Indian history · Freedom struggle · Revolutionaries

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945): Congress President, Forward Bloc, Escape from India, the INA and the Azad Hind Government — Exam Notes

Subhas Chandra Bose twice became Congress president, broke with Gandhi over the path to freedom, escaped from British house arrest during the Second World War and led the Indian National Army to the borders of India. The INA trials of 1945–46 stirred the whole country. This guide covers his life and the INA in the detail examiners expect.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 7 min read · How we prepare guides

Life at a glance

Early life and the ICS

Bose was a brilliant student. In 1920 he passed the Indian Civil Service examination in England, ranking fourth, but in 1921, moved by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Non-Cooperation Movement, he resigned — one of the first Indians to give up the ICS for the national movement.

Back in India, he worked under C. R. Das in Bengal: he was principal of the National College, edited the newspaper Forward, and served as chief executive officer of the Calcutta Corporation (1924) when Das was mayor. He was imprisoned in Mandalay (1925–27).

Congress years

• With Jawaharlal Nehru, he led the younger, more radical wing that demanded complete independence; both formed the Independence for India League (1928).
• He became Mayor of Calcutta in 1930.
• In 1938 he was elected Congress president at the Haripura session (Gujarat). He set up a National Planning Committee under Nehru.
• In 1939 he was re-elected at Tripuri (near Jabalpur), defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Gandhi's candidate. Gandhi said Sitaramayya's defeat was "more mine than his". Faced with opposition from the Working Committee, Bose resigned, and Rajendra Prasad took over.
• In May 1939 he formed the All India Forward Bloc within the Congress. He was later expelled from Congress office.

The Great Escape (1941)

When the Second World War began, Bose argued that Britain's difficulty was India's opportunity. He was arrested in 1940 and then kept under house arrest in Calcutta. On the night of 16–17 January 1941, he escaped disguised as a Pathan insurance agent named Mohammed Ziauddin, travelled via Peshawar and Kabul, and, with an Italian passport under the name Orlando Mazzotta, reached Moscow and then Berlin.

Germany (1941–43)

• He set up the Free India Centre in Berlin and Azad Hind Radio.
• He raised the Indian Legion (Free India Legion) from Indian prisoners of war captured in North Africa.
• He met Hitler in 1942, but German support was limited.
• In February 1943 he travelled by German submarine (U-180) and then Japanese submarine (I-29) to Southeast Asia — one of the longest submarine journeys of the war.

The Indian National Army

First INA

The INA was first organised by Captain Mohan Singh, an Indian officer of the British Indian Army captured in Malaya, with Japanese support, after the fall of Singapore in February 1942. Rash Behari Bose, a veteran revolutionary living in Japan, headed the Indian Independence League. Disputes with the Japanese led to Mohan Singh's arrest and the INA's collapse by late 1942.

Netaji takes command

In July 1943, at Singapore, Rash Behari Bose handed over leadership of the Indian Independence League to Subhas Chandra Bose, who took command of the INA. Soldiers called him "Netaji". He gave the slogans:

• "Delhi Chalo" ("On to Delhi");
• "Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi dunga" ("Give me blood, and I will give you freedom");
• "Jai Hind", which became the national salute.

The INA had brigades named after Gandhi, Nehru and Azad, and a Subhas brigade, and a women's regiment, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (Sahgal).

The Azad Hind government (21 October 1943)

On 21 October 1943, at Singapore, Bose proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind), with himself as head of state, prime minister and war minister. It was recognised by Japan, Germany, Italy and several other Axis-aligned states, declared war on Britain and the USA, and had its own currency, postal stamps and civil code.

Japan handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in name. On 30 December 1943, Bose hoisted the national flag at Port Blair. He renamed the islands Shaheed and Swaraj. In 2018, three islands were renamed, including Ross Island as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep.

The Imphal–Kohima campaign (1944)

INA units fought alongside the Japanese in the invasion of India from Burma in 1944. On 14 April 1944, the INA's Colonel Shaukat Malik raised the tricolour at Moirang in Manipur. But the campaign at Imphal and Kohima failed, with heavy losses from fighting, disease and lack of supplies, and the INA retreated through Burma.

