHxr3
Practise the full RML PRE 2025
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.