With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?

(a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.
(b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of Andhra region from here.
(c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here. ✓ UPSC's answer
(d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society first here.

Why the answer is (c)

• In February 1919 Rabindranath Tagore stayed at the Besant Theosophical College, Madanapalle, where he rendered 'Jana Gana Mana' into English as 'The Morning Song of India'; the tune was set there by Margaret Cousins (option c).

• Pingali Venkayya designed the flag at Machilipatnam/Bezwada, not Madanapalle (a).

• Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was based at Machilipatnam and was jailed during Quit India (b).

• The Theosophical Society's first Indian headquarters was at Bombay (1879) before moving to Adyar, Madras in 1882 (d).

• Hence option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.: Venkayya's flag work is linked to Machilipatnam, not Madanapalle.
(b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of Andhra region from here.: Sitaramaiah was based at Machilipatnam and jailed in 1942.
(d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society first…: The Society's first Indian HQ was Bombay, then Adyar.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.