Death mystery

After Japan's surrender, Bose is reported to have died on 18 August 1945 from burns after an air crash at Taihoku (Taipei). His ashes are kept at the Renkoji Temple in Tokyo. Three inquiries — the Shah Nawaz Committee (1956), the Khosla Commission (1970) and the Mukherjee Commission (1999–2005) — examined the question; the first two accepted the air crash, while the Mukherjee Commission did not. In 2016 the Government of India began declassifying files on Netaji.

The INA trials (1945–46)

The British tried three INA officers — Prem Kumar Sahgal, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Shah Nawaz Khan — at the Red Fort in late 1945. Their defence team included Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Asaf Ali and Jawaharlal Nehru. The slogan was "Lal Qile se aayi awaaz — Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz". The trials caused huge protests across communities; the officers were convicted but released. The trials, together with the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of February 1946, convinced many in Britain that Indian soldiers' loyalty could no longer be relied upon.

Honours and memory

• 23 January is observed as Parakram Diwas (Day of Valour) since 2021.
• A statue of Netaji stands under the canopy at India Gate, New Delhi (unveiled 2022), and Kartavya Path runs nearby.
• Calcutta's airport is named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Key points to remember

• Born 23 January 1897, Cuttack; resigned ICS 1921; guru C. R. Das.
• Congress president Haripura 1938, Tripuri 1939; Forward Bloc 1939.
• Escape January 1941; Berlin; Azad Hind Radio.
• INA first by Mohan Singh; leadership from Rash Behari Bose (July 1943).
• Azad Hind government 21 October 1943; flag at Port Blair 30 December 1943; Moirang 1944.
• Red Fort trials: Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz.

Practice questions

1. Q1. Subhas Chandra Bose was elected Congress president at the Haripura session in:

   • (a) 1936
   • (b) 1938
   • (c) 1939
   • (d) 1940
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 1938 — He presided at Haripura in 1938 and was re-elected at Tripuri in 1939.

2. Q2. The Indian National Army was first organised by:

   • (a) Rash Behari Bose
   • (b) Mohan Singh
   • (c) Subhas Chandra Bose
   • (d) Shah Nawaz Khan
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Mohan Singh — Captain Mohan Singh first organised the INA in 1942.

3. Q3. The Provisional Government of Azad Hind was proclaimed at Singapore on:

   • (a) 15 August 1943
   • (b) 21 October 1943
   • (c) 30 December 1943
   • (d) 23 January 1944
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 21 October 1943 — Bose proclaimed it on 21 October 1943.

4. Q4. The INA's women's regiment was led by:

   • (a) Aruna Asaf Ali
   • (b) Lakshmi Swaminathan (Sahgal)
   • (c) Usha Mehta
   • (d) Sucheta Kripalani
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Lakshmi Swaminathan (Sahgal) — Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.

5. Q5. Which of the following was NOT one of the three officers in the Red Fort INA trials?

   • (a) Prem Kumar Sahgal
   • (b) Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon
   • (c) Shah Nawaz Khan
   • (d) Mohan Singh
   Show answer

   Answer: (d) Mohan Singh — The three accused were Sahgal, Dhillon and Shah Nawaz Khan.

6. Q6. Parakram Diwas, marking Netaji's birth anniversary, is observed on:

   • (a) 23 January
   • (b) 23 March
   • (c) 18 August
   • (d) 21 October
   Show answer

   Answer: (a) 23 January — Since 2021, 23 January is observed as Parakram Diwas.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Bose resign as Congress president in 1939?

After defeating Gandhi's candidate at Tripuri, he faced opposition from the Congress Working Committee, so he resigned and formed the Forward Bloc.

What does 'Jai Hind' have to do with Netaji?

It was popularised by Bose and the INA as a salute and became India's national greeting.

Where are Netaji's reported ashes kept?

At the Renkoji Temple in Tokyo.

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