Q. Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement:

Explanation : 

The Non-Cooperation Movement, launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, had specific objectives and a planned method of implementation.

I. The Congress declared the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
This statement is correct. At the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress in December 1920, the Congress formally changed its goal from attaining self-government through constitutional means to achieving ‘Swaraj’ (self-rule) by all legitimate and peaceful means. This marked a significant shift towards an extra-constitutional mass struggle.

II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if ‘Swaraj’ did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
This statement is also correct. The Non-Cooperation Movement was indeed planned in stages. Initially, it involved the surrender of titles, boycott of government institutions (schools, courts, councils), and foreign goods. Mahatma Gandhi had famously declared that if the non-cooperation program was fully implemented, Swaraj would be achieved within a year. The program also included more intense forms of civil disobedience, such as non-payment of taxes, as a later stage, to be implemented if the initial steps did not yield results and to escalate pressure on the government, especially if it continued its repressive policies.